The north carolina department of criminal justice will use FY24 safer outcomes funding to facilitate the integration of online DE-escalation and interacting with persons in crisis content with…

The North Carolina Department of Criminal Justice was awarded a $499,900 Project Grant under the U.S. Department of Justice's Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants (CFDA 16.710) program. The funding will be used to integrate online de-escalation and crisis intervention training content, along with corresponding AI-powered practical application opportunities, into the state's Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) curriculum. The project will partner with Real Training Systems, an Illinois-based technology company, to develop and pilot multiple short online lessons that deliver integrated de-escalation content and provide AI simulation-based application opportunities for students to practice de-escalation skills. The goal is to better prepare BLET recruits to make proper decisions, safely de-escalate difficult situations, and improve their service to the residents of North Carolina. The project will be implemented over a two-year period from October 2024 to September 2026.

The north carolina department of criminal justice will use FY24 safer outcomes funding to facilitate the integration of online DE-escalation and interacting with persons in crisis content with corresponding AI-powered practical application opportunities throughout north carolina new basic law enforcement training (blet) curriculum. The commission will partner with real training systems. An illinois-based technology company, real training systems will lead the development of multiple short online lessons that deliver integrated DE-escalation content and provide AI simulation-based application opportunities for students to practice DE-escalation skills in varied contexts. Students will receive initial DE-escalation content via in-person lecture and then complete an online DE-escalation mini-lessonsapproximately every two weeks for the duration of the academy. These mini-lessons will deliver DE-escalation content integrated into a variety of subject matter areas, including field interviews, motor vehicle stops, interacting with persons in crisis, safely encountering individuals with disabilities, and others. In addition to DE-escalation content, each mini-lesson will provide students with the ability to practice DE-escalation skills in a context-specific way via AI simulation. Simulations will enable students to interact with AI-based avatars and practice DE-escalating situations examined in each mini-lesson. Finally, to facilitate the pilot delivery of the online content and AI simulations, the commission will use safer outcome funds to purchase wireless internet-enabled tablets and provide them to three accredited training academies for a pilot population of 50-100 students to access and complete all mini-lessons. Over the project period, the commission and real training systems will complete nine core tasks to achieve this vision. During the completion of these core tasks, the commission and real training systems will (1) identify partner academies; (2) review blet core DE-escalation content; (3) identify integration points for DE-escalation; (4) develop online integrated mini-lessons; (5) develop AI application scenarios for each mini-lesson; (6) purchase tablets for online delivery; (7) pilot integrated content in one academy; (8) adjust integrated content based on pilot feedback; and (9) deliver a three-academy pilot and prepare for statewide implementation. This project will align with adult learning best practices and demonstrate a unique method of improving DE-escalation aptitude in police recruits. When combined with a deliberate integration strategy, which results in increased critical thinking, problem solving skills, and performance, an application-based integration approach will better prepare blet recruits to make proper decisions, safely DE-escalate difficult and stressful situations, and better serve the residents of north carolina.