To further the West Virginia University Police Department’s commitment to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for our entire campus community, officers have been taking part in several continuing education courses aimed at promoting positive community engagement.
In September, all University Police officers participated in the Safe Interactions with Law Enforcement and Persons with Intellectual or Developmental Disorders training.
The class focuses on encouraging safe and positive interactions among law enforcement officers and individuals with an autism spectrum disorder or other intellectual or developmental disabilities. The course is part of a statewide program and is a free in-service training opportunity available to all West Virginia active-duty law enforcement officers.
“When many officers graduate from the West Virginia State Police Academy, they may have limited real-world experience interacting with members of the public, including those on the autism spectrum,” University Police Chief Sherry St. Clair said. “At WVU and within University Police, we are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, and training opportunities like this one encourage building stronger relationships among our officers and all members of our campus community.”
University Police also has an ongoing relationship with WVU’s Center for Excellence in Disabilities (CED) through its Country Roads Program, which seeks to prepare students with disabilities for independence by providing academic courses, social engagement and real-world work experiences.
In addition to receiving CED’s “People with Intellectual Disabilities and Law Enforcement” training, officers have supported students in the Country Roads Program by delivering lectures on campus safety, what to do in an emergency situation and how to safely interact with police officers. University Police also has provided Country Roads students work shadowing experiences to learn about the law enforcement field.
In partnership with WVU’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, University Police officers also attended a Dedication To Community (D2C) workshop in early October.
“Throughout the past several years, we have been working closely with University Police to facilitate ongoing dialogue and training around healthy community relationships, the preservation of rights and to build strong ties among officers and members of our campuses,” said Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Meshea L. Poore. “The recent Dedication to Community training is a continuation of these efforts and builds upon the foundation we have been working to establish within University Police.”
The D2C course is designed to promote community engagement and public safety by providing officers opportunitiesto take part in meaningful, relevant discussions and commit to taking action by building substantive, successful and sustainable relationships in their professional and personal lives.
D2C is a national non-profit organization focused on educating and empowering communities through skill-building workshops and forums. The organization works with government agencies and the private sector by training and advising on critical issues in public safety and law enforcement, as well as diversity, belonging and equity.
“Serving and protecting our students, faculty, staff and campus visitors sometimes is no easy task,” St. Clair said. “But through our continuing education efforts and a focus on community engagement, we are working to ensure our officers have the necessary skills and expertise to support our University now and in the future.”
Visit the University Police website for more information. Contact University Police at 304-293-COPS (2677).
For WVU safety and wellness information, follow @WVUsafety on Twitter and WVU Safety and Wellness on Facebook. To get updates during an emergency on campus, follow @WVUalert on Twitter.