WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Representatives Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) and Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral LawEnforcement Scenario-Based Training for Safety and De-Escalation Act of 2022. 

This legislation would require the U.S. Department of Justice, through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), to create immersive, real-life, scenario-based training curriculum to address key issues raised by law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. 

The curriculum would focus on improving community-police relations; officer safety and resilience; situational awareness; physical and emotional responses to stress; critical decision-making and problem-solving; de-escalation and use of force; and crisis intervention. The bill would also create a grant program to support public and private entities that train law enforcement officers using similar immersive curriculum. All law enforcement officers—in departments large and small, rural and urban—should have access to the state-of-the-art, scenario-based training that saves lives and rebuilds trust. This bill is an important step toward finding common ground between law enforcement and the communities they serve. 

“Law enforcement officers risk their lives every single day to keep ourcommunities safe, and they deserve training and resources that help them handle the most difficult situations,” said Senator Tillis. “This bipartisan legislation will help law enforcement receive training to de-escalate a host of crises, including those involving people with mental health or drug dependency issues. Improved training will result in improved safety for both law enforcement officers and the people they regularly interact with.” 

The NAACP, Fraternal Order of Police, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Tactical Officers Association, and the International Union of Police Associations have endorsed the legislation.

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