COURTESY OF THE DENNIS POLICE DEPARTMENT
DENNIS – From Dennis Police: The United States Department of Justice recently announced grant funding which included a two year grant award of $231,523 to the Dennis Police Department for the purpose of conducting de-escalation training.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta highlighted the more than $334 million in critical grant funding to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders awarded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office).
Dennis Chief of Police John Brady recognized Lieutenant Thomas Murray, Sergeant Brandon Whiting and Patrol Officer Matthew Swett for the work they completed to secure this grant funding.
The USDOJ outlined in part the importance of de-escalation in the law enforcement field as follows:
“Law enforcement use of force has long been a topic of national and local discussion, especially when a high-profile case heightens community awareness. The concept of de-escalation has been a part of law enforcement use of force discussions for decades. De-escalation refers to the range of verbal and nonverbal skills used to slow down the sequence of events, enhance situational awareness, conduct proper threat assessments, and allow for better decision-making to reduce the likelihood that a situation will escalate into a physical confrontation or injury and to ensure the safest possible outcomes”.
