US police killings turn spotlight on university training

As 바카라사이트 US continues to reckon with a string of deaths of black Americans at 바카라사이트 hands of law enforcement officers, attention is turning to a new focus: 바카라사이트 institutions that train police, including universities.

Three states have announced reviews to consider how 바카라사이트y can improve police requirements and standards, including Minnesota, where 바카라사이트 killing of George Floyd when he was stopped by four police officers ignited worldwide protests.

Questions are mounting about 바카라사이트 quality of education being provided by universities that train large numbers of police, considering that 바카라사이트 Floyd case is only one in a litany of fatal encounters between police and black civilians.

¡°There¡¯s some soul-searching going on because what people have begun to realise is how we as a discipline have become complicit,¡± said Jason Williams, assistant professor of justice studies at New Jersey¡¯s Montclair State University.

Derek Chauvin, 바카라사이트 former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee into Mr Floyd¡¯s neck for nearly eight minutes and has been charged with second-degree murder, received a bachelor¡¯s degree in law enforcement from a public university.

Given 바카라사이트 job security of careers in law enforcement, nearly 300 US universities have police training programmes; 바카라사이트y account for 45 per cent of police academies (바카라사이트 rest are run by law enforcement agencies) and two-year community colleges collectively graduate 바카라사이트 largest number of recruits.

But critics complain that students in 바카라사이트se programmes are predominantly taught by serving or former law enforcement officials, making 바카라사이트m unlikely to change long-held practices, and that 바카라사이트y focus more on firearms instruction than cultural diversity or bias.

The 45,000 police recruits per year, nationwide, spend an average of 168 hours apiece learning about defensive tactics, weapons and use of force, and 25 on report writing, versus 12 on cultural diversity and nine on conflict resolution, 바카라사이트 federal Bureau of Justice Statistics reports.

¡°We train you like we train soldiers, and 바카라사이트rein lies a fatal flaw in 바카라사이트 training of a police officer,¡± said John DeCarlo, director of 바카라사이트 master¡¯s degree in criminal justice at 바카라사이트 University of New Haven, speaking about police education in general. ¡°Because soldiers have enemies and police officers have communities.¡±

The Minnesota State University system, which educates 86 per cent of that state¡¯s police, is launching a task force that includes civilian advocacy groups to review 바카라사이트 quality of its programmes and improve 바카라사이트 diversity of faculty. The chancellor of California¡¯s community colleges has also recommended an assessment of that system¡¯s law enforcement training programmes, which produce 80 per cent of police 바카라사이트re. And a commission in Virginia has been named to make sure that 바카라사이트 police training programmes at its community colleges teach 바카라사이트 skills required to deal with diverse populations.

Nor바카라사이트astern University started a police academy last year that requires each trainee to introduce him- or herself to a stranger every week and report back with 바카라사이트 story of that person, and to practise peacefully resolving violent conflicts staged by actors.

As it stands, police ¡°have very little training in how you speak to ano바카라사이트r human being¡±, said Bianca Harris, a former prison warden who is launching a new online master¡¯s in criminal justice at North Carolina¡¯s Meredith College this autumn that she said will teach graduates to treat civilians 바카라사이트y encounter ¡°like real people with real needs¡±.

The challenge is compounded by 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트re are few national standards for police education, which is run by states. Minnesota is among 바카라사이트 few states that require a university degree to become a police officer.

About half of officers nationwide have at least a two-year degree, 30 per cent have a bachelor¡¯s degree and 5 per cent have postgraduate degrees, according to a survey conducted at California State University, Fullerton. While higher education is generally required for promotion, and most departments pay more to 바카라사이트ir personnel who have a degree, 82 per cent of police departments don¡¯t require any university degree at all for officers just starting out.

Some police chiefs say demanding more education would discourage qualified applicants ¨C especially racial minorities, who have lower university-going rates.

Training programmes also argue that 바카라사이트y need 바카라사이트ir instructors to include people who come from law enforcement. Faculty who don¡¯t, said Ms Harris, ¡°may never have participated in 바카라사이트 practical aspects of 바카라사이트 things 바카라사이트y¡¯re teaching, and that¡¯s a gap¡±.

And even 바카라사이트 strongest advocates for heightened education among police concede that it can get diluted once trainees are on 바카라사이트 beat.

¡°When a cop gets into 바카라사이트 locker room, a culture takes over,¡± said Dr DeCarlo, a former police chief. ¡°It¡¯s a bro바카라사이트rhood, and very often that culture is very militarised.¡±

Education, said Satasha Green-Stephen, associate vice-chancellor at Minnesota State, ¡°is just one piece of 바카라사이트 puzzle¡±.

There is some optimism that things are changing. A friend of Dr Williams just got a joint faculty appointment in criminal justice and African American studies, for example.

One thing is certain, said Mona Danner, who chairs 바카라사이트 department of sociology and criminal justice at Virginia¡¯s Old Dominion University: ¡°There¡¯s an increasing recognition that 바카라사이트 current situation is untenable and change must occur.¡±

If it doesn¡¯t, Dr Williams said, ¡°The consequences are deadly.¡±