100%
My psych unit used to have an amazing collaborative relationship with hospital security. Basically they would select the chillest security people to send to sit on our unit in 24/7 shifts. A lot of them were amazing verbal deescalators even if just by not responding when patients say dumb shit hoping to get a rise (especially racial or gendered slurs).
Now our security department is sending a bunch of former COs and LEOs and it’s like pulling teeth to explain proper violence prevention, especially in this specific environment. A bunch of them think they need to buck up with competitive aggression at patients who start shit to prove they’re tougher and I often struggle to explain to them that true displays of strength and control over the situation are much more subtle.
For example, one of my bigger power moves (especially for patients who give me a strong bark over bite vibe) is to have security wait beside the door and just out of sight outside the room. So if they do start swinging my backup is literally right there, but from the patient perspective, I’m comfortable and confident that I can defend myself (and I’ve developed a subtle swagger/relaxed gait and posture over the years to sell it too). No yelling or bucking up or threatening needed. Just a subtly firm and consistent “I ain’t worried about you doing anything I can’t handle.”
A lot of people also comment on how close I’m willing to stand to patients but a lot of these people don’t have enough situational awareness to intuit how close they can get and when. Like obviously when they’re yelling at you is not the time to step up on them to get a blood pressure reading? But even when they’re yelling at me about a foot or so beyond arm’s reach is fine, especially if your backup is already there.
Honestly (while this is definitely not the most important facet of this situation) this guy is actually making these cops less safe to boot. Creating a fundamentally adversarial relationship with the people they’re (supposed to be) protecting is creating a far more dangerous situation for everyone in the long run.
Creating a fundamentally adversarial relationship with the people they’re (supposed to be) protecting
Fundamental misunderstanding as to the role of police in a capitalist society. They’re not there to protect you, they’re there to enforce laws which are designed to maintain the structure. It doesn’t matter how friendly and nice a cop is when they’re called to carry out an eviction, to haul off a worker who assaulted a business owner who refused to pay them, or put down a protest.
I helped actively resist his killology training seminars in Spokane, WA a few years ago. We really had no idea if it would work out, but the collective efforts of activists, organizers, the general public, and city council caused him to no-show at his own event.
There’s fairly little news on the details of how it all went down, but here’s a good article leading up to the seminar that accurately accounts all the major details:
Spokane City Council condemns controversial ‘killology’ police training
If Grossman shows up to your community, you can resist him and win.
When people say police just need “more training,” remember that this is the training they’ll be getting.
It’s not that guy. It’s the people that hire him. I mean sure, that dude’s a fucking asshole. But the system that enables him is far more to blame.
Can we just blame them all? Address the symptoms and the disease.