California Police Chief- Fall 2013 CPCA_2017_Winter Magazine Final | Page 20

NEW POLICE TRAINING
incorporates
YOUTH, COMMUNITY CONNECTION
T
raining programs often conjure images of beige
conference rooms, stale coffee and lengthy lectures.
But a new interactive program provides an opportu-
nity for law enforcement officers to engage directly with the
communities they serve.
A multi-year initiative of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids’
new Police Training Institute (PTI), “CYCLE: Connecting
Youth & Communities with Law Enforcement,” is a six-
teen-hour training program covering many contemporary
issues facing law enforcement today.
What makes the CYCLE curriculum unique is that it
was created by law enforcement professionals who also
lead the training session. It strategically engages commu-
nity members, specifically youth, in the process. Doing so
helps everyday people understand the challenges that law
enforcement officers face on the job and the lengths that
they have to go to protect public safety.
“Involving the youth in the process up front allows us
to shape the next few days of conversation around what is
actually happening in the community. It’s also an opportu-
nity for law enforcement and the community to brainstorm
solutions and ways to make their city a better place to live,”
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California Police Chief | www.californiapolicechiefs.org
said John Shanks, Director of the Police Training Institute.
Shanks worked in law enforcement for over 35 years and
knows firsthand the benefits of bringing community and
law enforcement together.
CYCLE strives to give academy recruits, patrol officers
and deputies a fresh perspective on the issues residents are
facing while offering a variety of strategies appropriate for
managing stressful situations.
The conversation has been honest and emotional. In
one session, after a youth participant declared that he
“knew how to roll a blunt but never learned how to tie a
necktie.” Several officers stayed late that night to conduct
an impromptu necktie training for the young man and
his friends.
At another session, students claimed they were often
targeting for “standing around” but if the officers took the
time to get to know them, they would realize that the youth
have nowhere else to go. Officers on that panel listened
thoughtfully and one asked the audience to consider both
sides of the story:
“I’m often responding to a crime in progress with very little
information as to what has happened or who I am seeking. If the