KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Police Department brought out representatives from agencies across the region on Thursday for a joint training session.
The training was led by KPD's crisis negotiation team at the KPD Training Academy. They said it consisted of classroom instruction as well as scenario-based learning meant to show participants how to safely calm others during risky situations.
The training focused on team building, de-escalation and research-backed strategies to diffuse several kinds of tense situations, according to a post by KPD on social media. They also showed participants how to safely handle active mental health crises.
The Crisis Negotiation Unit is trained with 80 hours of basic and advanced negotiations by the FBI, or with equivalent training. They also train eight hours a month, totaling an additional 96 hours of training per year.
They may respond to people experiencing suicidal ideation or suspects who have barricaded themselves. They often work with mental health professionals, veteran's assistance groups and other social service agencies.
