WARETOWN – The Ocean Township Police Department was accepted into the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Project which trains law enforcement to intervene when a peer might cause harm.
ABLE is a national training and support initiative out of Georgetown University Law Center. It is committed to building a culture of peer intervention in police departments, where active bystandership is expected. This means that an officer would intercede if another officer exhibits any red flags.
“ABLE gives officers the tools they need to overcome the innate and powerful inhibitors all individuals face when called upon to intervene in actions taken by their peers,” police said.
More than 115 law enforcement agencies have joined this initiative, including Stafford Township Police.
Every month, ABLE holds “Train-The-Trainer” events. Over the coming months, all of the department’s officers will receive eight hours of active bystandership education “designed not only to prevent harm, but also to change the culture of policing.”
The project is evidence-based and field-tested to prevent misconduct, reduce mistakes, and promote health and wellness. It is guided by a Board of Advisors comprised of civil rights, social justice, and law enforcement leaders, including Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Commissioner Danielle Outlaw of the Philadelphia Police Department; Dr. Ervin Staub, professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the founder of the Psychology of Peace and Justice Program; and other police leaders, rank and file officers, and social justice leaders.
