Police2Peace Peace Officer Agency Certification Program certifies first Sheriff’s department while being awarded IADLEST Program Seal of Excellence
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, December 6, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — The culture of policing in America can be changed to facilitate peace, so says the 501 (c)(3) organization Police2Peace. Its national ‘Peace Officer’ training platform is currently used by departments and police personnel around the nation to help them navigate the changing public safety landscape and alleviate tensions with their communities. Police and sheriff’s departments which complete the requirements of training earn a recognition signifying they are, “Peace Officer Certified”.
The first department to earn this designation is the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) under the leadership of Sheriff Leon Lott. Having garnered national attention many times over the years, RCSD pioneered the ‘Peace Officer’ program in 2018 with decals on vehicles and again in 2020 with ‘Peace Officer’ patches on uniforms. In 2021, Sheriff Leon Lott was named National Sheriff of the Year by the National Sheriff’s Association.
“The mission is for our deputies to always be guardians of the community, and warriors when we must be. This is how we build better relationships with the community, we do it as Peace Officers,” said Sheriff Lott.
The Peace Officer training and certification program is exceptional in policing because it takes a whole-of-department approach to changing police culture. This includes who police departments recruit, hire and promote, as well as their mission, vision and values. It sets expectations for officers to be guardians in their communities serving as ‘Peace Officers’ where the policing they engage in is effective, empathetic and just. And its elected officials, community leaders and police union modules help those groups understand their vital role in advancing the transformation of the law enforcement officers to Peace Officer culture.
“It’s crucial for police to be able to de-escalate situations, solve problems and understand how their communities feel,” said Commander Robert King (ret.) of the Portland Police Bureau and National Director of Training for Con10gency, developer of The C.A.L.M. Approach, a de-escalation tool which the police can use without harming the person they must arrest.
“Our goal is to make this the national model for policing so communities feel protected and are not threatened by the presence of the police,” said Lisa Broderick, Executive Director of Police2Peace. “With this new national training platform, we are a lot closer to succeeding.”
National attention is already being focused on the program. Called “Peace Officer: Realizing the True Purpose of Policing” was awarded the National Certification Program Seal of Excellence by IADLEST, a national association of law enforcement standards and training managers and leaders whose primary focus is criminal justice standards and training.
“Through this virtual training platform every policing agency in the nation can receive training and certification in the mental model of ‘Peace Officer’ and I hope they do,” added Sheriff Lott.
Police2Peace sees this new training and certification as a simple, nationally scalable way to change the approach and culture of policing for all police departments. For media inquiries contact media@police2peace.org or call 1 888 P2P 9856. www.police2peace.org
Lisa Broderick
Police2Peace
+1 888 727-9856
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Peace Officer Training Course Overview