👮‍♂️ RCIPS hosts crisis de-escalation course

Retired US Marine Corps veteran Lieutenant Mark Lowther, who has 31 years of police and public safety experience, conducted a crisis intervention and de-escalation course for the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) last month. The course was attended by staff from various agencies including the RCIPS, Customs and Border Control, HM Prison Service, Cayman Airways, the Cayman Islands Regiment, Hazard Management Cayman Islands and the Health Services Authority. The training aimed to equip attendees with the skills to identify, understand, and verbally de-escalate those in crisis. It also covered suicide intervention, autism awareness and lawful powers under the Mental Health Act. 🚔

Sergeant Jonathan Kern of the RCIPS Training and Development Unit, who helped facilitate the course, emphasized the importance of de-escalation as a tool for anyone dealing with someone in crisis. The training sessions were designed to build upon the existing training of RCIPS officers, providing them with a deeper understanding of various situations they may encounter. The RCIPS Training and Development Unit regularly conducts such training sessions for RCIPS staff and partner agencies, aiming to equip all those involved in maintaining the safety of the Cayman Islands with the best tools possible. 🤝