Training helps officers come to grips with biases

By the end of this week, virtually every law enforcement officer in Ozaukee County will have completed training to help them recognize their own biases regarding race and other factors.

“The goal has been to get officers to see that bias exists,” said Ozaukee County Undersheriff Christy Knowles, who recently completed the training. 

“We have to be able to discuss our own biases. The only way we can change our behavior on the street is to realize we have biases and be able to communicate that to each other.”

The course, “Implicit Bias Training for Law Enforcement,” was created and taught by Ken Harris, the assistant dean for justice and public policy at Concordia University of Wisconsin in Mequaon and a lieutenant with the Milwaukee Police Department.

The course was the brainchild of Ozaukee County Sheriff Jim Johnson following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which has spawned a series of demonstrations and riots around the country and calls to reduce funding for police departments.

“It came out of conversations with the sheriff and other police chiefs that it would be worthwhile training,” Harris said. 

Harris said he created the course from scratch in about 40 days.

Knowles said she’s not aware of any incidents where deputies have engaged in biased behavior.

“I’m not saying it hasn’t happened, but thus far our officers have been handling themselves well out there,” Knowles said, noting that deputies have been called to several demonstrations in recent weeks.

“I think there is a need” for the training, she said. “Even though we have done most things correctly, that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. You can’t help but see it every time you turn on the news.” 

By the end of this week, 210 officers will have completed the course over the last month, Harris said.

Knowles said about 80 Sheriff’s Office staff have completed the training.

Knowles said the training highlights that everyone has biases that can affect how people are treated. It doesn’t always involve skin color, but can include hair color and language skills.

Those biases can come into play when hiring people and personal relationships, as well as on the street.

“We’ve already started talking about our hiring processes,” Knowles said. “Nothing has been done yet but this is something we plan on looking at and we plan to keep ahead of it.”

Harris said biases emerge in moments of stress.

“Say you’re called to manage a large crowd. You have  to quickly pick out the two or three people who pose the greatest risk. That’s when your bias can kick in,” he said.

Because Ozaukee County and its law enforcement agencies are predominantly white, race can play a part in those decisions, Harris noted.

“Safety is key” to police officers and seeing someone unfamiliar can automatically raise alarm bells, prompting a response, Harris said.

Harris said the course is an extension of diversity training that most officers received at their police training academy.

He said reception to the course by officers has been mixed.

“It has been received as expected,” he said. “Some are open, some are resistant, some don’t understand how implicit bias affects every person alive and that you have to do things to mitigate it and not allow it to influence how you do your job.”

Knowles said her department’s personnel generally received the course well.

Knowles said morale among law enforcement has taken a hit in recent weeks under the circumstances.

“It’s difficult to see all that” on the news. “But all our people come in daily with a positive attitude. It doesn’t change what they do out there,” she said. 

“We get great support from our citizens,” she said, adding that the Sheriff’s Office can’t keep in stock yard signs displaying “Back the Badge” or other pro-police slogans.

“It means a lot when you see those signs,” she said. “You know you have support. We have to keep reordering them.”