Bias Training Part of Missouri Police Reforms

New rules proposed by Missouri's police training commission call for enhanced training for officers in response to a directive by Gov. Jay Nixon to revamp standard after the unrest in Ferguson last year.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety and the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission's proposal sets forth new guidelines for instruction in bias recognition, responding to individuals with mental illness and tactical training, according to a news release.

The commission also increased the number of hours of continuing education officers must receive by 50 percent -- from a total of 48 hours every three years to 24 hours each year.

"Each and every day, Missouri's law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way to keep our communities safe," Gov. Nixon said in a statement. "More effective training will benefit both officers and the communities they serve."

Nixon said that the changes in training, which would mark the first comprehensive reforms in nearly two decades, would strengthen public safety and improve the well-being of officers across the state.

In August, the governor directed the POST Commission and Missouri Department of Public Safety put forward new rules by Dec. 1 to improve access to effective and ongoing training in the key areas of tactical training and de-escalation, fair and impartial policing, and officer health and wellness.

In September, the Ferguson Commission recommended enhanced police officer training standards among its signature calls to action, including mandated training in fair and impartial policing.

The new standards include:

• Mandating that training at all basic law enforcement training academies include training in the subject areas of:
• Fair and impartial policing practices, including implicit bias recognition.
• Tactical training, including de-escalation techniques, crisis management, critical thinking and social intelligence.
• Handling persons with mental health and cognitive impairment issues.
• Officer well-being, including mental health awareness.
• Requiring all licensed officers receive two hours of training each year in each of those same four critical areas – fair and impartial policing; tactical training, including de-escalation; handling persons with mental health and cognitive impairment; and officer well-being.
• Requiring all licensed officers receive 24 hours of training each year to maintain their licenses, instead of obtaining 48 hours every three years, representing at 50 percent increase in required continuing education training hours.