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In law enforcement, you make rapid decisions when dealing with escalating situations or potential threats. Remaining calm helps you think clearly during difficult or escalating encounters and enhances your ability to protect community members, yourself, and the subject. Take the time to identify and practice techniques that help you manage your emotions when faced with difficult calls. Bringing calm into a situation can help reduce tension and lead to safer resolutions.

In this episode, Chief David Flory (Retired), a lead instructor with the VALOR Officer Safety and Wellness Program, is joined by Officer Angela Sands, an officer with the Lincoln, Nebraska, Police Department to discuss her personal story involving a shooting while she was on duty in 2015. Chief Flory and Officer Sands highlight the importance of recognizing signs of post-traumatic stress (PTS) and providing/asking for support.

The duty to intervene in a situation that involves excessive use of force by another officer is your responsibility as a sworn officer. Chief John Bouthillette, a lead instructor for the VALOR Program, and Mr. Bruce-Alan Barnard, a nationally renowned law enforcement legal educator, discuss the reality of what duty to intervene means for officers. You have no protection under the law for failing to intervene when you have the opportunity. You have a duty to intervene. Do not get caught in a moral or ethical dilemma.

Effective public safety requires trust building through face-to-face interactions between law enforcement and members of the community. This has never been more challenging due to the risks and dangers associated with the COVID-19 virus, which has been the number one killer of law enforcement officers in 2020 and 2021. This toolkit is designed for use among law enforcement leaders and consists of customizable materials to promote confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. Please Note: To unlock the full functionality of the toolkit and the fact sheets, they must be downloaded and saved to your local computer or network. With the toolkit open, save it to a designated location on your computer or network. Open the saved toolkit to access the fact sheet templates. Select the individual fact sheet files on page 10 and save them to your local computer or network. Open each file to customize it and save it to your local computer or network when finished.