OVIEDO, Fla. – Oviedo police officers paid close attention on Thursday during a racial intelligence training by former police officer Linda Webb and RITE Academy training director Randy Friedman.
The two teach law enforcement officers to identify emotions on the job using what they call a “Ladder of Success.”
Oviedo Police Chief Dale Coleman explained how this will impact the agency.
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“We are used to dealing with the issues and moving on and not worry about the repercussions of it, you know? And we are looking now how that affects other people and how it affects us,” Coleman said.
Coleman said he started writing down a list of things to do that will change the way he starts his day from now on, which is something he said his officers will work on as well.
“It’s a self-check and if we do that ourselves then we do that with our folks. I think we are going to serve the citizens of Oviedo in a much much better way,” Coleman said.
Friedman explained one of the most important lessons is to take a breath and talk about emotions.
“Emotions drive behavior, so we are teaching officers if you control your emotions you will control every situation and deescalate,” Friedman said.
More training is set to continue on Friday for the rest of the Oviedo Police Department. Friedman said their next stop will be at Valencia College.