Aurora, IL – Aurora officers are receiving expanded crisis-response and de-escalation training this week, giving the department new tools to respond more safely during mental-health calls and high-risk incidents. A new segment highlighted by ABC7 Chicago offers a rare inside look at how officers move through scenario-based drills designed to lower the chance of force and improve communication.
According to the Aurora Police Department, officers trained using the ICAT model — Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics — one of the only research-based de-escalation systems currently used by law enforcement nationwide. The program emphasizes slowing down encounters, assessing threats, improving officer communication, and applying tactics that reduce the need for physical force.
In a video shared by the department, officers can be seen moving through controlled simulations that mirror real-world encounters such as mental-health crises, volatile domestic disputes, and unpredictable public disturbances. According to police, each scenario is supervised by certified ICAT instructors who evaluate how officers manage stress, communicate under pressure, and make time-critical decisions.
The department says the goal is to give officers more confidence and better options in moments when emotions are high and lives may be at risk. Officials emphasized that the training is designed not just for safety, but for building trust between officers and the community by improving how frontline responders handle rapidly changing situations.
Residents can watch the full training video on the department’s social media page. Police say they plan to expand additional ICAT blocks later this year.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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