Killology: Missoula Police Will Not Purchase Further Training from Killology Research Group

February 21, 2022

Going forward, Missoula city officials have agreed not to hire a controversial group that advocates for police violence.

Earlier this week, city councilors approved about $8,000 for two recent police training sessions with a company, Killology Research Group, which is mired in controversy surrounding comments made by its director, former Army Lt. Col. Dave Grossman.

In a video that surfaced online last year of a presentation by Killology in 2015, Grossman implies that sexual pleasure of police officers is amplified following a violent confrontation with a suspect.

On Wednesday, Mayor John Engen sent a statement saying that he and Police Chief Jaeson White agree the videos of Grossman “don’t reflect the values or standards of our community and the department sworn to protect and serve Missoula.”

“In light of what we now know, we won’t be engaging Mr. Grossman or his associated company, Killology, again,” Engen wrote.

White that the two training sessions for Missoula police officers, held on Jan. 12 and Jan. 26, were focused on resiliency, were not fear-based and did not promote police violence.

The chief also met with command staff to establish protocol for vetting trainers prior to using them in the department, which wasn’t previously in place.

“(This is) to ensure that our officers receive the best professional support possible, which includes hiring vendors whose values align with the department and city as a whole,” the statement said.

The mayor reiterated his trust for the chief to move forward with the best interest of Missoulians.

When asked why protocol for vetting potential police trainers was not already in place, the mayor said the city is a work in progress.

"Often we don’t develop policy or protocol unless there’s a catalytic event," he said. "This case was a problem we never anticipated and are now solving for it."

Engen also noted that feedback from the attending officers was positive.

"All that aside, we’ll be more diligent as we move forward and remain committed to creating an environment for professional development that meets the unique needs of Missoula’s officers as they continue to serve our community," he said.

Source: Zoë Buchli, “Missoula police, city officials agree not to hire controversial training group going forward,” The Missoulian, Feb. 9, 2022, URL: https://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-police-city-officials-agree-not-to-hire-controversial-training-group-going-forward/article_09c925b6-43c6-5e4e-bb2c-ac0a4001eb06.html