ABOUT OUR PRESENTER
Sgt . Jason Lehman , Founder & Executive Director , Why ’ d You Stop Me ?
In January of 2022 , Jason Lehman retired from the Long Beach ( CA ) Police Department as a Sergeant , after serving for 16 years . While at the LBPD , Jason spent most of his career working uniformed and plain-clothes street-level gang and violent crime suppression . Early in his career , Jason was involved in numerous critical incidents including acts of deadly force which led to PTSD and ultimately led Jason through numerous bouts with suicidal ideations . Jason was introduced to therapy and has since learned a strong system of resiliency . By becoming more vulnerable , Jason learned he was able to show the community he served that he truly cared without jeopardizing safety .
In 2014 , Jason founded the National F . O . P . endorsed training organization entitled “ Why ’ d You Stop Me ” ( WYSM ). WYSM ’ s mission is to provide empowerment training to both police officers and the public to improve legitimacy and reduce acts of violence during encounters by taking attitudes “ From Duty to Desire .” By utilizing both face-to-face interactions and digital engagement , Jason has spent thousands of hours on a quest to develop a system to teach others how to seek to better understand one another .
His message is simple to hear , but challenging to live : When we seek to better understand the people we don ’ t “ like ,” we find true success .
Jason left his traditional law enforcement role to focus on his work as a Subject Matter Expert ( SME ) on Community Policing , where he combines his skills in 21st Century Leadership , Procedural Justice , and Strategic Communication . Jason has spoken to more than 40,000 leaders in the public and private sectors .
Jason ’ s most recent honor has been closing the 2022 FBINAA National Academy Conference as the Keynote Speaker engaging more than 3,000 law enforcement leaders with a talk on the “ Future of Policing .” Jason has been recognized as an SME on Communication and Community Policing by major organizations such as Lexipol , Fox News , the National F . O . P , the New York POST , and the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training ( POST ) to name a few . Jason has appeared numerous times on television , radio , and print media .
He has been recognized for his heroism on duty as a street cop , for his work off-duty in uniting police and the public , and for his philanthropic efforts in funding scholarships for “ At-promise ” youth .
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