UC Santa Cruz Police Department Policies and training related to this pillar:

POLICIES

UC Santa Cruz Police Department Employee Training Manual

UC Santa Cruz Police Department Field Training Manual

1000: Recruitment and Selection

1002: Evaluation of Employees

1004: Promotional Process

TRAINING

Sexual Harassment Training (UCSC Policy, Gov. Code 12950.1) 

Racial Profiling Courses and Mandated Updates (P.O.S.T. PC 13519.4)

Crisis Intervention Training, Mental Health W&I 5152

Discrimination Prevention / TITLE IX training (UCSC, UCOP)

Implicit Bias Series (UCSC, UCOP) 

Bias and Racial Profiling (California POST)

Elder/Dependent Adult Abuse (P.O.S.T. PC 13515)

Mental Health Training (Senate Bill 29)

Procedural Justice

Advanced Training/Continuing Professional Training – Biased-Based Policing & Interpersonal Communications

5.1 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 UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this Federal Government recommendation item.  

5.1.1 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 UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this Federal Government action item.  UC Santa Cruz officers train throughout their careers to improve their communication and management skills, including in realistic scenarios with the UC community’s volunteer members.

5.1.2 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 UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this Federal Government action item.  

5.1.3 ACTION ITEM: The Department of Justice should build a stronger relationship with the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement (IADLEST) in order to leverage their network with state boards and commissions of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). 

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this U.S. Department of Justice action item.

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

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this recommendation item. The UC Santa Cruz Police Department Community Police Academy provides community members, students, and staff an opportunity to learn about existing training programs and protocols within our department.  Effective fall quarter of 2020, this course will be presented online.

Community volunteers assist us in training scenarios throughout the year, including our Active Shooter in Higher Education training course. Members of our department partner with community groups, campus departments, and organizations to provide various training venues, and those members participate in the training alongside officers.

5.2.1 ACTION ITEM: The U.S. Department of Justice should conduct research to develop and disseminate a toolkit on how law enforcement agencies and training programs can integrate community members into this training process. 

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this U.S. Department of Justice action item.

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department integrates community members as volunteers in training.  This has been especially true for our certified Active Shooter in Higher Education course, where over 40 volunteers participate in each daily training session.  We also integrate volunteers in defensive tactics, mental health, and other training sessions. 

5.3 RECOMMENDATION: Law Enforcement agencies should provide leadership training to all personnel throughout their careers.

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this recommendation item.  We provide growth and development opportunities to all our members through the UC Santa Cruz Learning Center, California POST, law enforcement partners, and public and private organizations offering training in various modules.  We train other law enforcement agencies regarding our community, and partner with them to encourage a shared understanding of values

5.3.1 ACTION ITEM: Recognizing that strong, capable leadership is required to create cultural transformation, the U.S. Department of Justice should invest in developing learning goals and model curricula/training for each level of leadership. 

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this U.S. Department of Justice action item.

5.3.2 ACTION ITEM: 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 UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this Federal Government action item.  

5.3.3 ACTION ITEM: The U.S. Department of Justice should support and encourage cross‐discipline leadership training.

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this U.S. Department of Justice action item.

5.4 RECOMMENDATION: The U.S. Department of Justice should develop, in partnership with institutions of higher education, a national postgraduate institute of policing for senior executives with a standardized curriculum preparing them to lead agencies in the 21st century. 

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this U.S. Department of Justice recommendation item.

5.5 RECOMMENDATION: The U.S. Department of Justice should instruct the Federal Bureau of Investigation to modify the curriculum of the National Academy at Quantico to include prominent coverage of the topical areas addressed in this report. In addition, the COPS Office and the Office of Justice Programs should work with law enforcement professional organizations to encourage modification of their curricula in a similar fashion. 

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this U.S. Department of Justice recommendation item.  UC Santa Cruz Police Department members completed courses this summer via the  Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy Webinar Course Series in topics ranging from officer wellness, officer safety, case studies, leadership, crisis awareness and communications, and professional development. 

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

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this California POST recommendation item. UC Santa Cruz Police Officers are required to be trained in Mental Health Awareness and Critical Incident Training to better recognize and de-escalate situations where mental health is a factor. Officers are trained in de-escalation tactics, including slowing the interaction down and bringing additional resources to reduce the need for physical confrontation.

5.6.1 ACTION ITEM: Because of the importance of this issue, Congress should appropriate funds to help support law enforcement crisis intervention training.

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this Federal Government action item.  

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

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this California POST recommendation item. The POST academy learning domains consist of 43 areas of instruction and are continually evolving to meet legislative requirements and community needs.

5.8 RECOMMENDATION: POSTs should ensure that basic recruit and in-service officer training include curriculum on the disease of addiction. 

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this California POST recommendation item.

5.9 RECOMMENDATION: POSTs should ensure both basic recruit and in service training incorporates content around recognizing and confronting implicit bias and cultural responsiveness.

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this California POST recommendation item. Our members are trained in cultural awareness, procedural justice, implicit bias, cultural diversity, hate crimes, trauma-informed interviewing, intimate partner violence, criminal law, constitutional law, and civil rights and managing stressful situations.  Our department members have received implicit bias training through the UC Learning Center and Cantu Center.  Officers are required to participate in POST implicit bias training.

5.9.1 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 UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this California POST action item.  Our department members have received cultural diversity training via the UC Learning Center, California POST, and the department provides additional training on bias-based policing regularly.  Department members have received procedural justice training, and four (4) department members, including the Chief of Police, are certified procedural justice instructors.  We continually review, recommend, and approve other training opportunities that focus on cultural diversity. We find opportunities to engage with communities that have traditionally had adversarial relationships with law enforcement. 

5.9.2 ACTION ITEM: Law Enforcement agencies should implement training for officers that covers police interactions with the LGBTQ population, including such issues 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 UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this California POST action item.  Our department members have received implicit bias training through the UC Learning Center, California POST, and Cantu Center.  The UC Santa Cruz Police Department trains officers in the fair and equal application of policies for interacting with all populations to include the LBGTQ, Muslim, Arab, and South Asian communities. 

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

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this California POST recommendation item.

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

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this Federal Government, state, and local recommendation item.  

The UC system, where applicable, provides some tuition assistance and/or reduction for fees.  The system also provides for POST certificate pay, which includes acceleration to attain certification with higher education units.

5.11.1 ACTION ITEM: The Federal Government should create a loan repayment and forgiveness incentive program specifically for policing. 

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this Federal Government action item. We encourage our employees to research the current Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF).

5.12 RECOMMENDATION: The Federal Government should support research into the development of technology that enhances scenario based training, social interaction skills, and enables the dissemination of interactive distance learning for law enforcement. 

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this Federal Government action item.  We believe in continual improvement and that we can always do better by learning from each other and the events that we have engaged in.  Incidents we are involved in or learn about are debriefed and discussed to share challenges and successes and incorporate best practices.  We continually update our training syllabi, policy, and procedures based on these incidents. We include shoot/don’t shoot, time/distance/separation, and scenario-based training.

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

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this U.S. Department of Justice recommendation item. We continually update our Field Training Program Manual and our Employee Training Plan.  These updates ensure that policies, practices, and procedures guide individual officers to make better choices and continually improve performance.  Our Employee Training Plan was recently updated and is posted on our website. 

5.13.1 ACTION ITEM: 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 UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this U.S. Department of Justice action item. 

5.13.2 ACTION ITEM: The U.S. Department of Justice should provide funding to incentivize agencies to update their Field Training Programs in accordance with the new standards. 

The UC Santa Cruz Police Department supports this U.S. Department of Justice action item. Our Field training manual and program is reviewed every two years and currently aligns with this recommendation.