One of the major initiatives of the Division of Parole Supervision (DPS) for 2022 has been a significant investment in improving officer safety training. This has been accomplished by implementing Verbal Judo and creating a “Safety Week” at the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center (NLETC) in Grand Island.
Verbal Judo is a system of communication and de-escalation developed by Dr. George Thompson to help police officers prevent unnecessary uses of physical force through better communication. Through our partnership with the Verbal Judo Institute, parole officers were taught valuable skills to redirect behavior, diffuse difficult situations and generate voluntary compliance from our clients. The training was delivered by Mike “Ziggy” Siegfried, a retired police officer with over 25 years of street law enforcement experience. Ziggy will be returning in September to deliver an instructor development course that will allow DPS to sustain this critical initiative internally. Once certified, our instructors will be able to teach both the Enforcement Professional version, intended for field staff, as well as the Contact Professional version, intended for administrative and support staff.
DPS moved officer safety training, which includes defensive tactics, use of restraints and searches, to NLETC to create a learning environment that allows officers to focus solely on mastering these critical skills, without the distraction of being in their normal working areas. Additionally, four new instructors were certified this year, which allows for increased individual attention for the training participants. We are also able to make use of the NLETC’s excellent facilities, including two scenario houses where we can practice field contacts and searches in a highly realistic environment. Staff who attended the first session of the repackaged training reported that they felt more relaxed and focused during the week, and more confident in their knowledge and skills afterward. DPS will continue its investment in officer safety by holding monthly booster trainings across the state.