Since the introduction of the PEACE OFFICER Identity Program, Police2Peace has begun to offer a slate of more profound initiatives provided at no cost to the department, community, city or state.
Peace Officer Identity Program By placing the words “PEACE OFFICER “on every law enforcement vehicle or uniform within a police department, Police2Peace takes a social issue prone to inherent hostility and mistrust and transforms the safety and security of the community into a collaborative effort using the notion of a PEACE OFFICER. That is because PEACE OFFICER is the one unifying notion that all law enforcement officers are tied together by. The program consists of decals applied to public safety vehicles, and/or uniform changes, which include the wording PEACE OFFICER. Designed to inspire peaceful codes of conduct, the PEACE OFFICER Identity Program is being used by departments to change the way the department sees itself, how the officers see themselves, and how the community sees officers.
Department Self Review For the department, an analysis for the purpose of evaluating important areas such as:
- Community perceptions of the department and its officers;
- Students’ perceptions of the department, its role as SRO if applicable, and officers;
- Businesses’ perceptions of the department and its officers;
- Community volunteers’ perceptions of the department and its officers; and
- Officers’ perceptions of the department, the community, their role in the community and their jobs.
These reviews are performed through surveys of all groups using online resources and paper surveys when necessary. All surveys are generated in the direction of the department and can also include questions about operations, administration, and investigations that may also reveal underlying policies and practices to be addressed. Further, although designed to be quick and cursory, department self-reviews can reveal underlying issues with a department’s purpose, organizational alignment, mission, accountability, command-and-control, hiring, staffing, diversity, promotion, community-oriented policing, and degree of public trust. Self-reviews generally span a period of one month, depending on the city and department size, after which a report is generated and delivered to the department for review and consideration. Should the department desire help with a thorough operational assessment, Police2Peace can assist with identifying professionally experienced law enforcement personnel for that more in-depth assessment along with funding to support the department, if desired and necessary.
Police-Community/Youth Dialogues The Police-Youth Dialogue is a 3.5 – 5 hour, facilitated conversation between members of the community, their youth, and law enforcement officers. Dialogues are held with groups of 10-12 community members and an equal number of law enforcement officers. Participants first meet separately with their peer groups, then come together in a sharing circle. There are games, shared meals between youth and officers, role plays, and meaningful discussions, led by trained law enforcement and civilian facilitators. During the process, officers and community members share from their personal experiences, to address stereotypes, biases, and misperceptions, while facing issues and concerns that impact their daily lives. Through direct dialogue and dynamic interactions, layers of prejudice, stereotypes, bias, fear, and mistrust are dismantled to help groups find common ground and building trust.
Officer Cognitive Resilience Training For all officers, Cognitive Resilience Training is a one-day, evidence-based program that offers mainstream, intensive cognitive training to address stress, anxiety, depression, and pain. When studied in police officers and military veterans, this training resulted in reduced PTSD, burnout, anger and fatigue, and increased resilience and emotional intelligence allowing them to make better decisions while at work in their communities and in the field.
Community Feedback Loop. Addresses the increasing need for open communications between departments and the communities they serve with a unique, specially branded website created to collect feedback that is channeled directly to the police chief or designates for a response. Designed to gauge the effectiveness of the measures taken by the department over time on citizen interactions resulting in continuous improvement, Community Feedback Loop is a comprehensive and durable mechanism for a department to have an ongoing bi-directional interaction with their community, as well as a visible action a department can take that that is both effective and represents a continuous commitment to better community engagement.
Trauma Informed Schools Curriculum A high school-appropriate school curriculum for teacher training that has been demonstrated to mitigate or reverse Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) so that healthy life skills are developed by students resulting in greater resilience in the face of adversity that students encounter both in and out of school.
Public Policy Research Studies Following the programs and training provided, researchers are available to perform rigorous academic studies to demonstrate that various components and overall initiative had the desired results, including giving every department the opportunity to conduct its own self-review.
Police2Peace ® is a non-profit corporation granted public charity status by the IRS. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
