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ABLE is about

Authorizing and empowering

everyone to intervene in actions that may create unnecessary harm, regardless of rank, status, or experience

Teaching

how to intervene and accept intervention successfully

Protecting

those who do intervene from negative repercussions

Creating a culture

that expects, supports, and celebrates intervention

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The longer a troubling situation continues without intervention, the more harm is likely to occur, and the more the situation is likely to continue escalating.

Early is best, but better late than never

Time

Harm Inflicted

& Difficulty �of Intervention

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Steps of an Effective Intervention

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3 D's of intervention

Direct

Distract

Delegate

Address the behavior head-on

Redirect the person's attention elsewhere

Get someone else to intervene if they are in a better position to do so

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Benefits of early intervention

Opportunity to stop harm before it occurs

Conversations are less stressful when harm is not imminent

More time to plan the intervention

More options available for when and how to intervene, e.g. finding the right time and place, potentially bringing in allies, gathering information on appropriate resources

Helping to normalize early interventions as part of agency culture

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What inhibitors might stop us from intervening at the earliest signs of trouble?

LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION

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Potential inhibitors to early intervention

Uncertainty about whether there is really a problem / whether it is serious

Thinking someone else will handle it (diffusion of responsibility)

Not wanting to overstep boundaries or be perceived as nosy

Not knowing what to do or say

Culture of toughness and endurance

Wanting to avoid potential conflict with a colleague

Burnout / compassion fatigue

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What are some types of situations you’ve encountered on the job where emotions are likely to run high?

LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION

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Intensely stressful situations may include:

Foot or vehicle pursuits

Angry or hostile crowds

Certain types of calls, e.g. child abuse, officer down

Someone challenging, questioning, or defying you

Pressure to quickly clear a scene

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What are some of the physical signs that someone may be experiencing heightened stress or emotion — what might you notice in the moment?

LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION

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Signs of a heightened stress response may include:

Quick, shallow breathing

Tensed body

Shaky or unsteady voice

Clenched fists

Flushed face

Freezing up

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Fight, flight, or freeze

Some of the signs we just reviewed may indicate that someone is experiencing an “amygdala hijack”—also known as fight, flight, or freeze—when their threat response takes over and directs energy and blood flow to responding to the perceived threat.

This takes away energy from thinking and decision-making processes.

We can help counter the effects of amygdala hijack by planning how we will intervene ahead of time, and we can stay prepared to intervene by maintaining situational awareness. This preparation allows us to intervene at the earliest possible opportunity.

Feeling or mammalian brain

Amygdala

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for signs of a heightened stress response — in your fellow officers and community members you're interacting with.

Be on the lookout

on why someone is having a heightened response. It may be due to past experiences, trauma, or their own biases. Situations are likely to change over time, so it is important to be flexible in how we intervene.

Remember you may not have the whole picture

to intervene if the person’s response is unnecessarily escalating a situation.

Be prepared

Situational awareness

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Earliest Interventions: Noticing the �Very First Signs

When you know someone well, or have spent a lot of time with them, you may notice initial signs that are hard to put into words — sometimes, something just feels “off.”

Deciding if, when, and how to intervene can be tough, especially when you are considering acting before anything too serious has occurred. It may help to consider what specifically you have noticed, and what might happen if the situation continues unchecked.

By intervening early, you can help head off an issue before it develops into a major problem.

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Preparing to Intervene

Decide who will intervene�you ◆ an ally ◆ you + an ally

Decide when you will intervene

immediate ◆ deferred

Decide how you will intervene

safety ◆ strategy ◆ approach

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Understanding your colleagues’ stressors

Knowing your colleagues’ personal stressors will help keep you mindful of when you are heading into a situation where it may be more likely you will need to intervene.

If there are people you work with regularly, talk to them about their stressors—and your own. Make a plan for how you will address situations that cause a heightened stress response.

Thinking this through beforehand can help keep everyone safe when you are in a high-stress situation.

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Consider the following situation:

You are heading into a call for service in which a woman has alleged that her husband has just severely beaten her. Your partner has told you that she grew up in a violent household and that DV calls are very challenging for her.

What does your conversation sound like on the way to the call—how do you make sure you both feel confident and prepared?

Scenario: domestic violence call

LARGE GROUP DISCUSSION

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Tips for an effective conversation

Be gentle but direct in your approach.

Acknowledge that you want to respect your partner's needs while ensuring a safe outcome for everyone.

If a topic seems to be too difficult or personal for your partner to discuss, you can always come back to it later, on your own or with an ally your partner is more comfortable with.

Ask open-ended questions to give your partner room to offer their own thoughts, requests, or suggestions.

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Sample conversation prompts

"Hey partner, I know you said before that DV calls are tough for you. Let's talk while we're rolling up to this scene, make sure we're on the same page.

You want me to take contact on this one?

While we’re in there, if you need to take a step back or if you want me to handle anything, just let me know. Why don’t we decide on a signal we can use?"

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Closing out the conversation

Make sure you finish the conversation with a plan that you are both aligned on, including what you will do if an intervention is needed.

As always, be prepared to adapt as the situation dictates.

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Let's say you are in a squad with a rookie who seems overwhelmed by the job—by the hours, the paperwork, and the calls they're encountering. They're getting more and more stressed, and you're worried they may wash out.

How do you approach a conversation with the rookie?

Having the conversation

TABLE TEAM ACTIVITY

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Your heightened responses

With the person next to you, discuss:

What types of calls or situations are more likely to cause a heightened stress response for you?

For example:

"I had a bad experience in Meadow Grove and now I just feel antsy going to that neighborhood."

"I can't stand animal abuse calls; they make me furious.”

"There's an encampment under the 14th Street overpass, and those guys always piss me off.”

PARTNER ACTIVITY

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Personal indicators

When you are faced with a situation that leads to a heightened stress response:

How do you feel? What kinds of thoughts or emotions do you experience?

What do you experience physically — how does your body react?

Write down some notes so you can get to know your own personal indicators and recognize when your body is exhibiting a strong stress response.

For example:

My thoughts start to race, and it feels like everything is happening all at once.

My palms get sweaty and my mouth gets really dry.

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY

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High-stress situations

Your Surroundings

Your Physical Response

Your Breathing

When you notice the physical indicators that you are experiencing a heightened �stress response, it's important to maintain awareness of:

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Staying aware of �your surroundings

is key to maintaining safety.

When you're stressed, it can be difficult to maintain awareness of everything around you.

If you feel your focus slipping, try grounding yourself in specific and concrete things you can see, hear, and feel.

Remember that your safety, and the safety of everyone around you, is always the #1 priority.

This can help you make sure you are accurately assessing the situation.

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Managing your physical response

can help you stay safe in stressful situations.

Notice: Know your personal physical indicators of a heightened stress response.

Decide: Develop strategies to notice and address these indicators.

Act: Practice these strategies on a regular basis so you can deploy them in the field.

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Strategies to control physical stress response

If you clench your jaw... (which can lead to tension headaches)

Try: mentally scanning your face for tension and releasing any muscles that are tensed up.

If your hands shake...

Try: wiggling your fingers and toes to increase blood flow to your extremities.

If your thoughts race...

Try: practicing some breathing exercises designed to help increase blood flow to your brain.

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is the first step - paying attention to your breath will help you control your rate of breathing, which impacts your heart rate and other physical symptoms of stress, including sensory exclusion (e.g. “tunnel vision”).

Awareness

are used by the U.S. Marines and by firearms instructors around the world to maintain focus and keep cognitive skills at their peak level, even when under duress.

Tried-and-true breathing strategies

Breathing techniques

controlling your breathing in any stressful situation can help improve your concentration and enhance your situational awareness.

Just like at the range,

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Count your breaths

Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, counting each of your inhales.

When you reach 5, start again at 1.

See if you can increase the amount of time it takes you to get back to 5 by lengthening your breaths.

Add a pause

Breathe in through your nose and �out through your mouth.

After you’ve inhaled, pause for a moment before exhaling.

After you’ve exhaled, pause for a moment before inhaling.

Box breathing

Breathe in for a count of 4.

Hold your breath for a count of 4.

Breathe out for a count of 4.

Hold your breath for a count of 4.

Double inhale

Breathe in through your nose.

Without exhaling, breathe in again to take �even more air into your lungs.

After a brief pause, exhale through pursed lips.

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Find what works best for you

Try out these strategies in a safe and relaxed environment. You can also create your own if that works better for you.

Practice the technique that works for you on a regular basis.

Build a muscle memory for this so that when you are in a high-stress situation, it comes to you naturally.

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Building a culture of early intervention

Training is important, but organizational culture is a key part of ensuring people feel confident in practicing the skills they've learned. All officers must feel comfortable both giving and receiving interventions at the earliest sign that help may be needed.

Remember: an agency’s culture is shaped by its people.

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Finding your role

In your small groups, discuss:

What role can you play in encouraging and supporting early interventions?

TABLE TEAM ACTIVITY

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Leaders' role

Supervisors and other leaders can support a culture of early intervention by:

Giving your officers permission to intervene on you, and accepting interventions if necessary.

Recognizing officers who intervene and accept interventions (not necessarily publicly).

Regularly checking in with officers and encouraging them to check in with each other.

Talking openly about health and wellness and making sure officers are aware of all available resources.

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Everyone's role

Everyone in the agency can support a culture of early intervention by:

Giving—and accepting—interventions when needed.

Talking openly about interventions you have given and received (while protecting others’ privacy), and sharing how those interventions have impacted you.

Sharing your personal strategies and tips for managing your own wellness.

Making time to check in with your fellow officers on a regular basis.

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