Two instructors at Holland College’s Atlantic Police Academy were presented an international award for their development of training in crisis intervention and de-escalation.

Instructors Leslie Hadfield and Wayne Rudderham travelled to Baton Rouge to accept the award at the annual conference of the State and Provincial Police Academy Directors Association (SPPADS). SPPADS is a division of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Edgar MacLeod, executive director of the Atlantic Police Academy said the crisis intervention and de-escalation training, which blends together use of force training, mental health training, and communications training, is a vital component of programs at the academy.

“The need for officers to be prepared for crisis situations and to react in appropriate ways while under extreme pressure is more important now than ever before,” he said. “The Baton Rouge shootings, which took place while our instructors were there, underline the incredible challenges law enforcement officers face.

In this picture: (L-R) Peter Shipley, Ontario Provincial Police, International Chair of SPPADS; Atlantic Police Academy instructors Inspector Wayne Rudderham and Inspector Leslie Hadfield; and Captain Scott Woodell, Georgia State Patrol, International Vice Chair of SPPADS.