Lack of Training Prevents Police From Helping Disabled Victims of Hate Crimes
A new report from the University of Portsmouth calls for a more immersive training environment for police officers to provide better understanding of how to help disabled victims, with the lack-thereof being blamed for failures among police officers dealing with hate crimes that target them.
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A new report from the University of Portsmouth calls for a more immersive training environment for police officers to provide better understanding of how to help disabled victims, with the lack-thereof being blamed for failures among police officers dealing with hate crimes that target them, reports Phys.org.
Police officers reported feelings of nervousness and intimidation when dealing with people with learning disabilities and there is concern among rank and file officers that they do not have the confidence or experience.
Criticism appeared to be focused around the commonly-used “PowerPoint-heavy” and e-learning training packages that characterize many courses taken by police officers.
Familiarity with situations, workload pressures and the role of previous experiences were also found to act as hindrances for some police officers when engaging with people with learning disabilities, often with feelings of nervousness and intimidation reported.
Researchers found it is not common practice for outsiders to be asked to collaborate on training, resulting in only a few instances where people with learning difficulties are actually involved in helping to broaden understanding. A more immersive training environment was recommended.
