Key facts
- Connecticut is developing a new community-driven curriculum for urban police officers.
- The training is a requirement of the state's 2020 Police Accountability Act.
- Yale Law School's Justice Collaboratory is developing the curriculum.
- The program will focus on implicit bias, reconciliation for past harms, and procedural justice.
- A 'train the trainers' model will be implemented, with rollout expected in 2027.
- Community advisory boards will be involved in the development and feedback process.
Connecticut is implementing a new community-driven curriculum for police officers serving in urban areas, a mandate stemming from the state's 2020 Police Accountability Act. The program, developed in partnership with Yale Law School's Justice Collaboratory and the Council of State Governments Justice Center, aims to enhance community relations by focusing on implicit bias, reconciliation for past harms, and procedural justice.
The curriculum, still under development, will cover approximately 34 municipalities, including Hartford, Bridgeport, and New Haven. The state opted to sole-source the contract to Yale due to their established work with the Department of Justice and recognized best practices, after initial requests for proposals yielded no acceptable submissions. The training is designed to be impactful and lasting, moving beyond a superficial 'check a box' approach, according to Ernest Stevens, managing director for the Council of State Governments Justice Center.
A 'train the trainers' model will be employed, where police department representatives will learn the roughly 8-hour program and then disseminate it within their departments. Rollout is anticipated to begin in 2027. Three community advisory boards will be established to provide input on curriculum development, training plans, and the execution of the training itself. This initiative comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of police conduct in Connecticut, particularly in Hartford, following recent fatal encounters involving officers and individuals experiencing mental health crises.
While Connecticut officers already undergo a three-day social justice seminar, the new training emphasizes community collaboration in its development, a departure from previous police-led programs. Developers note that community concerns often center on daily interactions, such as harassment or disrespectful tone, rather than solely on high-profile use-of-force incidents. The goal is to foster genuine connection by understanding local culture, as exemplified by immersion programs in other departments.