Classes announced for promoting safe police encounters

The new year will bring new opportunity for people living with disabilities to learn how to have safer interactions with police officers.

Dale Rogers Training Center (DRTC) and IDD Safe’s joint venture, Safety and Police Encounters, will launch its first cohort of virtual classes February 4, 2025.

Virtual classes feature 10 weekly sessions with law enforcement instructors who will facilitate discussion and answer questions relating to the five-badge course covering the following:

You and the police
Being safe with police
Proper identification
Your rights
Police encounters

Participants will have three months’ access to the training material featuring video tutorials and interactive elements. The ten weeks of live instruction from experienced instructors is part of an optional package.

“Many people can benefit from this training,” said DRTC Executive Director/CEO Deborah Copeland, M.Ed. “The videos do a great job explaining a person’s rights and to help prepare them for what can be a stressful situation.”

Ret. Lt. Stan Campbell and Ret. Sgt. Rob High, both retired Oklahoma City Police Department officers, co-founded IDD Safe to deliver de-escalation training for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

“Safety is the utmost priority,” said IDD Co-founder Lt. Campbell. “These trainings explain what an officer is looking for and how people can respond to increase the chances of favorable outcomes during police encounters,” said IDD Co-founder Lt. Campbell.

LearningQ, an accessible learning platform, developed the multi-unit certification. Pre-registration is available at learningq.org/#/products/safepolice.

Dale Rogers Training Center (DRTC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency, leads a more disability-inclusive workforce and community. With multiple locations in Oklahoma, DRTC trains, serves or employs approximately 1,000 people with disabilities per year. Visit us online: DRTC.org.

IDD Safe is at the forefront of supporting the next evolution in de-escalation, aiming to create a platform for police and professionals to collaborate, share solutions, resources, best practices, and training ideas, all while being dedicated to protecting individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (IDD). To learn more, visit IDDSafe.com.