In an attempt to bolster the relationship between the city’s police force and the community following local and national protests around the killings of unarmed black men by officers, the Phoenix Police Department may be receiving “cultural consciousness” training from an Arizona State University professor pending city approval.
Mayor Greg Stanton and the police department will be approaching City Council in the coming weeks about a contract with Matthew Whitaker, Arizona State University Foundation professor of history and director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy.
“For police to do their job best, they have to be very closely connected with the community,” Stanton said. “The training on diversity is just as important as any other training that they do.”
The announcement of the course comes after multiple national clashes between police and community members over the killing of unarmed black men.
Earlier this week, protests, both violent and nonviolent, occurred in Baltimore after 25-year-old Freddie Gray died of severe spinal injuries one week after his arrest. In December, Rumain Brisbon, an unarmed black man, was shot and killed in north Phoenix by police officer Mark Rine while Rine was investigating a drug deal. Brisbon’s death sparked protests around the city, including in downtown. Rine was not charged in Brisbon’s death.
Related: Protesters temporarily stall light rail during downtown rally against police brutality
If the contract is approved, Whitaker would administer the training to the 2,700 officers over a 14- to 18-month period. His eight-hour portion of instruction is just a part of the required 40 hours, which includes other topics such as mandatory recertification and other continued education.
“This training is important, because there’s often just a lack of understanding both from the police and from the community,” Whitaker said.
As a native of Phoenix, Whitaker said he stood out among many others in the same field. His recent book, “Race Work: The Rise of Civil Rights in the Urban West,” documents the struggle between the Phoenix Police Department and the black community since the 1970s.
“One of the reasons we have a conflict is the lack of knowledge of history,” Whitaker said. “One of the modules in my training specifically talks about the history of race, ethnicity, race relations right here in the Valley.”
The new training aims to teach officers the concepts of police legitimacy and procedural justice all through the lens of racial and cultural diversity, Public Affairs Sgt. Vincent Lewis said. The goal of the program is to foster better relationships between the community and law enforcement and focus on key issues both are facing.
“Everyone can benefit from this training,” Lewis said. “The community recognizes we have certain powers, but the police have to know we are a member of the community first … We want to foster a relationship of understanding with those that we serve.”
Part of the idea for the training stems from the police department’s Community Engagement and Outreach Task Force that met in 2010, Lewis said.
The task force developed plans for short-term and long-term strategies to improve officer training, communication and public outreach, he said.
The recommendations made to City Council after the task force completed its investigations specifically mentioned to “train, educate, and require officers to be more culturally competent regarding differences of race, color, national origin, sexual-orientation, and disability.”
Stanton made the announcement about the upcoming training at an event Saturday featuring CNN journalist Anderson Cooper.
Related: Anderson Cooper: Dialogue is key to improving race relations
But despite the previous work done by task forces and other community meetings, the training is an ongoing effort with plenty more work to be done, Stanton said.
“It’s about getting our police out in all parts of the city as often as possible so that members of the community view police as their allies and protectors,” he said. “That is important work. Mr. Whitaker is an outstanding leader and trusted by the community.”
Contact the reporter at svedward@asu.edu.
