Historical Injustices in Policing

The history of racial terror in the U.S. has many ongoing legacies, one of which is the lasting effects of trauma for those who experienced violence in their families and communities. We know police officers understand the devastating effects of trauma from their exposure to violent events and also from the role they played in enforcing Jim Crow laws. For officers of color, the trauma they experience on the job and in their communities may be amplified. As officers and communities passed down these traumatic stories to their children, the intergenerational trauma becomes apparent. Our panelists will discuss historical and intergenerational trauma and how they have led their police departments to acknowledge the past and collaborate with communities to further restorative justice programs.