Reporter London Bishop volunteered to participate in the police academy herself to better understand exactly what it’s like for a new recruit.
• Read highlights and our entire project here
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About the project
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Our community needs professional, well-trained, accountable law enforcement. That’s why we sent Bishop to attend the Sinclair Police Academy, where for six months she learned alongside recruits what it takes to wear the badge, tell their stories, and help the public understand how police are trained to do their job.
• The academy: Over the six-month course, cadets undergo training on everything from Ohio Revised Code, report writing, traffic control, interrogations, courtroom conduct, deaf communication, using drones and patrol rifles. Cadets are also trained on how to use pepper spray and Tasers.
• The instructors: Classes are taught by area police chiefs and officers both current and retired.
• The cadets: There were 19 cadets training to join the ranks of law enforcement through the academy. Three were women and 16 were men. Five were Black, two were Latino. Many have college degrees. Some served in the military. A few cadets were immigrants.
• Our reporter: Bishop woke up early for physical training and even took a shot of pepper spray to the face. And yes, she passed the qualifying mile-and-a-half time and met the minimum pushups and sit-ups qualifications for her age group.
What we learned from the project
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
• Realities of police work: Instructors’ stories and life advice are as useful and informative as the curriculum — in some cases maybe more so.
• Character matters: “Success depends on your character in police work,” Butler Twp. Police Chief John Porter told the class. “Holding yourself and others accountable is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do.”
• Staffing levels: Many departments struggle to recruit. The Dayton police department started 2023 with the lowest staffing level in years, and that was before more than 50 officers retired or resigned.
OUR VIEW: What we learned from going Behind the Badge
The Dayton Daily News editorial board emphasizes two important aspects identified in the course of our investigation:
1. Addressing public perceptions of law enforcement
— Not only does a negative public perception hurt the ability for police departments to recruit from a diverse pool of candidates, but when someone is distrustful of police, they are more likely to resist arrest or not follow an officer’s orders.
— Dayton police reported 188 use of force incidents last year, up from 128 the year before. This represents a staggering 47% increase year-over-year. This escalation can’t continue.
— Trust in law enforcement institutions in marginalized communities must be restored.
2. Supplementing our law enforcement officers with additional support services
— The roles and responsibilities we’ve placed on our police officers have become unreasonable for any professional.
— More programs designed to supplement the capabilities of law enforcement, such as Dayton’s Mediation Response Unit, are needed.
— Our editorial board also joins Chief Afzal and City Commissioners in supporting a proposal to help launch a new program based on a violence interruption model used by Cure Violence Global.
— Police routinely “pink-slip” people they believe to be a danger to themselves or others — under the impression those people will be committed and forced into treatment — but 96% of the time those people are released without mandated treatment. Fixing this deeply flawed system would both better serve those with mental health issues in our communities and reduce the burden on law enforcement.