Cross-Cultural Training Program for Police Officers, Badges2Bridges, Aims to Ease Racial Tensions

The Cross-Cultural Institute has launched Badges2Bridges, a new training program for police officers and law enforcement professionals. The program aims to equip law enforcement personnel to work effectively with minority communities.

Badges2Bridges is the most comprehensive law enforcement education program (LEEP) specifically designed using input from police officers around the globe. The program’s creator, Dr. Anita Jack-Davies, is a cross-cultural expert and founder of the agency which delivers and develops customized education and training programs including blended courses, seminars, retreats and conferences. Dr. Jack-Davies is currently Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Cultural Geography at Canada’s prestigious Queen’s University and works with the Durham Regional Police in Toronto.

Mike Grozinski is an Associate of Badges2Bridges. He is a former police officer and worked as a police supervisor, investigator and administrator over a 30 year career with the Peel Regional Police in Ontario Canada. Today, Mike is a much sought after law enforcement professor and advisor. He advises Badges2Bridges on all matters relating to policing.

Badges2Bridges is being launched at a time when the United States and Canada are grappling with the education that police receive to ensure the most effective law enforcement strategies. Learning consists of 6 interactive modules and learning is assessed before and after the course using a pre and post assessment tool:

* Module 1: orients learners to the program and provides background knowledge on how to successfully navigate the course.

* Module 2: discusses the personal aspects of policing and the emotional nature of police work, including PTSD.

* Module 3: introduces users to aspects of culture, the importance of body language, cross-cultural competencies, stereotyping and unconscious bias.

* Module 4: provides users with demographic data on various groups including the African American, Latino and Indigenous communities.

* Module 5: provides community profiles for various ethnic and cultural communities.

* Module 6: provides strategies for law enforcement leaders seeking to create more inclusive agencies.

Student learning can be tracked and scores can be generated for each police service to ensure accountability. Currently there are few programs for law enforcement professionals that focus on culture and Badges2Bridges seeks to fill this void.

Badges2Bridges costs between $15.99 and $99.99 per user per year, depending on the size of the organization. For more information about the programs, visit www.badges2bridges.com

For more information about the program or to preview a sample of the curriculum contact:
Dr. Anita Jack-Davies
The Cross-Cultural Institute
613-453-9534