The California legislature recently approved a new law that requires peace officers to receive specific training on sexual orientation and gender identity, and how to properly address hate crimes and acts of domestic violence involving these groups.
The training will be added to the coursework for those becoming peace officers in California. Officers already in-service will also be required to receive the training.
According to new law the training will include “the terminology used to identify and describe sexual orientation and gender identity and how to create an inclusive workplace within law enforcement for sexual orientation and gender identity minorities.”
California State Assembly member Evan Low introduced the bill in March, and it was signed into law in August.
“(This training) creates a better understanding between one another and each community,” said La Verne Police Sgt. Justin Newman.
The training will be part of the state of the state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, a professional certification program.
“I love it,” Joren Francisco, junior kinesiology major, said. “You see so much on Twitter and in the news of officers being discriminatory towards people of different races or sexual orientation. I think this will make everyone be more politically correct when approaching people different from them.”
Javier Lucatero, senior psychology major, thinks that training should not just stop at the level of the police department or Campus Safety.
“There should be inclusivity training for even faculty and staff,” Lucatero said. “Having an optional workshop for students would be great too. Teaching how to address people is very much needed, just simply out of respect for the person you’re speaking to, even if they’re not a part of the LGBTQ+ community.”
–Jaycie Thierry
