Baltimore's new approach to police training looks at the effects of trauma, importance of empathy

BALTIMORE– A three-minute viral video shows an irate Baltimore police officer berating a teenager for ignoring orders to stop skateboarding and calling the officer “dude.”

“Your parents clearly don't put a foot up your ass enough because you don't understand the meaning of respect,” he shouted at the skateboarder, who remained relatively calm.

That interaction in 2007 cost the officer his job. But as the police department evolves, others learn from its mistakes.

The Baltimore Police Department recently began requiring its members to complete a program on emotional regulation, which uses video as a teaching tool and teaches them the basics of brain science by examining the relationship between thoughts, feelings and actions. It is a far cry from traditional police training.

In a city where the embattled police department has long struggled to gain public trust, especially since Freddie Gray died in 2015 from back injuries sustained in police custody, department leaders are showing their willingness to think outside the box. This approach could become more common as agencies across the country devote more resources to addressing mental health issues among officers and preventing negative public interactions.

Baltimore's program is overseen by the anti-violence organization Roca, which works primarily with at-risk youth from the city's poorest and most violent neighborhoods — a population that has more in common with police officers than some might think, Roca officials said. The organization has provided a curriculum for the eight-hour Rewire4 course, which is now mandatory for all police officers in Baltimore. Other law enforcement agencies along the East Coast have also adopted the program, including the Boston Police Department.

“On the street, we look at some police officers like they're crazy, and they look at us like we're crazy,” said James “JT” Timpson, a Baltimore resident who helps run the Roca Impact Institute. “But we both experience the same thing, namely trauma.”

Understanding this common ground can help officers better connect with the public, said Maj. Derek Loeffler, who oversees training and education for the Baltimore Police Department.

Officers in the course were asked to describe some of their most memorable calls for duty. One officer recalled an instance where three children were found decapitated, likening the scene to something out of a horror movie. She said the images will haunt her forever.

“It's taking a toll,” instructor Lt. Lakishia Tucker told the class. “Things like this are not normal, what we see, what we deal with, what we deal with on a daily basis.”

Police officers are human beneath the uniform, she said, and experiencing repetitive trauma can lead to hyper-vigilant behavior.

Instructors played the viral 2007 video as an example of what happens when someone is triggered and goes into survival mode, which they called the “lower brain” because it activates neurological pathways linked to fear and stress responses. However, the 'top brain' is where reason prevails, leading to slower and more careful decision-making.

The training, which was observed by an Associated Press reporter, presented a series of practices rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of psychotherapy aimed at strengthening healthy neurological pathways in the brain through awareness and repetition. 'Flex your thinking' and 'Label your feelings' are among the skills offered. Participants can also sign up to receive important class reminders via text messages from Roca employees after training.

The Rewire4 curriculum is a modified version of what the organization's outreach workers use in their interactions with at-risk youth. Roca, which was founded in Massachusetts more than three decades ago, opened an office in Baltimore in 2018. Since then, it has provided hundreds of young men with life coaching services, employment opportunities and behavioral health tools aimed at preventing the rapidly escalating conflicts that so often occur. become deadly.

Exposing police to similar tools could help reduce police violence, avoid unfavorable headlines and build community trust, organizers said.

“Today is an invitation for you to learn something that will help you personally and professionally,” Tucker told the class of officers. “Law enforcement is different today. Everything is recorded.”

The increasing use of body cameras and cell phones means officers face more pressure to remain calm even when they are activated.

During the class, the instructors talked about how to avoid a “bottom brain” response, including approaching others with empathy.

“We have to learn how to separate the person from the behavior,” Tucker said.

That could mean dismantling stereotypes, such as the assumption that everyone in a given neighborhood is a drug dealer, said Sgt. Amy Strand, another instructor.

“I like to twist it and say, what about us?” she said, describing how some people assume all police officers are corrupt and aggressive. “We're going to have it handed out to us, so let's not hand it out to everyone. Give some grace.”

The Baltimore Police Department recently began providing the training, amid a slew of other reform efforts dating back years. In the aftermath of Gray's death, Justice Department investigators uncovered a pattern of unconstitutional police practices, especially against black residents. That led to a 2017 federal consent decree that mandated a series of court-ordered changes.

Shortly thereafter, several officers were indicted on federal racketeering charges as the Gun Trace Task Force corruption scandal reverberated through the department, further eroding public trust. In recent months, the department has faced criticism after two police shootings in neighboring neighborhoods.

Sergeant Maria Velez, the third instructor, said the career comes with challenges, but she still wants to help people. She asked her colleagues to think about their reasons for joining the police force.

“This is more than just a job. You have a calling for this, something inside you that makes you want to get up every day and push through adversity,” she said. “Everyone here still chooses to show up regardless of what happened.”