Warren police implement emotional intelligence training to combat stress

Detective Carla Rexford received training to instruct the Warren Police Department’s peer support team during a training session on Thursday.

(FOX 2) Warren, Mich.Stress is referred to as the silent killer that many people experience on a daily basis. Even police officers, who are there to protect and serve, experience stress.

In a heated interaction with a citizen, how can law enforcement avoid the silent killer?

According to Warren Police, there is training available to assist law enforcement in accurately recognizing and addressing these issues.

It’s known as training for emotional intelligence.

“This training helps our officers to recognize when they are making emotional decisions or when their emotions could influence their decision-making and also to recognize emotions in other people,” said Lt. Brent Chisolm of the Warren Police Department.

Detective Carla Rexford received training to instruct the Warren Police Department’s peer support team during a training session on Thursday.

“When I m on a call I m able to take a breath if I need to take a step back, take a moment get yourself together, and then I m able to intelligently go forward,” she stated.

“We re the first department to my knowledge to do a full day emotional intelligence training for all sworn personnel in the state of Michigan,” stated Chisolm.

According to the police, emotional intelligence training consists of four essential elements:

• 
  
  Self-awareness
  
  
• 
  
  Self-management
  
  
• 
  
  Social awareness
  
  
• 
  
  Relationship management
  
  

This information might have stopped a now-former Warren police officer from hitting a man inside the municipal jail or from getting into a fight with a semi-truck driver in July 2023.

“Emotional intelligence in other agencies has shown to reduce usage of force by 40% and citizen complaints by 20%,” stated Chisolm.

According to Warren police, there are numerous advantages to this training, and they are not just for the workplace; they may help improve relationships with family members and kids.

“This again a way to prevent our officers from having the physical affects of all the circulated trauma they go through their careerist,” stated Chisolm.