YPD workshop aims to boost public trust, interaction
The Yuma Police Department is now accepting applications for a Procedural Justice Workshop it is hosting later this month that is designed to create an open dialogue between community members and its officers.
Sgt. Lori Franklin explained that the Yuma Police Department has been using the COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) program to train its officers and command staff on the application of procedural justice.
The training, she said, is intended to expand the emphasis on procedural justice and its core principles throughout law enforcement, focusing on respect and fairness, transparency in actions, opportunity for voice, and impartiality in decision making.
The final stage of the program, according to Franklin, centers on the way a police department and its officers interact with the public they have taken an oath to protect and serve.
She said oftentimes the interaction officers have with people shapes the public’s view of their police department.
As such, officers from the police department will meet with members from the community, with the goal being to lay the foundation for building mutual trust and lessening the “us vs. them” attitude that can exist between law enforcement and residents.
The workshop will be held at the Yuma Police Department, 1500 S. 1st Avenue, on Wednesday, June 28, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Community Rooms A and B.
There is no cost to attend, however, Franklin said space is limited, so the workshop is being limited to the first 23 people who register to attend.
Applications for the workshop can be picked up at the Yuma Police Department Records’ window, or prospective attendees can request an electronic copy via email. The deadline for application submission is June 15, or until 23 participants fill the class.
While community leaders are welcome to attend, Franklin said the hope is that most all of the participants would be members of the general public.
If anyone has any questions about the program, they can contact Franklin at 373-4732 or via email at Lori.Franklin@YumaAz.Gov.