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The Duluth Police Department participated in Procedural Justice training in effort to improve police-community relations and increase public trust. Sworn and civilian supervisors gathered on February 4th for an eight-hour United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (USDOJ COPS Office) training on Procedural Justice for Law Enforcement Agencies: Organizational Change through Decision Making and Policy. This training is sponsored in partnership with the Center for Public Safety and Justice (CPSJ) at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The goal of the training is to promote positive organizational change, uphold police legitimacy in the community, and enhance officer safety.

Developed by CPSJ in collaboration with key researchers and law enforcement executives, the course introduces law enforcement supervisors to the four key pillars of Procedural Justice – 1) Fairness in processes, 2) Transparency in actions, 3) Opportunity for voice, and 4) Impartiality in decision making – and provides practical steps for application throughout the department.

Recently endorsed by the President’s Task Force on 21st Century policing and long-embraced by the COPS Office, the philosophy of Procedural Justice aims at the core of a law enforcement organization’s culture and provides a structure for positive organizational transformation. Research indicates that efforts to ensure a procedurally just environment within the organization helps officers embrace these same principles as they interact with the public.

Also, numerous members of the department attended a training on Law Enforcement Active Diffusion Strategies, which was hosted by the Duluth Police Department on February 1^st. Duluth Police attendees were taught de-escalation strategies and conflict resolution methods to avoid physical confrontations during their service in the community. The Law Enforcement Active Diffusion Strategies training teaches officers how professional and transparent communication can reduce officers’ from having to use unnecessary force.

In the light of national events, The Duluth Police Department is dedicated to identifying and implementing best practices in law enforcement which will continue to strengthen trust among its officers and the community served.