SARASOTA, Fla. — The Sarasota Police Department has announced a specialized training program for newly-recruited officers.
According to police, the new hires have the opportunity to "broaden their horizons" in understanding the community's expectations of enforcing laws by working with the Sarasota County chapter of the NAACP. The organization presented recruits with various topics, including community expectations of police conduct and community perspectives about incidents that have made national headlines.
"This type of training is essential for Sarasota Police officers in the 21st
Century," said Sarasota Police Interim Chief Rex Troche in a statement, in part. "This training assists with broadening an officer's understanding of our community on a local level because they are learning firsthand from leaders in the local chapter of the NAACP."
January marked the first training opportunity for recruit officers, according to police. The training took place prior to the recruits being sworn in and beginning their field training.