HAPCOA Attends Professionalizing Law Enforcement Community Engagement Training (PLECET) in Atlanta, GA

HAPCOA Executive Director Tony Chapa and Immediate Past National President Don Tijerina attended the Professionalizing Law Enforcement Community Engagement Training (PLECET) in Atlanta, Georgia, May 1 – 4, 2024.

The purpose of PLECET is to professionalize the emerging community engagement sector of policing by instituting an annual specialized training, networking, and professional development conference for sworn and non-sworn personnel assigned to community engagement roles within law enforcement agencies across the nation.

MovementForward, Inc. (MFI), the Atlanta-based social change organization that hosts the acclaimed annual National Faith & Blue Weekend (Faith & Blue) and the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), along with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA), and other premier law enforcement organizations convened the conference featuring a premiere group of instructors, speakers, presenters, community leaders, scholars, researchers, and community engagement practitioners with proven successes.

The groups realized enhanced and expanded training for public safety personnel is needed to reduce crime, build trust, and enable successful police-community collaboration. There currently is no comprehensive law enforcement recruit or in-service training available for public safety professionals tasked with community engagement and outreach. This stands apart from how law enforcement professionals assigned to other specialized functions have targeted, unique training and networking opportunities through which they have access to best practices, peer support, industry expertise, and current research. PLECET will begin to “professionalize” the critical and highly specialized community engagement sector of the law enforcement profession as public safety community engagement practitioners learn about best and promising community outreach practices and resources.

Executive Director Chapa along with the Executive Director of NOBLE held a well-attended, joint session during the training where they discussed key insights and best practices in engaging with communities of color.

Presenters at PLECET included:

• U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance
• U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
• International Association of Chiefs of Police
• National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives
• National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
• Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association
• Cops and Barbers Worldwide
• Learning for Life
• One Congregation One Precinct (OneCOP)
• National Policing Institute
• Stand Together Foundation
• National Crime Prevention Council
• Federal Bureau of Investigations
• Equal Justice Institute
• Researchers and Academics in Criminal Justice
• Corporate and Business Entities
• Communications Firms
• U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs
• U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice
• Local, State, and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies
• National Sheriffs’ Association
• Police Athletic Leagues
• National Night Out
• Shop with a Cop
• Police Executive Research Forum
• United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
• Coffee with a Cop
• National Policing Institute
• International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators
• U.S. Marshals Service