Pillar Five - Reimagine Policing in Memphis

Pillar 5

Training & Education

Recommendation:

The Federal Government should support the development of partnerships with training facilities across the country to promote consistent standards for high-quality training and establish training innovation hubs.

The Memphis Police Department agrees with this recommendation. While this is a recommendation for the federal government, the Memphis Police Department is constantly striving to explore opportunities for new and innovative training. The department advocates sending personnel, including officers and supervisors, to federally sponsored training to give them opportunities to have additional learning experiences. The department welcomes any and all educational opportunities that will provide professional development and skills to its officers.

Action Item:

The training innovation hubs should develop replicable model programs that use adult-based learning and scenario-based training in a training environment modeled less like boot camp. Through these programs the hubs would influence nationwide curricula, as well as instructional methodology.

The Memphis Police Department supports this action item and would like to have input into how this model program is formed and implemented, with a critical eye on how it will best fit the department and our regional partners.

Action Item:

The training innovation hubs should establish partnerships with academic institutions to develop rigorous training practices, evaluation, and the development of curricula based on evidence-based practices.

The Memphis Police Department is constantly striving to explore opportunities for new and innovative training. Our department has formalized partnerships with multiple higher education institutions, including the University of Tennessee, the University of Memphis, Bethel University, and Southwest Tennessee Community College.

Recommendation:

Law enforcement agencies should engage community members in the training process.

The department engages the community during the training process as appropriate. This engagement comes in a variety of forms. First, the department consults specialized groups, such as groups that specialize in child abuse and disabilities, when developing training. Second, the department periodically utilizes volunteers to participate in live-action training for recruits and officers.

The department also relies on outside civilian professionals and community members as instructors for specific training such as LGBTQ related issues, mental illness, crisis intervention, criminal & constitutional law, cultural diversity, and many other topics.

Recommendation:

Law enforcement agencies should provide leadership training to all personnel throughout their careers.

The department provides leadership training during the basic law enforcement course and annually during in-service training. The department encourages and supports leadership training for all employees, from the newest recruits to the command staff. The department uses in-house command members to teach the latest in team building and leadership models throughout its ranks. Furthermore, the department encourages officers to attend the FBI National Academy, as well as the Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (LEEDA) 3-tier leadership trainings. Many of the command staff attend and participate in leadership discussions and meetings sponsored by Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and leadership training with the Major Cities Chiefs, Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Reccomendation

The Federal Government should encourage and support partnerships between law enforcement and academic institutions to support a culture that values ongoing education and the integration of current research into the development of training, policies, and practices.

The Memphis Police Department agrees with this action item. Our department has formalized partnerships with multiple higher education institutions, including but not limited to University of Tennessee, the University of Memphis, Bethel University, and Southwest Tennessee Community College. Traditionally, the Memphis Police Department and the City of Memphis promote members of the department to pursue higher education opportunities and even agree to reimburse payment for classes taken by its members. If sworn members of the Memphis Police Department obtain a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, then that member will receive college incentive pay of 7.5 % of their base pay.

The Memphis Police Department partners with the University of Memphis to develop practices that help address crime issues such as targeted enforcement through crime statistics and identifying repeat offenders through gun-related incident data analysis.

Recommendation:

POSTs should make Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) a part of both basic recruit and in-service officer training.

The Memphis Police Department is the birthplace of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model, and the department agrees with the spirit of this recommendation. Our Academy continues to provide and train on the CIT model within our basic recruit classes, in-service training, and advanced officer training. The CIT certification training is an extensive 40-hour instruction and is given only to officers who demonstrate a true desire to use the model effectively, to assist in the identification of those in mental distress and to provide alternative help outside of the Justice system. The Academy provides annual update-refresher training for all its CIT members.

Recommendation:

POSTs should ensure that basic officer training includes lessons to improve social interaction as well as tactical skills.

The TN POST Commission already mandates the inclusion of topics to improve social interaction and tactical skills during the basic law enforcement course.

Recommendation:

POSTs should ensure that basic recruit and in-service officer training include curriculum

The Memphis Police Department agrees with this recommendation. The department academy curriculum currently provides several areas of instruction to inform and instruct officers on the disease of addiction as part of the basic recruit officer training. The academy courses include drug and alcohol awareness. The academy continues yearly to provide all officers training on the signs and symptoms of addictive behaviors. The department has outreach counselors from the community, instruct our officers on ways to identify and seek assistance from destructive behaviors.

Action Item:

Law enforcement agencies should implement ongoing, top-down training for all officers in cultural diversity and related topics that can build trust and legitimacy in diverse communities. This should be accomplished with the assistance of advocacy groups that represent the viewpoints of communities that have traditionally had adversarial relationships with law enforcement.

The department provides cultural diversity training during the basic law enforcement course, including groups that have had a historically adversarial relationship with law enforcement. Cultural diversity training is also a periodic topic during annual in-service training. These segments of instruction provide officers with a deeper understanding of particular groups within the community with the intention of increasing trust and legitimacy. When appropriate, the training is generated in cooperation with specialized advocacy groups.

Action Item:

Law enforcement agencies should implement training for officers that cover policies for interactions with the LGBTQ population, including issues such as determining gender identity for arrest placement, the Muslim, Arab, and South Asian communities, and immigrant or non-English speaking groups, as well as reinforcing policies for the prevention of sexual misconduct and harassment.

The department provides training to employees related to interactions with LGBTQ, Muslim, Arab, immigrant, non-English speaking persons, and dealing with people with developmental disabilities. This training is provided during the basic law enforcement course and periodically during in-service training. These classes include topics on stereotypes, discrimination, and implicit biases. Both training and policies emphasize treating all people with respect and dignity regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.

The department has not conducted training specifically related to South Asian communities, as the demographic is minimally present in the jurisdiction. In addition, the department does not operate detention facilities. As a result, arrest placement is a function of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

The department provides training during the basic law enforcement course related to sexual harassment and annually during in-service training. The City of Memphis and the department take sexual misconduct and harassment seriously. The City of Memphis has a respectful workplace policy that the department teaches regularly. All personnel are trained and refreshed on topics such as police ethics, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and emphasis on how it relates to police officers.

In addition to teaching, the department has established law enforcement liaisons within our community in order to listen to the needs of different diverse groups and to assist with reinforcing our relationships with them.

Recommendation:

POSTs should require both basic recruit and in-service training on policing in a democratic society.

The Memphis Police Department trains all officers of every rank on constitutional law, criminal law, civil law, and departmental policies and procedures that work to sustain many of the foundational principles and the rule of law.

Recommendation:

The Federal Government, as well as state and local agencies, should encourage and incentivize higher education for law enforcement officers.

The Memphis Police Department agrees with this recommendation. The department has formed partnerships with multiple higher education institutions, including University of Tennessee, the University of Memphis, Bethel University, and Southwest Tennessee Community College.

The Memphis Police Department and the City of Memphis encourage members of the department to pursue higher education and offers limited reimbursement for these classes. Sworn members of the Memphis Police Department who obtain a Bachelors’s degree from an accredited college or university receive an incentive equal to 7.5 % of their base pay. Sworn members with 54 college credit hours receive 2.5%, and those with at least 85 college credit hours receive 5% college incentive pay. The Memphis Police Department encourages all of its personnel to engage in continuing education.

As a City benefit, Tuition.io provides $50 per month paid directly to the reduction of employee student loan debt.

Recommendation:

The U.S. Department of Justice should support the development and implementation of improved Field Training Officer programs.

The Memphis Police Department agrees with this recommendation. The department constantly examines and discusses ways to improve its Field Training Officer (FTO) Program.

Recommendation

The U.S. Department of Justice should support the development of broad Field Training Program standards and training strategies that address changing police culture and organizational procedural justice issues that agencies can adopt and customize to local needs.

The Memphis Police Department supports this recommendation. The department is currently taking steps to prioritize the inclusion of procedural justice topics in basic and in-service training.