Governor Jay Nixon (D) is calling for changes to law enforcement training standards in Missouri. The Governor is asking for ongoing education in tactical training, fair and impartial policing, and the health and well-being of officers.
Lane Roberts, Director of the Department of Public Safety says officers have to be trained to deal with a changing world.
“We’ve gone through a number of evolutions,” says Roberts. “Every Police Chief knows that you have to revisit the things we’re doing to make sure they remain contemporary and they’re addressing problems of the moment. The challenges that face us as a profession and nation change from one time to another.”
Roberts says getting new rules right the first time is important.
“Getting in a rush for these kinds of changes runs the potential for unintended consequences. We certainly don’t want to be guilty of that,” says Roberts. “There’s been a lot of dialogue with a number of people leading up to this. Now we’re set to go about making some changes that are going to have merit.”
Roberts says what happened in Ferguson has stimulated a national dialogue about ongoing education in tactical training and fair and impartial policing.
“When incidents occur that bring it to your attention, then it’s appropriate that we stop and pause and take a look,” says Roberts. “I would not suggest that Ferguson alone is what led us here.”
Roberts says the standards will apply statewide so that officers perform at the same level.
Nixon wants new rules presented by December first.