Bryan Stalder
Contributor

Northeast residents and business owners have an upcoming opportunity to learn methods and tactics that could help them avoid unnecessary confrontation and take control of tense situations. This weekend, the Northeast Kansas City Chamber will be hosting a free De-Escalation Training Course led by Josh Leon, the Chief of Security with Titan Protection. Leon has over 25 years of law enforcement and security training, and he will be sharing his experience at a special event on Saturday, August 5 from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce building located at 2657 Independence Boulevard. 

The Independence Avenue Community Improvement District contracts Titan Protection to provide the services of the Avenue Angels, a security team that travels Independence Avenue seven days per week. The Avenue Angels are often the first on the scene of disturbances, and they are trained to handle these situations, or secure the area until emergency medical services or law enforcement can arrive at the scene.

All members of the Avenue Angels are required to take the De-Escalation Course as part of their training, and it helps them to reduce conflict throughout their daily routine along the Independence Avenue corridor. Now, business owners and Northeast residents have the same opportunity to learn these skills, which can be beneficial in a multitude of scenarios beyond confrontations in the community. 

“De-escalation is basically a three-step process,” Leon says, “Number one is identifying boundaries, the second step is outlining consequences if boundaries are not respected, and finally, the biggest step is giving the individual involved some space once they’ve been advised of the boundaries and the consequences.”

In addition to the free training course, guests will receive a neighborhood security update, detailing some of the calls that the Independence Avenue security team has responded to recently. No registration is needed to attend this free De-Escalation course, and anyone who arrives at the NEKC Chamber Office on Saturday will be welcome to join. Those interested to learn more should visit the chamber’s website at nekcchamber.com.