Philadelphia Police Department Begins New Training Program

Amid mounting pressure to institute reform in the Philadelphia Police Department, specifically regarding its policies for the use of force, a workshop for 80 new recruits will be held on Monday as part of a brand new training program, reports PhillyVoice.com .

According to a release from the department's Office of Public Affairs, the inaugural workshop, "Policing in a More Perfect Union," will take officers through a series of exhibits at the National Constitution Center. The training will focus on "the power and responsibility of officers' role as police in a democratic society to protect the constitutional rights of all people," the release states.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey developed the program, funded by the nonprofit Philadelphia Police Foundation, in an effort to provide innovative and progressive in-service training to new recruits and seasoned officers alike.

Recruits will receive training in the concepts of individual rights, fair and impartial treatment, and the promises of the Constitution, historically and as they are applied today. Certain exhibits will examine instances when police were on the wrong side of justice and how those experiences have shaped police-community relationships.

An engagement exercise with high schoolers will be held as a way of exchanging experiences and perceptions to create a deeper connection with the community.