JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri law enforcement recruits will be required to undergo training in the history of policing in minority communities.
The commission that sets the training rules and approves the curriculum for law enforcement officers across the state voted Tuesday to add the requirement.
“I believe providing this training in the history of policing for Missouri officers can help create a better understanding of some of the underlying reasons for conflict and distrust that can exist between law enforcement and minority communities, and can help create better relations going forward,” said Lincoln University Police Chief Gary Hill, who is the commissioner of the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission.
The Missouri Department of Public Safety said in a news release that the two-hour block of instruction would cover policing from the founding of the nation through the present.
The two-hour curriculum is currently being developed and will become part of the mandatory basic training curriculum six months after being shared with Missouri’s 20 law enforcement basic training academies.
