• LCSO started an initiative called the De-Escalation Tracking Project…tracking interactions with neighbors and officers.
• More than 97 percent of citizen interactions were characterized as calm and cooperative.
• See how this initiative works and how residents in our area feel about it.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT

What is a typical interaction between neighbors and authorities like? And how often do situations calm down?

I’m Terry Gilliam, your southwest Tallahassee neighborhood reporter.

I asked the Leon County Sheriff’s Office about their new report… which tracked their encounters with neighbors over the past year.

“We all need to be together. “We need them and they help us.”

Ora Coleman lives on the south side of Tallahassee.

She believes people in her community should be able to trust authorities.

Now, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office is trying to build that trust.

They started an initiative called the De-escalation Tracking Project… tracking interactions with neighbors and officers.

The study was commissioned by Sheriff Walt McNeil.

And on Friday… His office released the results.

The project documented more than 109,000 citizen interactions with LCSO deputies.

And the report says that more than 97 percent of citizen interactions were characterized as calm and cooperative.

Only 2 percent of interactions were classified as agitated or uncooperative… and most of them ended with successful de-escalation.

And only 1 percent of incidents ended in an arrest.

Coleman says this report is a good sign for his community.

“This strengthens morale among three neighbors and officers.”

Sheriff McNeil tells me this report allows his office to be more transparent with the community.

“We provide a great service to our community. In terms of those interactions, we never measure that, just the service calls. But from the citizens’ perspective, they would like to know how effective we are.”

He also says the results highlight the good work his deputies do every day.

“This allows our deputies to see that their work is valued and sends a message to the community that the sheriff’s office is pretty good. You can be sure that our helpers will be professionals.”

Professionalism, trust and confidence…words Coleman hopes neighbors remember…when they think about Leon County Law Enforcement.

“There are people who need to know that our officers are there for us.”

You can read the full 2023-2024 de-escalation report for yourself right now. I will include a link in this story on WTXL.com. In southwest Tallahassee, Terry Gilliam, ABC27.