Last week, the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice continued its series of hearings on community engagement and held a hearing on accreditation. The hearings were conducted via teleconference and featured expert witnesses who provided testimony and answered questions from the commissioners.

On Tuesday, June 30, 2020, the commission received testimony from Dean Register, Director of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Walton County (Fla.) Sheriff Michael Adkinson; Brentwood (Tenn.) Police Chief Jeff Hughes; Tim Bourgeois, Executive Director of the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards; and Colorado Springs (Colo.) Police Chief Vince Niski.

The panelists discussed accreditation and standards in law enforcement. Testimonies focused on the value of accreditation and the impact it has on enhancing law enforcement and building trust in communities, what it takes to develop a successful accreditation program, the differences between state and national models, and the need for credentialing bodies to involve law enforcement practitioners and other subject matter experts to develop and maintain accreditation standards.

On Wednesday, July 1, 2020, the commission received testimony from Dr. Lorie Fridell, Professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of South Florida; Clearwater (Fla.) Police Chief Daniel Slaughter; and Dr. David Klinger, Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

The panel focused on interactions and relationships between communities and law enforcement. Testimony delved into the importance of implicit bias training, the impact implicit bias has on harming relationships between communities and law enforcement, and the need for a culture shift across the nation in order for law enforcement at all levels to perform in the safest way possible.

On Thursday, July 2, 2020, the commission received testimony from Sean Sheppard, Founder of Game Changer, and Luann P. Pannell, Ph.D., Director of Police Training and Education for the Los Angeles Police Department.

The panel focused on community engagement and respect for law enforcement. Mr. Sheppard discussed his organization’s model of using community residents to help train law enforcement in community policing and interpersonal communication. Dr. Pannell discussed the importance of adapting training to meet modern needs. For instance, she testified: “There seems to be misinformation that the number of hours of training equates to the significance or the outcome of training, and that’s just not true. It’s the quality and caliber of the training that will matter most when it comes to optimal performance in the field. For every training hour we receive, we should be questioning if it is teaching them to master and replicate the same skills in the field.” 

For more information on the commission, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/ag/presidential-commission-law-enforcement-and-administration-justice

Audio recordings and transcripts of the hearings will be posted online once available.

LOS ANGELES – On July 2, 2020, Game Changer Founder Sean Sheppard will provide testimony to the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice. Mr. Sheppard will provide testimony as a law enforcement/community relations subject matter expert to the 18 member Commission due to Game Changer’s effectiveness at utilizing collegiate and professional sporting events to change perceptions and behavior of law enforcement and civilian participants, and the data the model has collected.

The Commission was formed via executive order on January 22, 2020 by President Donald J. Trump, making it the first commission on law enforcement to be formed in the last half century. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Commission hearing will take place via telephone.

Members of the media are able to call in to the hearing but will only be permitted to listen. Mr. Sheppard’s testimony will be posted on the Department of Justice website at the hearing’s conclusion and can be found here.

At its core, this Commission is for law enforcement and the purpose of bettering the profession, but it is important that we hear from voices and consult perspectives outside of law enforcement. Civil rights organizations, civic leaders, defense bar associations, victim’s rights organizations, and community organizations, should and will help this important mission. They will have opportunities to provide advice, counsel and input to the Commission in its study of the relevant issues and solutions.”

U.S. Attorney General William Barr

Game Changer is a data proven, national law enforcement/community relations model that formally trains law enforcement and community residents in Community Policing and Interpersonal Communication. It has effectively changed perceptions and changed behavior of the 1300+ individuals that have participated in the program across the country. The goals of the program are to bring about more peaceful interactions between members of law enforcement and community residents, educate, and provide a road map for reform.

For more information on Game Changer and future events please visit GameChanger1.org

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers are the first professional sports team to become a formal Game Changer community partner.  The storied NBA franchise has reached an agreement with the nonprofit to conduct a series of five (5) virtual Game Changer training events between Los Angeles-based law enforcement agencies and Los Angeles County residents.  Lakers Legends will be among the LA community resident participants.

Game Changer, a Los Angeles-based, California POST-accredited law enforcement/community relations program, has gone virtual due to the impact COVID-19 has had on the country, and sports in particular. The model features training members of law enforcement and community residents through moderated focus groups that occur three hours before the start of collegiate and professional sporting events. Game Changer aligns with the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation’s Building Bridges Through Basketball program that brings together LAPD officers and at-risk Los Angeles youth to dialogue and play basketball.

Participating members of California law enforcement that possess a California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) ID# will receive continuing education units in Community Policing and Interpersonal Communication, making the Lakers one of the first professional sports teams to play a direct role in training members of law enforcement through the utilization of community residents.

Game Changer CEO, Sean Sheppard summed up the new partnership. “From the moment I met her, Lakers Youth Foundation Executive Director, Kiesha Nix made clear how serious the Lakers are about the role they play in improving law enforcement/community relations in Los Angeles. This partnership demonstrates their continued level of commitment to the community residents and the women and men that wear the badge in Los Angeles County.”

Game Changer is a data proven, national law enforcement/community relations model that formally trains law enforcement and community residents in Community Policing and Interpersonal Communication. It has effectively changed perceptions and changed behavior of the 1100+ participants that have participated in the program across the country. The goals of the program are to bring about more peaceful interactions between members of law enforcement and community residents, educate, and provide a road map for reform where applicable.

By Safe Communities Institute

In his quest to become a better officer for the Chula Vista Police Department, Evan Linney attended two programs that had the most impact on him.

One was the Master of Public Administration program at the USC Price School of Public Policy and the other Game Changer, a San Diego-based program that brings members of law enforcement together with community members to find common ground over the backdrop of a sporting event.

He saw an opportunity for a collaboration that would benefit both institutions, as well as the City of Los Angeles.

Linney, who is completing his MPA in May, introduced Game Changer’s founder, Sean Sheppard, to one of his professors at USC Price, Safe Communities Institute Director Erroll Southers.

The introduction led to a Game Changer focus group held April 18 at USC Price with a moderated discussion meant to facilitate a better understanding of the challenges and misconceptions law enforcement officers and community members face in dealing with each other. Participants then attended a USC baseball game together.

“Historically, the LAPD and the City of L.A. have had a lot of issues with police-community relations, so I thought this model would have a huge impact here and what better venue to bring this model than USC, located in South Los Angeles, pretty much the birthplace of poor police-community relations,” Linney said. “We can talk about these things all day long, but without somebody who can legitimately influence policy, it’s all just talk. The reason I wanted to forge this partnership is because I know the Price School has the ability to influence policy and that’s the only way any changes are going to get made.”

The event is the beginning of a lasting partnership for the Price School and Safe Communities Institute with Game Changers.

“It’s great that we’re able to partner on this program, and it’s important for us,” said USC Price Dean Jack H. Knott. “Our goal is to grow the program over time. We want to see it expand and be an integral and very important part of LA. It’s really through open, honest, transparent dialogue with each other that we’re going to be able to come up with the effective solutions to address these issues.”

Southers asserted that the Safe Communities Institute wants to be the research and development arm of Game Changers, taking pre- and post-focus group surveys of all participants to determine the effectiveness of the program in changing perspectives and determining if those metrics can be replicated.

“At the Safe Communities Institute, the three things that we are engaged in are education, research and community outreach, so we really feel great about this opportunity to have Game Changers,” Southers said. “We’re being able to walk the walk when it comes to community engagement, not just talk about it.”

An important discussion

Southers contended that is a rare opportunity as a research institution to put police in a room with members of the community.

“This is the conversation that, when something bad happens in America, we all talk about having and we never do,” Southers said. “So I want to thank Sean for putting this together, having the insight and tenacity to make sure this happens across the country.”

Sheppard noted that Game Changer has reached a critical point in the programs history to be coming to Los Angeles, and credited the Price School for making that happen.

“We’ve done some research and your typical American spends maybe 10 to 15 minutes with law enforcement a year, and that’s if they get pulled over,” Sheppard said. “In the event you don’t get pulled over, we’re not spending any quality time with one another understanding how law enforcement goes about their business or law enforcement understanding various communities and cultures.”

John Thomas, Chief of the USC Department of Public Safety, reiterated the need for this type of dialogue between police and community members in Los Angeles.

“If there’s ever a place where this could actually gain traction and a place where it is very, very grossly needed, it is the City of Los Angeles,” Thomas said. “Having served on the LAPD for a good chunk of my 35 years policing and having grown up in South L.A., I see the benefit of having these kinds of constructive dialogues where individuals feel comfortable in knowing the perspectives from both sides.”

Building trust between police and the community

Moderator Aaron Bruce, vice president and chief diversity officer at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, set the stage for the focus group by presenting recommendations from the U.S. Justice Department for police to build relationships with the community:

• Acknowledge and discuss the challenges you are facing.
• Be transparent and accountable.
• Take steps to reduce bias and improve cultural competency
• Maintain focus on the importance of collaboration and be visible in the community.
• Promote internal diversity and ensure professional growth opportunities.

“The Game Changer experience is putting many of these recommendations into action,” Bruce said.

Linney, a participant with experience in other Game Changer focus groups – this was the 61st Game Changer event held since December of 2016 – admitted that one of the biggest takeaways he’s had is that police do a horrible job of communicating with the public.

“I try my best unless something crazy is happening to take a few extra minutes at the end of a call or contact to explain why we stopped them,” Linney said. “Something as simple as taking two to three extra minutes to give them an explanation, we don’t have to do that but we should because that’s part of bridging the gap and making sure that we all leave the scene with a mutual understanding of what happened.”

Members of the community agreed that not understanding why police stopped them was a big reason for their distrust of law enforcement. They felt like they were being hassled because of the color of their skin or what they were wearing.

Felicia Flynn, an officer in the LAPD, explained that officers often get a call with a vague description of someone to look out with in the area, such as a 5-foot-9 black man with baggy pants. If she sees someone walking down the street who might fit that vague description, she’ll pull over just to have a conversation to assess that person.

However, Israel Manzo, a high school student from East Los Angeles, expressed that he gets stopped by law enforcement for these conversations about once a week and is fed up with feeling like he is being targeted.

“Just because of the way they see me, the way I’m dressed, they’ll pull me over and try to have a conversation,” Manzo said. “For me, I feel like you guys are punking us. … It makes me not want to talk to them. Like when they try to make conversation, I would just walk. Sorry, I wasn’t raised to be disrespectful, but I just keep walking.”

Flynn stressed that she would not stop someone just to harass them. Sometimes she has to make contact with community members to follow up on radio calls or else she would be neglecting her duty. While explaining that there often are legitimate reasons for these stops, she also admitted that not all police stops are for legitimate reasons, which is why she became an officer.

“I get what you’re saying with you wouldn’t even want to have a conversation with an officer who pulled alongside you because I actually went through it before I was a police officer,” Flynn said. “My brother goes through it all the time. I grew up in Southeast Compton and Carson. That’s one of the reasons I came on the job, because there’s not a lot of officers who look like me so I want to be an influence on a younger female that looks exactly like me.”

Both sides are sensitive about feelings of racism

Calvin Thompson, an actor based in Los Angeles, described two incidents in which he felt he experienced racism from police. In Florida while walking home from rehearsal, he was stopped by police who thought he fit the description of someone on the run.

Then in New York, he was stopped at a subway station for a misunderstanding and told he had a warrant out for his arrest. He was put in jail overnight, then in the morning got an apology.

Linney didn’t deny that there are cops out there who are racist and have bad intentions, but contended that 95 percent of the time officers have good intentions. For him, it’s frustrating to regularly be accused of racism when he’s just trying to do his job.

“As a white police officer, if I stop somebody who’s Hispanic or black, almost every time people start saying you’re racist,” Linney said. “We have feelings too. It sucks. I have a job to do, and it’s a very difficult thing to have people yelling at you, spitting at you, calling you every name in the book, accusing you of being a racist when you know you’re not.”

Mark Wittcoff, managing director of investor relations at Standard Management Company, conveyed that he feels police blow him off when he tries to talk to them about issues in the business world.

“The biggest crimes in this country are committed by people who look and dress just like me,” said Wittcoff, who was wearing a business suit. “It feels like you don’t have time to talk to me, and some of the crimes that get committed in my environment can be pretty serious.”

Flynn responded that it might seem like officers are cutting him off, but if a coded call comes out indicating there is a business being robbed or someone in danger, they have to go to the more urgent issue.

Game Changer model poised to make wider impact

Ibrahim Diallow, a freshman at the Price School who participated in the focus group, came away with a better understanding of what police officers deal with on a daily basis.

“This reinforced that police officers have a lot on their plate and that we can’t expect them to kind of do everything,” Diallow said. “Along with keeping the law, they’re asked to do a lot of social things and get involved in a lot of areas – and they’re people too. We have to have more dialogue with them and … as a community, we have to discuss how we conduct ourselves with law enforcement and make sure that we don’t jump to conclusions and microaggressions.”

Game Changer recently was awarded a two-year, $200,000 grant from the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. Game Changer will be a state accredited training entity, allowing members of California law enforcement that participate in Game Changer events to receive California state training credit hours.

Sheppard launched Game Changer in 2016 as a response to the rash of shootings of unarmed black men by white police officers and the resulting protests across the country. Backed with analysis from the Price School and Safe Communities Institute, he hopes to expand Game Changer nationwide.

“I want to thank the Price School, Erroll and [SCI project specialist] Jessie [Allen-Redd] for making this all possible,” Sheppard said. “What we do with this info that we’ve collected from you, it all goes into painting a picture of what we need to do to be a safer community, a more healthy community.”

This article was originally published by the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy.