A police training seminar in New Jersey, led by the company Street Cop, faced criticism in a recent state comptroller report, according to AP News. Instructors made offensive comments about women, advised officers to make unjustified traffic stops, and showed a racially insensitive image of an ape after talking about pulling over a 75-year-old Black man.
The six-day seminar in October 2021, attended by around 1,000 officers nationwide, including 240 from New Jersey, was primarily funded by taxpayers.
43-page Report
The 43-page report offers a critical view of police training, coinciding with heightened scrutiny of law enforcement following notable civilian deaths like Tyre Nichols and George Floyd while in custody. Despite nearly a decade of state initiatives to reform police conduct and foster community trust, concerns persist. The state attorney general has mandated training on cultural awareness, diversity, de-escalation, communication skills, and professionalism. The report includes seminar videos revealing over 100 discriminatory comments, as stated by the comptroller.
Discriminatory Comments
Instructors discussed explicit topics related to genitalia, as outlined in the report. One trainer shared details about a vacation surrounded by less affluent girls engaging in certain activities for money. Another suggested that women at the seminar should flirt with their partners, warning that there might be others who would engage in such behavior otherwise.
In a different video, a trainer talked about pulling over a 75-year-old Black man and displaying a picture of an ape. Another speaker, not affiliated with law enforcement, endorsed using pain as a "weapon" in police work and expressed approval for brutality and "drinking out of the skulls of our enemies," as per the report.
In another video, a trainer discussed stopping drivers without a reason and asking questions to establish a "baseline." The trainer suggested that officers would be better at detecting unusual behavior. The comptroller's office pointed out that this approach contradicts well-established law, as officers cannot stop someone based solely on a "hunch."
Comptroller's Findings
Kevin Walsh, the acting comptroller of the state, revealed multiple instances of trainers endorsing "wildly inappropriate" perspectives and tactics, some of which raised legal concerns. In a statement, Walsh expressed outrage that the training contradicted nearly a decade of police reforms and was funded by New Jersey taxpayers.
Recommendations for Improvement
The report suggests several actions, such as recommending the Legislature establish a licensing requirement for private police training programs. It encourages the attorney general to supervise the retraining of officials who participated in the conference and advises law enforcement agencies to seek a refund for the training.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin stated that while his office still reviews the report, the training is deeply troubling, potentially unconstitutional, and unacceptable. He expressed that the findings in the report are disturbing and not in line with the state's commitment to fair, just, and safe policing. Platkin has officially referred the information to the Division on Civil Rights for appropriate action.
Street Cop Statement
Dennis Benigno, the founder and CEO of Street Cop, stated that nothing in the report indicates his company endorsing anything inconsistent with quality policing. He emphasized that isolated excerpts taken out of context from a week-long training do not reflect the overall quality of the education provided by Street Cop.
The comptroller's office discovered that, in addition to New Jersey, at least 46 states allocated funds for Street Cop training. The 2021 seminar had participants from various agencies, including the state police and 77 municipal agencies. The comptroller noted that over $75,000 in public funds was spent, excluding expenses like paid time off or training days.
