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TRAUMA RESPONSIVE POLICING

Christopher Leusner, MAS, CPM

Chief of Police

Middle Township

Past President

New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police

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TRAUMA RESPONSIVE POLICING

Community policing emphasizes proactive problem solving in a systematic and routine fashion. Rather than responding to crime only after it occurs, community policing encourages agencies to proactively develop solutions to the immediate underlying conditions contributing to public safety problems. Problem solving must be infused into all police operations and guide decision-making efforts. Agencies are encouraged to think innovatively about their responses and view making arrests as only one of a wide array of potential responses. A major conceptual vehicle for helping officers to think about problem solving in a structured and disciplined way is the scanning, analysis, response, and assessment (SARA) model.

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TRAUMA RESPONSIVE POLICING

Root Cause of many of these issues we deal with children being exposed to repeated Adverse Childhood Experiences and cumulative toxic stress.

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What is predictable is preventable!

Going Upstream

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COMMUNITY PARTNERS

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TRAINING

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California Attorney General’s Video on Childhood Trauma and Domestic Violence examples.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=GuWkqF-WfOM

https://kpjrfilms.co/resilience/

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TRAINING MUST BE THE FOUNDATION

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TRAINING FOR POLICE

Must change the mindset from:

What is wrong with this kid to:

What happened to this kid?

• 1. Realize, The prevalence of trauma, 2. Recognizing, How trauma affects kids Responding, 3. Putting knowledge into practice
• Overview of the impact on brain development from trauma
• Overview of Toxic Stress
• Pain Based Behavior
• Persistent State of Alarm
• Beware of Treating Pain with Pain
• Takes a calm brain to calm a brain
• The importance of connection and it only takes one relationship to make a huge difference in a child’s life.

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TRAINING FOR POLICE

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TRAINING FOR POLICE

Trauma Responsive Policing Policy

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TRAUMA RESPONSIVE POLICING POLICY

• Avoid making arrests in front of children
• Avoid interviewing witnesses in front of children
• Avoid using children as interpreters where there is a language barrier.
• Reinforcing safety to the child after a traumatic event.
• Refocus the child by asking questions about hobbies, video games, sports, ect….
• Tactical Breathing and or fine motor activity to help regulate a child

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TRAUMA RESPONSIVE POLICING POLICY

• Follow-up visits are critical and can be a powerful tool to help children gain a sense of security.
• Even brief 5 minutes can have a significant positive impact.
• SWAT Operations: Requiring SWAT Commanders to consider the impact of children in the target location. SWAT Operator s removing ballistic helmets and obstructing garments as soon as reasonably possible. Assigning an officer to interact with children as soon as possible after the event.

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TRAUMA RESPONSIVE POLICING POLICY

• Death Notifications procedures involving children.
• Officers shall when reasonably possible notify the parents or caregiver first without child present.
• Provide support in delivering the notification or standby in close location if requested.
• Talk with the parents about words or messages that may not be helpful such as the person who died is on trip or at work.
• If parent/caregiver wants officer to deliver the notification, officer shall utilize clear, simple language, demonstrate compassion and empathy through direct and honest communication. Avoid phrases which may inadvertently create confusion such as “passed away” or “gone to heaven”
• Officers shall not leave until the parent/caregiver has appropriate support.
• Encouraging youth we come in contact to join a youth activity. We were focusing primarily on Police Explorer program or Junior Firefighter Program with local Fire Companies but now expanded our list of partners.

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International Association of Chiefs of Police is a terrific resource for help in developing a policy: http://www.theiacp.org/children-exposed-to-violence

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TRAUMA RESPONSIVE POLICING POLICY

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TRAUMA RESPONSIVE POLICING POLICY

COMFORT BAGS IN EVERY PATROL VEHICLE

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HANDLE WITH CARE

• Is a program started in West Virginia.
• Annual Conference in October
• Goal is to provide notice to school officials before the bell rings the following day in school.
• Important for the school. They school if they did not know through no fault of their own, may compound the trauma by disciplining for homework not completed, absent minded or acting out.

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HANDLE WITH CARE

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• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQJaX3tn9GE

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HANDLE WITH CARE

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HANDLE WITH CARE

• We traditionally handled runaways by completing reports and searching for the reported runaway.
• We looked at Calls for Service at the residence where the runaway lived and found in many cases we responded to Calls for Service for various offenses ranging from Disorderly Conduct, Domestic Violence to Thefts.
• We instituted a follow up questionnaire to be completed with the runaway a few days after their return.
• We have unconverted underlying issues during this follow up, in a few cases sexual abuse that was not reported was disclosed to the officer.

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RUNAWAYS

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BUILDING CONNECTIONS WITH KIDS

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BUILDING CONNECTIONS WITH KIDS

4^TH GRADE

SCHOOL BASED PROGRAMS

5^TH AND 7^TH GRADE

10^TH GRADE

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• We host a 6 day Police Youth Camp free of charge to Middle Township designed to foster healthy interactions between youth and police officers.
• We work with the school to identify students who would most benefit and they are automatically accepted into the camp. Reminder of applications are lottery system because demand is so high. We had to turn away 20 kids this past summer.
• Program starts with a mandatory Parent Orientation night and includes overview of the program.
• Cape Assist, a non-profit prevention and substance abuse treatment agency, is a critical partner and they deliver evidence based Life Skills curriculum during the camp and each day has a theme.
• Cape Assist provides cards for parents at orientation to ask questions of their child at the end of the day to promote communication and help get their child talking.

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POLICE YOUTH CAMP

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• The Life Skills Program is Botvin Life Skills and focusing on areas such as: decision making, communication skills, prevention of drug abuse, values, perception, and self esteem building.
• This curriculum is woven into the weeks activities which include: Trip to Cape May Coast Guard Training Center, Tree to Tree high ropes course, Whale Watching trip, Water Park, hands on simulation with Firefighters and police activities.
• Each day starts with fun physical fitness activities where police officers work out with the kids.
• We promote Police Explorer Program, Junior Firefighter Program and our local hospital, Cape Regional Explorer program to campers.
• Campers must be in 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grades.

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POLICE YOUTH CAMP

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POLICE YOUTH CAMP

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POLICE YOUTH CAMP

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POLICE YOUTH CAMP

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POLICE YOUTH CAMP

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POLICE YOUTH CAMP

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POLICE YOUTH CAMP

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POLICE YOUTH CAMP

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POLICE YOUTH CAMP

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POLICE YOUTH CAMP

• 76% of campers reported an increase in knowledge of effective decision making.
• 13% of campers realized you can do something about low self esteem.
• 7% of campers reported pretest that they did NOT know a positive adult role model in their life that they could talk to but on posttest they now do!!!
• 20% of campers report a positive increase in the impression that police here to help people.
• 33% of campers reported not feeling nervous when they see a police officer on the street.
• 27% of campers reported they feel like they can say hello to a police officer on the street.
• 33% of campers reported they feel stronger that the police on the streets care about them.

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CAMPER EVALUATIONS

• Parents were asked to respond to a six-month behavior follow up survey to identify any changes in their youth since attending the camp. Below are some results from the returned surveys:
• 45% indicated an increase in their child’s friendships
• 54% indicated an increase in self-esteem in their child
• 81% indicated their child is more willing to try new things
• 72% indicated their child is trying harder in school this year
• 54% indicated their child is more focused on their future
• 54% indicated their child has started setting goals and are working towards them.

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PARENT EVALUATIONS

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POLICE YOUTH CAMP

Amazing Impact on the Officers!!!!

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POLICE OFFICER TRADING CARD PROGRAM

If a child meets 15 different Middle Police Officers and grabs a trading card, they can bring them to the Middle Township Police Department between the hours of 8:30AM and 4:00 PM for a reward.

The goal of the program is to promote positive interactions between Police Officers and Middle Township Youth when there is not a problem, crisis or emergency. Our hope is this program will help enhance our existing efforts to build relationships between Police and the youth in Middle Township.

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GAMING AND COPS

Our partner, Cape Assist, delivers

a life skill lesson, then kids and cops play appropriate video games.

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PAWS ON PATROL

Middle Twp. School system (Elem #1) has started a PAWS ON PATROL Program. This program is for Police Officers to come and meet the children from our town and read stories, play games and interact with the students in a fun and positive way. Officers will be coming to the school periodically throughout the school year.

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SHOP WITH A COP

SHOP WITH A COP

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PATROLS ENGAGING KIDS

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21st CENTURY POLICING

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TRAUMA INFORMED COMMUNITY

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TRAUMA RESPONSIVE POLICING

No child says I want to be _____ when I grow up!

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Why this should be our #1 Priority?

Contact Information

Christopher Leusner:

cleusner@njsacop.org

(C) 609-374-4852

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TRAUMA RESPONSIVE POLICING