iLRN2021 7th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network

One could argue that policing in the United States of America, is an endeavor undergoing an existential crisis.  The country is currently hooked on a news cycle that seeks to demonize or indemnify, a group of men and women, trained and ratified by their communities to uphold mutually agreed upon rules to maintain order of all kinds.  In the last decade the rate in which social movements gather traction from fringe thought, to active conversation, to media and political attention, to legislation and policy change is arguably the fastest in the history of the profession.  So how are law enforcement professionals to react to such rapidly evolving change during simultaneous calls for defunding?  How should they be anticipating and proactively addressing change?

Most police reform conversations, both casual and formal, end their journey in the realm of training. The logic goes from most pundits commenting on almost any police news story that gains national attention, “If they were just trained better, these things could be avoided.” Most critical thinkers would probably go one step further in asking themselves, “Why don’t they train themselves right in the first place?” If you are an extra deep thinker, you might go on to ponder, “What police training to they get already? Is it the right training? Is it contemporary? Does the training and education of a police officer account for all of the modern challenges and expectations of society for policing?” As a citizen of any nation, I would commend you for asking these fundamental questions to those that are selected to be society’s standards bearers and hold the legal power to take life or liberty to do so.

This presentation will answer those questions from one of the most modern and progressive police departments in the United States. Hear directly from Lieutenant Zachary Bales, a current law enforcement leader from the Sacramento Police Department, as he and his department navigate these questions and seek training and learning in a variety of modalities to create some of the best trained and educated police officers that the United States has to offer.  Take this opportunity to understand where police training is today, and where it is going tomorrow and beyond.