July 6, 2015 — The Virginia Pilot published a story today about the use of Vistelar’s Verbal Defense & Influence program by the Suffolk Police Department.

A crucial tool in the Suffolk police arsenal: Verbal skills

One of the Vistelar’s certified instructors, William Shockley, was quote in the article as saying this: “This class, I personally feel, is the most important class you’re going to take.”

Gary Klugiewicz, a director at Vistelar and retired captain of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, was also quoted.

“Thousands of law enforcement agencies nationwide have trained in the technique. More than a dozen other industries – including teachers and health care providers – also use it”

“The company has seen a rise in inquiries within the last year, following numerous high-profile use-of-force cases involving police officers.”

“There’s been a lot of increased interest in what we’re doing because it’s so important to police-community relations.”

Suffolk Police Department is just one of more 1800 clients Vistelar lists on its website who have received Verbal Defense & Influence training over the last few years (view the entire list here).

Vistelar is a global consulting and training organization focused on preventing and managing conflict at the point of impact — the short period of time when a tense situation can escalate to emotional and/or physical violence. Learn more at: http://www.vistelar.com.