The Los Angeles Police Department, the USC Price School of Public Policy and the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work have partnered to provide an educational program to law enforcement officers that builds critical knowledge and skills to better work with communities and vulnerable populations. The Los Angeles Daily News recently covered the program, writing in part:
“About 40 officers are taking part in the ‘groundbreaking’ Law Enforcement Advanced Development (LEAD) program. Officers in the program collaborate with experts to help them more deftly tackle some of their most pressing issues, including homelessness, mental illness and addiction.
‘We think we’re engaged in the single most unique experiment in the country in terms of improving modern policing,’ Marilyn L. Flynn, dean of the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, told reporters at a recent news conference at LAPD’s downtown headquarters.
A primary aim of the program is to help officers gain more understanding and correctly interpret the actions of those they encounter on the job – and thus “de-escalate (a situation) more successfully,” she said. (Read the full article.)
SCI Director Dr. Erroll Southers co-teaches the program, focusing on violent extremism and conflict resolution. In November, Dr. Southers told USC News’ Matthew Kredell:
“It’s unbelievable the level of interaction these officers have and want…We find that the two-hour sessions online in the evening seem to go by in a matter of minutes, and the one-day cohort seems to be an hour long because of how engaged they are in the classroom.”
For more information on the LEAD Certificate Program, visit the SCI program page or contact the Price School.
