KISSIMMEE, Fla. – As recent protests are sparking a national conversation around police training, the Kissimmee Police Department is sharing how it trains its officers to intervene and deescalate situations.
Chief Jeffrey O'Dell said every officer goes through peer intervention training when they are hired and they are retrained every year.
He said he will not allow his officers to stand on the side and watch when they see another officer crossing the line. “We’re not going to allow bystanding anymore,” O’Dell said.
O'Dell said he started the intervention training in 2016 after he said he noticed a trend of officers and misconduct, both locally and nationally.