ESF Participates in SUNY Training for University Police

01/25/2016

State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher and University Police Commissioner Paul Berger announced recently that 24 officers from throughout SUNY recently completed a national Fair and Impartial Policing (FIP) training program in Syracuse. The officers will begin providing training to their colleagues on campus and regionally throughout 2016.

SUNY is the largest university system in the country to provide the training at this scale. FIP clients span the country and primarily include municipal police departments, including those in Baltimore, Ferguson, Philadelphia, Sanford and many others.

"Nothing is more important than the safety of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors," Zimpher said. "We are proud to bring the Fair and Impartial Policing program to SUNY and to ensure that the officers keeping our campuses safe and secure have access to the newest and most efficient tools, training, and best practices."

Lieutenant Robert Dugan of the ESF University Police Department participated in the program.

The FIP training is specifically designed to enhance officers' understanding of how bias — and especially implicit or unconscious bias — can impact policing. Officers learn techniques to be more aware of bias and ensure that it does not affect their interactions with the public.

"By acknowledging the unconscious bias that is naturally instilled in all of us, police officers are able to assess situations and individuals as they find them and not as they might anticipate them to be," Berger said. "This training will help us continue to build trust and strengthen our police force in partnership with campus leadership and local law enforcement agencies."

"This program addresses biased policing and the overwhelming number of well-intentioned police in this country who aspire to fair and impartial policing, but who are human like the rest of us," said Gerald W. Schoenle, Jr., president of the SUNY Police Chiefs Association. "The initial training was an informative experience for those of us in Syracuse last week. I look forward to working with the SUNY Police Chiefs to train the rest of our 600 officers across New York."

The SUNY training session was led by Lieutenant Colonel JoAnn D. Johnson from the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation and Anna Laszlo, managing partner and chief operating officer of Fair and Impartial Policing LLC.