Black and Blue: New Training Meant to Bridge Communities of Color and Police

Since the second grade, Nicholas Tuleja has wanted to be a police officer. As an eight-year-old, the Holland native wrote a paper about his affinity for helping people and doing the right thing. As he grew up, that desire to simply help people evolved into something much deeper.

“When I decided I wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement it was because I wanted to help bridge the gap and really make an impact on the community I serve on a much more personal level,” Tuleja said. “Policing is so much more than simply enforcing laws. You get the privilege to interact with people and positively impact their lives on a daily basis. Everyone you come into contact with has a different story, different upbringing and experiences that may differ from your own.”

Now as a 25-year-old cadet in Kalamazoo Valley’s Police Officer Training Academy, Tuleja is learning how to best interact with those whose experiences are different than his own, thanks to a unique new training program added to the academy’s 16-week curriculum. The training, called Expanding our Horizons: A Cultural Awareness Experience, was developed by retired Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Captain Stacey Randolph, in an effort to strengthen the relationships between law enforcement and communities of color.

Kalamazoo Valley is the only police academy in the state to offer this type of training.

During the day-long exercise, Tuleja and the 18 other cadets who make up the 87th academy, were divided up into three Racial Healing Circles with members of the local community. The cadets included two black men, one Native American man, three white women and 14 white men. The 50 diverse community members - including professionals and those who had their own run-ins with law enforcement - ranged in age from 19 to 77. The circles focused on listening and being open to others’ perspectives and experiences based on talking points initiated by practitioners from Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (THRT) Kalamazoo, a comprehensive, national and community-based process that focuses on advancing racial equity and racial healing in the United States. “The world is seriously divided,” Director of Kalamazoo Valley’s Law Enforcement Training Center Victor Ledbetter said. “This training created a safe space where people of color, community members and cadets could be together and have open dialogue. The experience was so powerful. People’s eyes were really opened to the need to treat people with dignity, respect and empathy.”

Tuleja agreed, saying the experience had a profound effect on him.

“I increased my knowledge and understanding of how diverse the communities we live in truly are,” he said. “I better understand why members of the community react and sometimes view law enforcement in a different light. A simple hello and a handshake between two people of different backgrounds and upbringings is sometimes all it takes to bridge the gap and start a dialogue that can positively impact both individuals.”

Following the healing circles, everyone participated in lessons - in facilitation partnership with Bronson Community Health, Equity and Inclusion staff - that examined historical events, laws and policies in the United States, from an equity perspective.“I am so glad we were able to relearn different parts of the history of our country,” said Tara Ramsey, a 23-year-old cadet from Parchment. “I learned so many things that I wasn’t taught in school. There was so much I never even thought about, and am so grateful for the eye opening experience and for the community members who shared their stories. I believe this type of training should be in all police academies so other young officers in training can gain the knowledge and insight we learned.”

At the end of the day, the cadets had the opportunity to do community service at Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes where they packed bags of food for area families in need. It was impressed upon them that they also will become referral sources for the communities they end up serving, not just making arrests.According to Ledbetter, the Expanding our Horizons: A Cultural Awareness Experience training will be offered in all future police academies offered by the college. It is one of several changes to the academy’s curriculum Ledbetter has made since taking over the program last year.

“As a black man with more than 25 years of experience working in law enforcement, I am in a unique position because I see issues from both sides – as a black man and as an officer,” Ledbetter said. “I want to leave my footprint on the academy and ensure that Kalamazoo Valley cadets have a well-rounded understanding of humanity when they are working in the field. When done properly, there is a nobility and honor in protecting and serving as a police officer.”

To address contemporary societal issues police officers now encounter, Ledbetter has also added training that addresses:
• Human Trafficking
• Autism Awareness
• Conflict De-escalation
• Spanish for Police Officers
• LGBTQA Awareness
• PTSD Suicide Awareness
• Implicit Bias

For more information, contact Director of Kalamazoo Valley Law Enforcement Training Center Victor Ledbetter at vledbetter@kvcc.edu.