All 17 York County police departments are taking this new training to reduce use of force

I got the cops called on me - once - in my life. Two years ago, someone reported me for “driving all over the graves” at York’s City Cemetery in North York. In reality, I parked on the grass edge of the street, where I knew no bodies were buried thanks to Ground Penetrating Radar, to conduct research as part of the Friends of City Cemetery initiative to mark this potters field with a monument.

While I remained professional, I’m sure the body worn camera of the Northern York County Regional police officer would show a slightly more emotional version of myself than what I will admit. That footage likely still exists, saved on the cloud as a form of accountability for both law enforcement officers and the public.

In fact, every municipal police officer in York County wears a body camera. It’s a part of their efforts to serve the community with trust and transparency. The York County Safety Collab, a coalition between the 17 police departments and the District Attorney’s office (and the initiative I direct), assisted in securing those cameras as a form of relationship-building between law enforcement and residents.

When the tall officer approached me on the gravesite that day, I immediately felt a surge of anxiety, despite my perceived faultlessness. Like most people, the badge/uniform/gun combo shifted my emotional equilibrium to “high alert” mode. Confronting authority is simply not an everyday occurrence for me. However, a brief talk with the officer ended smoothly after I agreed to move my car thanks to his firm yet amicable directions.

This training spans jurisdictional boundaries for consistency

Peaceful resolutions like this are on the rise thanks to a county-wide de-escalation initiative. This two-day training - built by the National De-escalation Training Center but taught by local cops - takes officers through a series of role-playing scenarios, direct instruction, and group discussion.

Training focuses on evidence-based strategies that lead to a reduction in the use of force. Things like tone, body positioning, and word choice all play a role in determining the positive outcome of police-citizen interactions. If an officer has to threaten a resident, including aiming a weapon or anything short of voluntary compliance, it means communication broke down. Increased de-escalation techniques mean less violence.

Police Chief Todd King of Springettsbury Township stresses the benefit this training provides to York County residents. “We are doing this on a county-wide basis,” he says. “We are all training the same way. So if we have to share resources across municipal lines, we can work together better.”

Many don’t realize that York County has 17 police departments. Each one functions independently with varying policies and culture. For example, a drive from East York’s Walmart to West York’s Walmart wanders through four different jurisdictions, which means possibly four disparate policing styles. With the exception of Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) hosted by the county, there is no other uniform training that each department collectively undertakes. In short, it’s kind of a big deal and we have police leadership to thank.

All 17 departments signed an agreement with the York County Safety Collab to participate in de-escalation training - a collaborative effort worth celebrating. Police chiefs across the county should be commended for their commitment to increasing positive interactions between law enforcement and the people they serve.

Knowledge of DiSC is a tool for dialog, not diagnosis

A large component of the training includes a deep dive into the DiSC model - a personality profiling technique that equips officers with the ability to quickly assess an individual’s behavior. The DiSC acronym stands for the four major personality profiles: (D)ominance, (i)nfluence, (S)teadiness and (C)onscientiousness. Each profile responds to challenges, rules and procedures differently.

For example, I fall under the “Influence” category, meaning I’m an outgoing people-person who cares more about relationships than always accomplishing my to-do list. My Subaru with my “coexist” bumper sticker and mountain bike in the back is a dead giveaway.

An officer trained in de-escalation can identify me as an “I” before even asking for my driver’s license and proof of ID. That means they’ll ask me how I’m doing when I roll down my driver’s side window before anything else - because I care about relationships.

A “D” personality, on the other hand, may drive a Dodge Charger. Asking them about their day is a waste of time. Their task-oriented nature wants the officer to get to the point ASAP. Police are already using this knowledge to reduce conflict and improve working relationships.

It is said that we should treat people by the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. So how do you want to be treated? According to someone else's personality or according to your own? Instead of treating others how you want to be treated, we should treat people how they want to be treated - and knowledge of DiSC helps police officers do just that.

This training is a tool for dialogue, not diagnosis. And the more dialogue that occurs between law enforcement and York County residents the better.

More training to come

Out of the 480+ police officers in our county, 150+ are de-escalation certified. The goal of the Safety Collab is to train 50 percent of York County officers by summer 2025. Funding for this initiative came from the Warehime Foundation as well as the COPS grant from the U.S. Department of Justice in partnership with LogosWorks Partners - the nonprofit that houses the York County Safety Collab.

I’m hoping I never have another encounter where the police are called on me. I try hard to live lawfully. But if I do, I’m hoping that the officer will look for a wise outcome, as did the Northern Regional officer at the cemetery. De-escalation training increases the odds of such a productive conversation.

Jamie Noerpel is director of the York County Safety Collab initiative.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York County PA police taking training to reduce use of force