Let me start off by saying I do not have what it takes to be a police officer.
I know this thanks to a simulation I took part in at the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund to get a glimpse of the split second, life-and-death decisions officers make every day.
As exercise after exercise came up on the screen with actors simulating real-life scenarios that officers encounter, I had to assess whether a situation was dangerous, decide what to say, determine if I needed to shoot — all the while remembering the Supreme Court cases that govern the conditions under which officers can use deadly force.
I failed in every category.
Across the country, communities of color and police are squaring off about how officers treat residents and suspects. Cases of white officers killing unarmed black men have raised questions about police abusing their authority with no accountability.
Now, the Legal Defense Fund, which provides attorneys and pays legal costs for officers charged with crimes while on duty, is making training simulations normally reserved for officers open to the public as a way to help people understand the uncertain situations that officers step into every day.
"Our hope is to educate people," says Ron Hosko, the legal fund's president and a veteran FBI agent.
He says police and the communities they serve, particularly those of color, need to understand each other better. He hopes the simulations are a first step, but recognizes much more has to happen.Read the rest of the story HERE and view a related video below:
If you like what you see, please "Like" us on Facebook either here or here. Please follow us on Twitter here.
No comments:
Post a Comment