Trenton, N.J. Acting Police Director Steve E. Wilson today announced that Trenton Police Department (TPD) officers have begun state mandated de-escalation and active bystandership training programs at Mercer County Community College.
All TPD officers must attend the training. The training programs have been mandated by the N.J. Attorney General’s Office in accordance with the new state use of force policies that will become effective later this year.
“We receive a lot of questions from the community about whether our staff is receiving the latest use of force training,” said Acting Director Wilson. “We want our residents to know that every officer in the city will undergo both of these Attorney General mandated programs as we strive to create the best policing environment possible.”
One of the training programs is Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT). ICAT is a training guide for diffusing critical incidents. It provides responding police officers with the tools, skills, and options they need to safely defuse a range of critical incidents. ICAT instructs officers on critical thinking, crisis intervention, communications, and tactics.
The second training program is the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE). This program seeks to create a law enforcement culture that supports peer intervention. ABLE training promotes the idea that it is the responsibility of every officer to act to prevent mistakes, address misconduct, and promote their fellow officers’ health and well-being.
