A grant from the Department of Justice will help the Troy University Police Department and law enforcement officers of surrounding agencies to become better trained in de-escalation tactics.

The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) office of the DOJ is providing more than $180,000 to fund the department’s installation of the state-of-the-art VirTra V-180 virtual training system and have two officers trained and nationally certified through the Virtual Interactive Coursework Training Academy, through the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards Training.

“De-escalation training is vital in today’s law enforcement environment,” said Troy University Police Chief George Beaudry. “This grant enables us to provide up-to-date training for our TUPD officers as well as provide training to other agencies in our area and throughout the state.”

The Troy University Police Department De-escalation Proficiency Training Project will use a two-tiered approach that blends classroom learning with physical training exercises to improve officer decision-making skills. Ultimately the goal of the project is to enhance outcomes in police interactions with citizens, thereby promoting a safer campus and community.

“A 2020 Gallup poll indicated confidence in law enforcement had fallen from 53 percent to 48 percent,” Beaudry said. “Our project will advance community policing and teach law enforcement leaders and administrators that investing in the frequent, effective and proven training can improve not only our relationship with the community that we serve, but also the safety, effectiveness and retention of our officers.”

Beaudry said he hopes to expand the project in the future, to include the training in the University’s Criminal Justice curriculum.

“While our department’s primary function is to provide law enforcement services to the community we serve, we also support the University’s mission to address the state’s educational needs,” he said. “We appreciate the support our project is receiving from the Department of Justice to enable Troy University to fulfill its greater mission.”

The project is expected to be in operation by Spring semester 2023.