New Hate Crimes Trainers Certified
The USAO-MDFL Civil Rights Working Group conducted a “Train-the-Trainer” workshop to certify a new group of trainers on how to use the nationally recognized interactive training tool - About Face: Turning Away From Hate. In partnership with the Florida Regional Community Policing Institute at St. Petersburg College, 28 individuals from various agencies (sheriff, police, state attorneys, juvenile justice, human relations commission, schools) from across Central Florida participated in the one-day course about the continuum and anatomy of bias-motivated crimes, their social impact, and how bias and prejudicial attitudes left unchecked can lead to more serious criminal activity and consequences. Participants were provided with myriad resources on federal and state hate crime laws, diversity initiatives, conflict resolution, and mediation and reconciliation strategies. At the end of course, each student was provided with a copy of the interactive toolkit to train others within their agency or respective community throughout the district.
To request a presentation of the About Face program, contact the Florida RCPI . This interactive learning tool is sponsored by the Florida Regional Community Policing Institute at St. Petersburg College. The Florida RCPI provides community policing training to law enforcement officers, community residents, city employees, social service agencies, and private sector representatives locally, nationally, and internationally.