Upcoming Courses

The De-Escalation Instructor Course provides officers with the tools and strategies needed to effectively manage conflict, reduce tension, and improve outcomes in crisis situations.

This is a 1-day course approved for 7 Minnesota POST credits.
This course also fulfills the MN POST Mandatory Learning Objective: Conflict Management and Mediation.

In today’s environment, the need for law enforcement to employ de-escalation techniques is undeniable. Changing police culture requires time, leadership, evolving policy, and most importantly, training. This specialized course focuses on building a deep understanding of de-escalation and crisis management tailored specifically for police officers.

Participants will learn practical techniques to:

• Mitigate the intensity of potentially volatile encounters

• Enhance decision-making under stress

• Strengthen community rapport and trust

• Refine communication skills

• Increase compliance while reducing use of force

Upon completion, instructors will have the skills and confidence to return to their agency prepared to integrate these strategies into their own training programs.

Course Objectives

• Recognize and evaluate crisis situations

• Apply a variety of persuasive strategies for de-escalation

• Prioritize officer well-being and team cohesion

• Guide encounters away from turmoil toward rapport and voluntary cooperation

What to Bring

• Note-taking materials

Featured Instructor

Pilar Stier

Pilar has served over 21 years with the Minnesota State Patrol, where she has held roles ranging from patrol officer in Metro and Mankato districts to academy staff officer and field training officer. She currently serves as a Minnesota POST Board member on the CIC, Rules, and Pursuit Committees. Pilar is a certified instructor in Implicit Bias and 3C (Conflict Management, Crisis Intervention, and Cultural Diversity), and she brings extensive experience in command and control, critical incident management, and crisis intervention.

She has been an active member of the South-Central Minnesota Crisis Intervention Team, assisting fellow first responders with critical incident stress debriefings. Pilar is fluent in Spanish, both written and spoken, and has assisted in investigations and academy candidate proficiency checks. Her experience and dedication ensure officers receive practical, real-world strategies for conflict management and de-escalation.