Public Safety De-Escalation Tactics for Military Veterans in Crisis

Greg Coker joined the University of Tennessee's Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC) team in April 2016 and currently serves as a Training Specialist for the numerous courses facilitated and conducted by LEIC. Greg came to LEIC after a 26-year career with the Knoxville Police Department where he retired as a Lieutenant. During his police career, he served in the Criminal Investigations Division, the Patrol Division, and the Support Services Division. His leadership positions included assignments with supervisory responsibility over Patrol squads, Records, Crime Analysis, Technical Services, and the Organized Crime/Narcotics Unit. He served on special teams including the Special Operations Squad, the Mobile Field Force, and as Commander of the Search and Rescue Team. Greg served on the Governor's Counter Terrorism task force and taught in the area of Homeland Security. Greg also served as the department's Primary Defensive Tactics Instructor and was a firearms instructor assisting with those curricula at the Knoxville Police Department's Training Academy. Prior to beginning work with the police department in 1990, Greg served three years on active duty in the United States Army in the Military Police Corps. Continuing on to 26 years of combined service in the Army Reserve and National Guard, Greg also worked as a Nuclear/Biological/Chemical Specialist, a Civil Affairs Specialist, and a Cavalry Scout and retired in 2012 as a First Sergeant. Greg is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute's Administrative Officer's Course. He holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Louisville and is working toward his Doctoral Degree in Learning and Leadership (Ph.D.) at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Captain Susan Coker has been with the Knoxville Police Department since 1996. She has served as patrol officer, school resource officer, and a training officer at the Knoxville Police Department Training Academy where she also assisted with the Academy's accreditation process, Internship program, Recruit Class, In-service, and the Police Department's Citizen's Police Academy. Captain Coker served as a patrol sergeant and the department's Accreditation Manager. Captain Coker served on the Crisis Negotiation Team for 15 years, attended the Train the Trainer in 2011 for CIT, and was the department's coordinator for the Crisis Intervention Team prior to her recent promotion. Captain Coker attended Bellevue University where she received a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration.   

Candace Allen-Senior Director of Adult Intensive Mental Health Services at the Helen Ross McNabb Center – Candace Allen has a Master's Degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling and has worked for the Helen Ross McNabb Center for 30 years.  She oversees the Center's Criminal Justice programming, Victim Services including Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, and Intensive Outpatient Services- Program for Assertive Community Treatment. Under the Criminal Justice programming, the Center has expanded services to twelve counties in East Tennessee including Criminal Justice Liaisons, Criminal Justice Case Management, and Recovery Oriented Compliance Strategy Courts. In the past several years, direct law enforcement services including employment evaluations, critical debriefings, and follow-up counseling have been provided. In addition, the innovative Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center which serves as a true jail diversion program at Intercept 0 is under her supervision. Recently, two co-responder programs are underway to soon be implemented which will embed behavioral health specialists into the Knoxville Police Department and respond to both mental health and addiction/Narcan calls.  Ms. Allen has been instrumental in the development of partnerships with the Knox County Sheriff's Office, Knoxville Police Department, and the University of Tennessee Police Department for several years and has also served as the area's Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Coordinator. She is also a member of the State CIT Task Force. Hundreds of officers from police offices and departments have been trained in addition to Knox County School Security Officers, hospital security departments, and various emergency response staff since CIT training started for this area in 2012.