Course detail: FBI Civil Rights 101: Color of Law, Hate Crimes, & Bias

Course Description:
The FBI will provide a federal overview of criminal civil rights statutes related to Color of Law, Hate Crimes, Bias and Uniform Crime Reporting, and FACE Act violations. Video examples of the use of force and color of law incidents will demonstrate state and/or federal criminal violations and department violations. The FBI will explain how investigators and prosecutors, both federal and state review the use of force and potential color of law incidents. The FBI incorporates interactive technology to enhance participation and overall understanding. 

Learning Objectives:
  • Critique officer behavior as it affects community perception and public trust with an appreciation for overcoming negative historical impacts of policing. Focus on rebuilding relationships and examine the history of policing and the formation of community perceptions.
  • Examine police actions that contribute to public trust in contrast to those that draw public scrutiny. Officers will recognize how appropriate transparency and community involvement add to a trusting relationship between law enforcement and the community.
  • Explain how law enforcement represents the face of government at the national, state, and local levels.
  • Interpret and apply policy as it impacts procedural justice, the rights of citizens, and public perception. 
  • Explore areas of criminal and civil liabilities surrounding issues of search and seizure, use of force, and the use of law enforcement tools and vehicles.
  • Appreciate the need to provide care to those in custody and evaluate the liability risk for the officer's failure to do so. 
  • Examine the legal protections afforded to officers while working under the color of law. 
  • Identify actions that lead to greater public scrutiny and how violations "in uniform" differ from others. The officer will examine how failure to uphold expectations effect police relationships within the community, and how societal norms create standards that have bearing on law enforcement's liability influencing a finding of negligence.
  • Examine the legal and policy limitations on the use of force and methods to minimize liabilities surrounding these incidents including after-care of individuals.

Course Competency:
  • Participants will exhibit fairness in policing while giving people a voice and performing law enforcement duties with impartiality and the necessary level of transparency to sustain and strengthen public trust. Additionally, participants will develop procedural knowledge of federal, state, and local laws on the actions of law enforcement officers and the enforcement of those laws. 
Instructional Methods: 
  • Lecture 
  • Exercises

Who Should Attend:
  • Law Enforcement Officers

Course Requirements:
100% Participation

Fitness Level Necessary for Successful Completion: Sedentary


This course satisfies the annual training requirement set forth in KSA 22-4610(2)(A) as amended by Section 3 of Chapter 94 of the 2011 Kansas Session Laws. It says "The agency policies shall require annual racial or other biased-based policing training which shall include, but not be limited to, training relevant to racial or other biased-based policing. Distance learning training technology shall be allowed for racial or other biased-based policing training."






Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend University of Kansas sponsored events. If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in an event, please email KLETC  or call 620.694.1400  at least three weeks before the first day of the event. Some events may require notice earlier than three weeks and require you to contact a specific individual; if so, that information is provided in the event-specific information.


Notice of Availability of the KLETC Annual Security and Fire Safety Report:

The University of Kansas has determined that the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) main campus in Hutchinson and its regional sites in Dodge City, Hays, and Parsons are separate campuses. This determination was made in consultation with the Department of Education. The report is available online t: https://civilrights.ku.edu/clery.

The report contains information regarding campus safety and security including topics such as: campus law enforcement authority; crime reporting policies; campus alerts (Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications); fire safety policies and procedures; programs to prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking; the procedures the institution will follow when one of these crimes is reported; and other matters of importance related to security on campus. The report also contains information about crime statistics for the three most recent calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred On-Campus; in On-Campus Student Housing Facilities; in Non-Campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the institution or a recognized student organization; and on Public Property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also contains fire statistics for any fires occurring in an On-Campus Student Housing Facility during the three most recent calendar years.

 A paper copy of the report will be provided upon request. If you would like to receive a paper copy, you can request that a copy be mailed to you by calling 785-864-6414 or emailing civilrights@ku.edu or arrange for pick-up at a KLETC location.

Available sessions

This course contains no sessions