Police Training
Communities in New York City and nationwide face divisions on many fronts – including between civilians and the police. For many, trust in law enforcement has eroded in recent years. Against this backdrop, New York Peace Institute and the New York Police Department – thanks to support from the JAMS Foundation – are taking bold steps to strengthen and build positive community-police relationships.
New York Peace Institute trains the NYPD in mediation, de-escalation and conflict resolution skills. Our program represents the largest police-mediation initiative in our city’s history, possibly the largest of its kind nationwide. New York Peace Institute is working to transform civilian-police relations in New York City. We are honored to equip officers with tools to resolve conflicts peacefully and build relationships with civilians during this challenging time.
NYPD TRAININGS FOCUS ON
- Conflict resolution skills, translating mediation tactics into on-the-spot de-escalation techniques.
- The formal mediation process itself. Many officers now conduct mediations between community members, yielding successful results.
- Promoting mediation as a resource for non-arrest disputes, helping prevent the escalation of conflicts into violence or arrest.
TRAININGS
Each year, we conduct 20 four-day trainings for more than 500 officers from 25 precincts and Police Service Areas (PSAs) representing all five boroughs of New York City — Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.
Our training is among the highest-rated learning experiences in the Department’s history, with a more than 90% approval. The trainings have been nearly unanimously rated as “excellent” and a number of themes have emerged, including:
- A strong belief that the skills will improve officers’ ability to relate to civilians.
- Appreciation that NCOs have new tools to handle difficult conversations without making arrests or taking other drastic actions.
- Enhanced skills to build community relations, including in their community meetings.
- Ability of officers to reduce arrests, through using mediation skills to de-escalate conflicts.
- An increase in voluntary compliance of civilians who may be arrested or questioned, thus avoiding difficult or even violent interactions.
