U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) recently proposed a bipartisan, bicameral bill requiring the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to develop a scenario-based training curriculum for law enforcement personnel.
“Improved training will result in improved safety for both law enforcement officers and the people they regularly interact with,” Sen. Tillis said.
The Law Enforcement Scenario-Based Training for Safety and De-Escalation Act of 2022, S. 4847, is cosponsored by Sen. Tillis, who joined bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in introducing the bill. U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) introduced their chamber’s version, the same-named H.R. 8830.
If enacted, the bill would task COPS with creating an immersive, real-life, scenario-based training curriculum focused on improving community-police relations; officer safety and resilience; situational awareness; physical and emotional responses to stress; critical decision-making and problem-solving; de-escalation and use of force; and crisis intervention, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
“Law enforcement officers risk their lives every single day to keep our communities safe, and they deserve training and resources that help them handle the most difficult situations,” said Sen. Tillis. “This bipartisan legislation will help law enforcement receive training to de-escalate a host of crises, including those involving people with mental health or drug dependency issues.”
Additionally, the measure would create a grant program to support public and private entities that train law enforcement officers using a similar immersive curriculum..
The proposed bill received endorsements from the NAACP, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Tactical Officers Association, and the International Union of Police Associations.