Police Sensitivity Training: Why It Is Important?

It’s not easy to wake up every morning and take on the task of ensuring public safety. However, that is the lived reality for everyone in the police force. Every day, police officers are expected to patrol the city and take care of any conflict or unrest. Often, this leads to arrests or coming face-to-face with offenders.

 

Constant communication with the general public can isn’t always easy. Police officers are expected to deal with citizens regardless of their age, race, immigration status, or cultural background.

However, this could be quite a tricky responsibility to fulfill. To help combat any difficulties, many experts recommend police sensitivity training. This is a practice that many organizations in various industries utilize to make their practices more inclusive and free of unconscious biases.

But before advocating for it, we must understand what this practice entails for those in law enforcement.

Who Receives The Training?

Organizations allocate different training sessions depending on their employees’ jobs and levels of expertise. However, sensitivity training should be provided to everyone in the police force.

From detectives to criminal justice system employees and police offers, everyone should be provided training so they’re equipped to communicate with the public effectively.

As employees in the civil service sector, everyone in the police force has to interact with the public and serve them, and doing so with trust and partnership would lead to positive results.

What Would The Training Cover? 

Growing up, we’re often exposed to a particular social class or ethnicity more than others. The people we spend the most time with become the norm for us. However, this also breeds implicit biases.

No matter your upbringing, there may always be a small corner of our brain that unconsciously makes us discriminate against certain individuals. While we may not even be able to help it, it’s our responsibility to actively work toward combatting these intrusive thoughts.

As an employee in the public sector, letting go of implicit biases is essential so you can do your job to the best of your abilities. As a police officer, you can’t possibly discriminate against the same people you’re hired to protect. Through sensitivity training, this bias is tackled through exercises that challenge people’s preconceived notions.

 

Additionally, sensitivity training will help cultivate better communication between employees and allow them to be conscious of other peoples’ thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. This training can also cover how to effectively communicate with senior citizens and discuss how to cater to the needs of people with disabilities.

Join The Police Force

The US is a melting pot of cultures, religions, ethnicities, and races. As a law enforcement officer in the esteemed NYPD, you need to be equipped with soft skills that’ll help you do your job effectively and efficiently.

Working in the Suffolk Police County is no walk in the park. However, waking up every day and trying your best to help people in need is a gratifying feeling. If you would also like to become part of the police force, the first step is to outperform thousands of candidates in the Suffolk Police Test.

Civil Service Success is an established institute based in New York which offers preparatory classes for civil service job aspirants. They provide extensive workshops to help candidates achieve high scores and be guaranteed an interview. Contact them today to further discuss their fees and class schedule.