The Columbia Police Department’s Community Outreach Unit recently showed community members how the department is training police officers in regard to fair and impartial policing.
Sgt. Mike Hestir, the Community Outreach Unit Supervisor, lead a training for the public on Saturday, to show how important it is to recognize implicit bias.
Hestir talked about the importance the training has on the safety of police officers and the relationships they foster with members of the community. Hestir stressed that bias is a human problem and can get in the way of many things- especially policing.
“We should dig a little deeper and try to help more people,” Hestir said.
Hestir showed the community how police officers are trained to acknowledge their bias by leading them through small exercises. Hestir had volunteers re-enact scenarios where bias can easily be present, including situations where social class, race, gender and sexuality are affected by bias.
Matt Rodriguez, a Community Outreach Unit officer said that this training has helped him in his ability to think of others and have a better understanding of where they are coming from.
“The training in fair and impartial policing has helped me by just thinking outside the box a little bit and bringing to my attention how to think of others perspectives,” Rodriguez said.
This training showed the community the ways in which the Police Department is working on making their policing safer for everyone. Another discussion is scheduled for this Wednesday to address the concerns and opinions of citizens on fair and impartial training.
