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Community Immersion Program

CIP

ABOUT

Building Bridges

The Community Immersion Program (CIP) introduces police officers to the communities they serve. Currently piloted in San Antonio, the CIP fosters closer relationships through a novel approach to police training. Cadets spend two hours a week for fourteen weeks of their academy training with community stakeholder mentors.

 

The activities, conversations, and reflections are designed to build a mutual understanding and trusting relationships that help accomplish the public safety goals of both the police and community.

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About

trust

Trust is essential for effective and legitimate policing as it influences public cooperation, compliance, and satisfaction

history

Past discrimination, misconduct, and a lack of accountability have contributed to mistrust and the need for change

DIALOGUE

The CIP creates opportunities for positive interactions between police and residents to learn, share perspectives, and develop mutual respect

progress

By enhancing cultural competence, officers can better understand and respond to the needs and concerns of the communities they serve

IMPACT

A partnership between communities and police officers to foster dialogue and relationships

Impact

Courting Communities

The SAPD pilot hopes to improve de-escalation, increase peaceful encounters with police, increase police understanding of community concerns and increase trust and collaboration

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Outreach to Children

Creating lasting and impactful relationships between the police and communities must involve engaging community members of all ages

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Getting to Know Each Other

“I never understood why people become homeless. You get to put yourself in their shoes, and you get to understand where they’re coming from.” - SAPD Officer Francisco Javier

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Community Stakeholders

Valerie Narvaez, director of homeless services at Christian Assistance Ministry, speaks to SAPD cadets

Evaluation

Evaluation

The CIP is the first of its kind in the country and provides a novel opportunity to assess the impact of a program like this.

 

The SAPD is committed to collecting data to evaluate the program and improve it as needed. It has partnered with San Antonio's R&D League and a research team from UNC Chapel Hill and Georgetown University to lead the evaluation which involves interviews, surveys, and a randomized controlled trial. 

The same kind of evaluation is possible in any city that implements the CIP.

News

Community in Action

City of San Antonio Police Department Cadet Immersion Program

City of San Antonio Police Department Cadet Immersion Program

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By the Numbers

14

Weeks of Training

2

Hours per Week

70

Cadet Participants

40

Community Members Engaged

Testimonials

TESTIMONIALS

“The uniform means different things to different folks. So we have some pretty frank conversations. It’s important for the cadets to … hear those things while they’re learning how to be officers — it just makes a very well-rounded police officer.”

Officer Joel Pope
SAPD Community Engagement Officer

CONTACT

Connect with us

For questions or details about this innovative program, please connect with us here or submit an application to bring the CIP to your city

Looking forward to connecting with you!

Contact
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