WASHINGTON — Two years to the day that Jayland Walker was fatally shot by police officers in Akron, Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-OH-13) has introduced a bill that looks to improve the relationships between law enforcement and their communities.
The bipartisan "Law Enforcement Scenario-Based Training for Safety and De-escalation Act of 2024" would require the Justice Department to create "a scenario-based training curriculum for law enforcement personnel based on the wide range of issues they encounter while serving communities."
The curriculum would address issues such as improving community-police relations; officer and community safety; situational awareness; physical and emotional responses to stress; critical decision-making and problem solving; de-escalation and use of force; and crisis intervention.
During an exclusive interview on Thursday, Sykes told 3News' Danielle Wiggins that the goal of the bill is to ensure that law enforcement personnel have the resources "to de-escalate situations that could turn into deadly interactions."
"We want to make sure that we are continuing to find ways to allow our community to feel safe, our law enforcement officers to feel supported and bringing these two groups together," Sykes explained.
Sykes told Wiggins that her office collaborated with the Fraternal Order of Police in creating the legislation, which is also being supported by the Akron NAACP and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.
"This is going to be a group effort," Sykes added. "Things will only change if we decide we want them to change. We want this to be a partnership with the community."
The bill would also create a grant program to support public and private entities that train law enforcement officers using an immersive curriculum that meets the same standards.
"This would allow all law enforcement officers—in departments large and small, rural and urban— access to high-quality training that improves safety, saves lives, and rebuilds trust," Sykes' office said in a release announcing the legislation.
JAYLAND WALKER AND FRANK TYSON
Thursday marks two years since the death of Jayland Walker, who was fatally shot by eight members of the Akron Police Department. In April of 2023, a grand jury in Summit County issued a "no bill" decision, declining to charge the officers involved in the shooting.
Sykes' congressional district also includes Canton, whose police department is also under scrutiny after the death of Frank Tyson in April. Tyson was seen on body camera video telling officers "I can't breathe" before he died while in police custody.
"Crimes are hard to solve when the trust is not there. When we can create opportunities for our law enforcement to be the best and the brightest, they can start the process of mending relationships," Sykes told Wiggins.
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