After receiving positive feedback from a local police academy, the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) Kalamazoo team is pushing for expanded anti-racism training across Michigan’s police academy programs.

TRHT Kalamazoo, housed at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF), partnered with Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s (KVCC) Police Academy to provide a series of four day-long trainings for recruits that focused on the history of racism in American law enforcement, creating positive relationships with residents and counteracting implicit biases that impact police officer judgment and actions when working with communities of color.

“We continue to get positive feedback from this initiative every time it is held," Sholanna Lewis, director of TRHT Kalamazoo said in a press release. "One thing we hear a lot from both cadets and community members is that they would like to see this type of program be incorporated into statewide requirements."

In June, Governor Gretchen Whitmer proposed a series of police reform policies to address racial disparities in law enforcement’s work when applied in communities of color. The proposed reforms included requiring all current officers and cadets to participate in anti-racism and anti-discrimination training.

“People across Michigan have been calling for changes to police practices, and these actions are clear steps in the direction of needed reform,” Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist said. “These reforms will help us build a more just and equitable law enforcement system and ensure the safety of Black Michiganders across the state.”

Current state guidance requires 25 hours of diversity training; KVCC requires police academy cadets to complete 50 hours of training in implicit bias, de-escalation tactics and cultural diversity, among other topics.

The training was developed by retired public safety Captain Stacey Randolph-Ledbetter, who leads TRHT Kalamazoo’s Law Design team.

"A goal from the beginning was to institutionalize this experience and make it a key component of a cadet's education before becoming a law enforcement officer," Randolph-Ledbetter said. "The partnership between TRHT Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Community Foundation and KVCC, along with the support of community members, sponsors and supporters, has allowed us to continue the program with each group of new cadets."

With 96% of cadets reporting that the training has helped them recognize and confront their own implicit biases and understand the impact of biases and stereotypes on people’s lives, and motivated them to learn more about diversity, TRHT Kalamazoo hopes to take this programming across the state. The goal is to not only deepen understanding and knowledge for police officers but also create better connections between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

“Nowadays, communication is more important than it was 10-20 years ago,” Officer Daniel Boehme of the Richland Police Department and member of KVCC’s 89^th Cadet Class said in a video. “Learning to talk and communicate with people—whether it be of different races, different sexualities, different genders, and even different political views—it’s really going to help us out and eliminate some of the stress factors we have.”

Want more?

Read TRHT Kalamazoo’s press release.

Watch TRHT Kalamazoo’s video highlighting its anti-racism training.