City Council Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5) tonight introduced a resolution requesting continuing education requirements for Providence police officers.
“After a nine-hour public hearing where the Committee on Finance heard from nearly 250 individuals expressing their concerns around police training, tactics, and funding, I felt that one of the actionable items we can implement immediately is continuing education programs for our police officers,” stated Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan. “Countless professional fields require annual continuing education, and I don’t think a police department should be any different. Currently, there are no continuing education mandates in the City of Providence for our police officers. Training around cultural competency, mental health, and other technical skill programs would help to keep our officers abreast of the latest industry developments and to higher professional standards.”
Evaluating how our police department can best serve our community is not only being reviewed at the city level, but also at the state level. The Rhode Island General Assembly has tasked Senator Harold Metts of Providence with leading the review of a wide array of policing issues including: relations with racial and ethnic minority communities; police management, discipline procedures; enhanced police training around cultural competency, and diversity of personnel across all law enforcement agencies state-wide. The task force will author a report that can help guide the General Assembly’s policy making in these and other areas.
Majority Leader Ryan continued, “I know Providence has an excellent police department, but our officers’ training shouldn’t end with the Academy graduation. It is important as city leaders that we provide our employees with the tools they need to succeed. Creating continuing education guidelines, programs and standards will help our police officers be better prepared for many of the challenges that they face while at work.”
“I look forward to working with the Committee on Finance to find the resources in our FY ’21 Budget to implement education and training programs so we can better provide our public servants with the skills necessary to be their best.” stated Majority Leader Ryan.
Upon passage of the resolution, it will be sent to Mayor Elorza, Commissioner of Public Safety Paré, and asks them to work with the Fraternal Order of Police to implement an annual continuing education and training certification requirement for all members of the Providence Police Department.
