Course Description:
Law enforcement professionals play an essential role in fostering safety, trust, and partnership within their communities. This course explores the integral relationship between officers, their departments, and the diverse communities they serve. Students will examine how departmental and community cultures influence one another and establish foundations for mutual expectations. Through guided discussion, reflection, and scenario-based learning, participants will analyze issues of trust, transparency, and ethics, and identify the impact of individual officer behavior on public perception.

Emphasis is placed on professional and personal ethics, effective communication, and nontraditional problem-solving approaches that extend beyond enforcement. Students will also examine strategies for maintaining personal wellness and resilience to sustain positive engagement throughout their careers.

Core Competency:
The trained officer will recognize the legitimacy of law enforcement as perceived by society, built through community problem-solving, proper application of force, and critical analysis of officer behavior as it affects community perception. Officers will support public trust and personal resilience by applying fairness, transparency, and wellness principles in daily practice.

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the impact of community policing and examine ethical issues that affect the patrol function within a community.
• Analyze the concept of implicit bias and its implications for policing, describing how biased practices influence law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.
• Develop plans to assist with solving criminal or civil problems within a community, including situations where law enforcement authority is limited.
• Examine police actions that contribute to public trust versus those that draw public scrutiny, recognizing how transparency and community involvement strengthen public confidence.
• Recognize ongoing cultural and societal changes that require officers to adapt their policing methods and communication strategies.
• Reflection personal and professional ethics to enhance both community satisfactionand career fulfillment.

Topics Covered:

• Principles and practices of community policing
• Building and maintaining public trust
• Departmental and community culture dynamics
• Ethical decision-making and professional accountability
• Implicit bias, procedural justice, and fairness in policing
• Nontraditional problem-solving and community partnerships
• Communication and transparency strategies
• Officer wellness, resilience, and burnout prevention
• The role of leadership in community engagement
• Adapting to societal change and evolving expectations

Methodology:
This course employs a combination of facilitated discussions, case studies, small-group exercises, and guided reflection. Scenario-based activities will challenge participants to apply ethical reasoning and communication strategies to real-world community interactions. Students will work collaboratively to develop actionable approaches to community problem-solving and examine how officer wellness influences their ability to build trust and serve effectively. Emphasis is placed on self-awareness, empathy, and shared responsibility in advancing community safety and confidence in law enforcement.

 

Target Audience: 

• Newercertified officers 1-3 years of service

Prerequisites: 

• Mustcomplete Maintaining the Profession, Patrol Responder, Patrol Investigations, and Roadside Investigations before attending Community Service

Fitness Requirement and Expectation of Physical Risk: Low Active

 

 

 

 

 

 

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend University of Kansas-sponsored events. If you require a reasonable accommodation 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 may 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 at: 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.

 

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