Trauma-Informed Policing for Law Enforcement and Communities

Trauma can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, background, or profession. Although trained for various high-risk encounters, law enforcement officers, first responders, and victims service providers witness trauma and its effects more frequently than most. And for many victims, witnesses, and communities, a police officer is the first criminal justice representative they encounter during a critical incident or vulnerable moment. How these encounters occur can affect the outcome of the incident, individual ,and community. On September 20 and 21, the U.S. Attorney’s Office partnered with the Center for Public Safety Innovation at St. Petersburg College to provide law enforcement officers and victims service providers with an overview of how trauma works, its impact on public safety personnel, individuals, and communities. Presenters included Philadelphia Police Department Inspector Altovise Love-Craighead, Drexel College of Medicine psychologist Linda Rich, Pennsylvania Executive Deputy Attorney General Robert Reed, and Fairfield, Connecticut Police Chief Gary MacNamara. Thirty-four participants attended from 16 agencies throughout the MDFL.