Notre Dame College police chief invited to NFL meeting

Notre Dame College Police Chief Jeffrey Scott was one of only three law enforcement officers nationally selected be a part of the National Football League’s initiative to tackle social injustice issues.

Through this initiative NFL players, owners, executives and law enforcement officers affirmed their joint commitment to criminal justice reform at the local, state and national levels.

Scott was the only police chief invited to be a part of the NFL Players Coalitions meetings and

training, hosted by Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcom Jenkins and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin, according to the news release.

The NFL Players Coalition hosted this twoday training and conversation event last month as a result of Jenkins hearing about the impact RITE (Racial Intelligence Training Engagement) Training Academy had on police and community relations in the Philadelphia area, the release also states.

RITE Training Academy was also part of the twoday training and conversation and brought in by the Player’s Coalition.

Scott was instrumental in bringing the RITE Training Academy to Ohio.

Last year, he hosted a RITE Academy Executive Leader conference and a two-day “Train-the-Trainer” course on racial intelligence at Notre Dame College.

“For years we have been training law enforcement officers on cultural diversity, both in our academies and as on-going training efforts, but the training has not been necessarily and overwhelmingly effective in helping officers meet the needs of dealing with different races, cultures, bias, and their communities as a whole,” Scott said. “I spent days researching and vetting different programs and based on my dealing with the Ohio Collaborative Board and their new initiatives, I knew we had to do something different, and RITE Racial Intelligence training offered a fresh new look and training package that truly helps officers improve communication and reduce bias-based tension. RITE teaches critical components of both Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence, thus improving resiliency awareness, as well as improving personal and professional relationships.”

Amid heightened tension over police use of force and controversy in the NFL regarding individual players’ response to the National Anthem, this is a crucial conversation and necessary initiative to improve community and police relations and the criminal justice system.

The campaign, Let’s Listen Together, is the latest step in the league’s sevenyear, $90 million commitment to players’ social-justice issues. A committee of five players and five owners was formed to further advance the league’s effort to assist players in trying to make improvements in education, relations with police and the criminal-justice system in the league’s communities.

“This experience, meeting with the Players Coalition, has opened the door to greater opportunities and more conversation ahead,” Scott said. “This was a starting point and I better understand their desires for law enforcement reform and we walked away understanding that they truly want us to succeed in our jobs as we serve and they want to help make us better in serving our communities.”