USC program aims to help LAPD officers build trust, de-escalate encounters with homeless, mentally ill
Daily NewsDec 04, 2017
Many homeless people have experienced significant trauma or have anger issues, which police officers can take personally, the
That's when "guns are drawn and violence is implemented, and it's not needed," Chapman, 39, said.
Now,
About 40 officers are taking part in the "groundbreaking"
"We think we're engaged in the single most unique experiment in the country in terms of improving modern policing,"
A primary aim of the program is to help officers gain more understanding and correctly interpret the actions of those they encounter on the job -- and thus "de-escalate (a situation) more successfully," she said.
"The greatest problem that people often confront who are front-line responders like the police is fear; fear of the populations that they have to deal with, fear of not being able to manage what seems to be either out-of-control behavior, escalating behavior or threatening behavior," Flynn said.
It's also important for officers to understand that persons who are homeless or have serious mental illness often don't respond well to typical interventions by police. These individuals sometimes assume aggression in situations where there may not be, Flynn said.
"The greatest problem that people often confront who are front-line responders like the police is fear; fear of the populations that they have to deal with, fear of not being able to manage what seems to be either out-of-control behavior, escalating behavior or threatening behavior."
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Meanwhile, an officer's knowledge of what may have led to a person's situation can lead to greater confidence when dealing with vulnerable populations, she said. It's also knowing how and when to refer those in need to other service agencies for support.
Class topics range from extremism and conflict resolution to human trafficking to civil rights and civil liberties. Domestic violence, social media and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues are also on the menu.
New insights
A recent LEAD class on domestic violence opened up LAPD Officer
"I've been able to be more successful with de-escalating situations because of understanding of folks and ... the turbulence and issues they deal with," Gil said, noting he can now pass on that knowledge to officers he works with at
The 10-year
"I thought it was an opportunity to better myself in the department -- to work in this job the most effectively I could," Gil said of the new USC-LAPD initiative.
Gil and other officers taking part in the program, which culminates in a graduation ceremony, are doing so on their own personal time.
"I've been able to be more successful with de-escalating situations because of understanding of folks and ... the turbulence and issues they deal with."
-- LAPD Officer
Twenty-five years after massive civil unrest led to the L.A. riots -- sparked by the sentiment that the police were biased --
Fifty-eight percent of Angelenos polled believe
"It's so nice of the
"This is something we've designed (with
Not a panacea
More training can certainly help officers respond to residents in mental health crisis, said
"A police officer is not a mental health professional but they are asked to do that job way too often in cities across America," DeRollo said.
"This is about the community owning the problem," Southers said.
What if it works?
Each officer in the program comes up with a community project throughout the course of the year, organizers said. One officer, for example, is working on protecting trafficked youth in her community.
The LEAD project, which will cost at least
The program is a "very important pilot project" for which everyone in
If successful, she said, it would signal an expanded effort by law enforcement to use an effective multi-disciplinary approach in the community.
To guarantee efficacy, such a program should include voices from vulnerable populations as part of the educational team, Leap said.
"We need to know their experiences and they are experts as to how law enforcement has dealt with them in the past and how law enforcement needs to deal with them in the future," she added.
That sentiment was echoed by
"If you haven't been bit by the snake, nobody can tell you how it feels," said Alexander, who is formerly homeless, spent two stints in prison and now aims to be a bridge between the police department and vulnerable populations.
In the LEAD project's first year, organizers will be relying on existing video material of people with serious mental illness to talk about their lives. As the program expands, however, they plan on bringing in such people with "lived experiences" so that they can speak and contribute to the program in a live fashion, said
"(The program) opens (officers') eyes to looking at things from a different lens -- not just an enforcement lens -- but a societal lens," said retired LAPD Lt.
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