Officers should “take a deep breath’’—and close their eyes—when dealing with angry people, according to the NYPD’s new “retraining’’ program.
The potentially dangerous advice is part of a $35 million “smart policing’’ primer by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton that most of the officers who have gone through it say is completely useless.
One officer who sat through two full-day programs called them “not realistic’’ and “pretty silly.”
At one point during the lectures, the officer told the New York Post, those in attendance were given breathing exercises to learn how to calm down—even when facing someone who could pose a threat to their safety.
“They said if you find yourself in a situation that’s getting heated, take a step back, close your eyes and take a deep breath,” he said.
“That’s pretty funny — that I would close my eyes in a tense situation.”
