The Los Angeles County District Attorney Bureau of Investigations, and LA County District Attorney Bureau of Investigations Chief Robert Arcos, have reached a multi-event agreement with Game Changer that will feature DA Bureau Investigators and Deputy District Attorneys participating in the training events. The Los Angeles-based California POST-accredited and STC-accredited law enforcement/community relations program, will receive funding to conduct multiple training sessions during 2022.
Each Game Changer event will be attended by up to four DA Investigators and up to four Deputy District Attorneys. These events will allow DA Investigators to earn four hours of California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) continuing education units in Community Engagement/Building Trust. There is an effort underway for Game Changer to become Minimum Continuing Legal Education-certified (MCLE) in order for Deputy District Attorneys to earn continuing education units through Game Changer as well.
“I want to thank Chief Arcos and the entire Bureau of Investigation for their dedication to the pursuit of justice with reverence for life and dignity for all,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said. “Game Changer brings prosecutors and investigators from my office together with community members, encouraging the kinds of conversations that are essential to advancing public safety in the 21st century.”
The first training event will be hosted by the Anaheim Ducks on March 23, 2022. Bureau Investigators and Deputy District Attorneys will participate in a moderated focus group with currently incarcerated juveniles thanks to the partnership Game Changer has with the Los Angeles County Probation Department. The group of approximately 25 participants will discuss problems within the criminal justice system and devise solutions together, 3 hours before the Ducks take on the Chicago Blackhawks. At the conclusion of the focus group, all participants will attend the game together to spend quality, casual time communicating while taking in the game.
In addition to the training Investigators and Deputy District Attorneys will receive, the Bureau recognizes that Game Changer training events also provide safe space for participating community residents to receive training and insight into the concerns, objectives, and priorities of criminal justice professionals through the moderated focus group discussions.
Since December, 2016, Game Changer has conducted 126 in-person and virtual training events in 10 different states and Canada. A total of 2,215 community residents and members of law enforcement have participated in the training events, including 57 unique law enforcement agencies on the local, state and federal levels.