The State College Police Department and Penn State University Police are already following all eight polices outlined in Campaign Zero’s suggested restrictive use of force polices, which community members, including the University Park Undergraduate Association and local residents, have recently called for each department to adopt.
All of Campaign Zero’s “8 Can’t Wait” solutions are part of both department’s policies, trainings and practices, including prohibiting chokeholds/strangleholds, requiring de-escalation techniques, and requiring force only be used in direct proportion to the resistance encountered. Additionally, deadly force can only be used in the protection of human life when encountered with an imminent threat to death or serious bodily injury.
Officers from both agencies also participate in a variety of trainings on a regular basis, including cross-cultural communication, community policing, de-escalation, cultural competency, implicit bias and crisis intervention. The safety and well-being of the communities they serve is the primary focus of all policing activities.
The SCPD has been accredited since 2008 from the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, and University Police, which serves 22 campuses across Pennsylvania, is undergoing the accreditation process with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement. Both accreditation processes include an objective review of all policies and implementation of any necessary revisions to be aligned with best practices and industry standards in law enforcement. The State College Borough also has contracted with the International Association of Chiefs of Police to conduct a comprehensive and independent assessment of the police department’s critical policies, practices and procedures.