Here's how one Colorado sheriff's office trains for protests

With political tensions high these days, people are taking to the streets more often to protest, meaning local law enforcement is often present to make sure those people can protest free from harm and protect the community from bad actors.

That's why Arapahoe County is making sure its SORT team is ready. They're a team of specially trained deputies deployed when protests are held around the county.

"It's just a deeper, more extensive amount of training, just like we would send our deputies to SWAT school, we have a SORT school, and they get that extensive amount of training to go through there," Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown said.

They focus primarily on de-escalation tactics so that emotions don't boil over on the streets. Training often involves role-players who pretend to be protesters or even agitators.

"We try to bring in agitators and mock protesters to see if they can agitate our team. And really, that is the focus," Brown said. "They're there for the safety and security of the people that are there peacefully and that they handle this in an appropriate manner."

He says the SORT team has been a part of their office since before he was elected in 2018 and is a valuable part of keeping their officers and citizens safe. They have even been asked to help in situations and protests across the Denver metro area because of their expertise.

And the sheriff says his deputies appreciate having it here at home.

"They enjoy it, and they enjoy making sure that they can go out and protect people's constitutional rights," said Brown. "That's the first thing in our oath of office. You state your name, and you state that you're going to protect the Constitution of the United States."

The sheriff also adds that they have a strict policy that their deputies should always be identifiable, unless they're working undercover. So in protests, he makes sure badges and identifying information is visible. And while his deputies may sometimes wear face masks, he says it's not to hide identity, and if you want to know who his deputies are you can always ask them for a business card.