While students study for their midterms and complete class projects, CU Boulder Police Officers and departmental professional staff are prepared to help students in risky situations, regardless of cognitive or physical ability, race or race. gathered to further training in de-escalation techniques designed to protect those involved in Ethnicity and previous experience in the police.
CUPD done This fall semester, Pulse Line Collaborative Training, in partnership with the Colorado Autism Society and CallBox’s Understanding Bias, will engage with people with disabilities for law enforcement.
Political Science Major Chase Cromwell (left) and CU Student Government Legislative Director pose for a photo with Community Services Officer Gabro Ross (middle) and Officer Dolly Schram (right) at a Coffee with a Cop event .
CUPD is committed to ongoing training to hone a variety of skills, but a conversation with a deaf student at CU Boulder prompted the department to look for interactive, scenario-based training. . This training was specially designed and taught by a former police officer who is raising two teenage children. hindrance.Training sessions were open to student leaders and members Community Oversight Review Board.
For Chase Cromwell, a political science major and director of legal affairs for the CU Student Union, attending disability training provided a glimpse into the world of police officers who face stressful situations and are forced to make quick decisions. said.
“I saw the body camera footage my trainer shared and thought about both,” he said. “Sometimes officers have seconds to make decisions that have lasting impact.”
A former law enforcement trainer with more than 20 years of experience, Ari Thompson teaches current police officers what she calls “anti-escalation” techniques. Police who have not yet received disability training.
“If there is no immediate threat to safety or life, we teach officers to slow things down and try to determine if someone is not complying due to disability, mental health issues, or choice.” she said.
“We teach officers tools and tactics to help calm situations and communicate with people with various disabilities and mental health issues. to better protect both police officers and citizens with mental health issues and disabilities,” she added.
Cromwell, who also sits on a state commission focused on disability services in higher education, said CUPD staff were enthusiastic, curious, and good enough to “ask the right questions” in disability training. said comfortable.
“With various communication disorders, cognitive deficits, sensory processing deficits, we ask ourselves, ‘Can we solve this situation while treating people with respect? Can we talk to people on their level?’
Cromwell recently rode with CUPD officials to discuss progressive training and possibly see it in action.
In another training session, Tyrone Campbell, a 32-year law enforcement veteran with investigative and hate-crime experience, worked with CUPD officers and staff to understand implicit bias and identify previously held biases. I examined my beliefs and learned how to increase the safety of everyone involved in the interaction. with the police.
“The way we interact with the public, the way we answer calls, has a huge impact on the kind of service they receive,” Campbell said. It is our duty to let the community know that they are dealing with implicit bias and perhaps doing more than they think they do.”
CUPD Training Sergeant Brian Brown, who helps CUPD research and select training, agrees. “We are committed to continued growth and development to help our team lead with integrity, compassion, respect for each other, and those who depend on us for their safety. , we offer constantly evolving professional development opportunities,” he said.
While police are trained in police academies to understand prejudice and engage with people with disabilities, this additional training introduces new perspectives and keeps knowledge fresh in the minds of officers. All CUPD officers, including cadets still enrolled in the Academy, received both training opportunities.
“We appreciate our relationships with students like Chase and remain committed to treating everyone with respect, dignity and fairness. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. said Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Safety and Chief of Police Doreen Jokerst.
