LENEXA, Kan. — The Lenexa Police Department will host its annual “use of force” workshop for the public on Saturday.
The free, four-hour workshop breaks down use of force, including the legalities of it and how officers respond in certain situations.
Throughout the event, Lenexa police explain how the internal investigation process works, as well as the different force options and their applications.
"Obviously a controversial topic at times, throughout the country and even here locally, and we just want to show folks how we train our officers here in Lenexa," police spokesman Officer Danny Chavez said.
Throughout the workshop, participants will also use the firearms simulator, which puts individuals into a situation that an officer might face.
“In this case Saturday, the citizens have to decide is this a shoot situation, is this a no-shoot situation, is this something that could be de-escalated?” Chavez said. "It really is a great learning tool to show folks those split-second decisions that officers sometimes have to make."
Chavez said that throughout the workshop, police want to be transparent on the topic.
"We want folks to know that our officers are highly trained,” he said. “This is ongoing training that is very important to us and so we want to give them, through this four-hour class, sort of a snapshot of what our officers are trained to do in these use-of-force situations.”
Chavez said the workshop gives the public a chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at how the department is training officers and whether use of force is necessary.
"Certainly if we can de-escalate a situation, without having to use force, that is the most ideal thing we can do," Chavez said. “Unfortunately, we are put in situations where we have to use force, and those situations often happen in a split second. We think the fire simulator can demonstrate to folks how fast these life or death situations can occur.”
Chavez said this topic is ongoing education for both the department and its officers.
"We're always looking at what's the latest use of force. Certainly non-lethal force options have grown, the use of the Taser and less lethal firearms, and so we're always studying these things," Chavez said. "We're looking at not only our own experiences but what are those experiences that we're seeing across the country, and we have to be careful with those because we don't know the full context of those."
He said the department works to certify all of the equipment an officer carries on their belt, from handcuffs to the baton.
"It's not a matter of you learn these things once in the police academy and 10 years later as a veteran,” Chavez said. “You don't have ongoing training. You absolutely are training on a regular basis with all of those options, so we can become more efficient on not just how to use them, but when is it appropriate to use them.”
The free workshop is open to Johnson County residents who are 18 and older. Class size is limited. For more information and to register, click here.
