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EnABLE Pennsylvania: Active Bystander Training for Law Enforcement
By: Scott L. Bohn, Executive Director, PCPA
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It has long been the mission of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association (PCPA) to promote and provide innovative evidence-based programs to law enforcement throughout the Commonwealth. To that end, I
am excited to introduce the Georgetown University Law Center’s Active Bystander for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Project. ABLE teaching a skill that will protect officers and community members from unnecessary harm. I am proud to be working closely with the ABLE team to train, recruit, and roll out this incredible program. Soon after May 31, 2020 at 9:25 p.m., following George Floyds death, I asked myself, “why are officers so quick to risk their lives for their peers, but so slow to stop them before they do something that may end their career?” The pursuit of an answer to this question led me to Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, Georgetown Law Center, the Georgetown Innovative Policing Program, the global law firm Sheppard Mullin, and the ABLE Project. According to Jonathan Aronie, the Chair of the ABLE Project Board of Advisors, “the ABLE Project teaches the tactics and skills of intervention to prevent harm to community members and police officers.” I’ve been through the training program and can say without hesitation that it will work. Active bystandership – that is, the willingness of one officer to intervene on the actions of another officer regardless of rank – is not a new concept, but its effectiveness is becoming more evident in policing. In 2015, the New Orleans Police Department developed a departmentwide bystandership program called EPIC (Ethical Policing Is Courageous) as part of their broad reform efforts. That successful program now has grown into the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Project, a national best practice program administered out of the Georgetown University Law School's Innovative Policing Program. It is common sense that agencies that incorporate a culture of Bystander Intervention are less likely to end up with the types of horrific and preventable incidents and crimes that destroy lives and communities. A culture of Active Bystandership not only saves lives and officer careers, but also avoids the unrest and erosion of trust that results when we fail to stop harm before it occurs. Police executives are driven by a tremendous sense of service and duty to their communities. The community understands that we as police officers make mistakes. But the community does not understand how one officer can stand by while another engages in harmdoing – nor should they.
Scott L. Bohn Executive Director PCPA
As officers, we all will be confronted with significant ethical, emotional, and procedural dilemmas over the course of our jobs. And we all will have opportunities to take action or note in the face of such dilemmas. Now more than ever, communities across the Commonwealth, and the law enforcement agencies that serve those communities, are recognizing that officers must do a better job intervening when necessary to prevent our colleagues from causing harm or making costly mistakes.
BENEFITS
The benefits of ABLE are significant, and include: • Reduced unnecessary harm to civilians. • Improved police/community relations. • Reduced unnecessary harm to officers. • Improved officer health and wellness. • Reduced risk of officers losing their jobs. • Improved officer job satisfaction, • Reduced risk of lawsuits against the department, the municipality, and individual officers. • Improved citizen satisfaction with their law enforcement agency, • Prevention of costly misconduct. • Fewer costly mistakes. Importantly, ABLE is not a disciplinary program or a “rat-on-your-colleagues” program, nor is it an extension or arm of Internal Affairs. ABLE is a practical prevention program tailored to the reality that officers too often lose their careers to misconduct or mistakes that could have been avoided. Deputy Superintendent Paul Noel of the New Orleans Police Department noted, “[ABLE] is designed to save officer careers and save their lives by keeping officers out of the disciplinary system. What union leader is going to say, ‘I don’t want that’?” Police officers operate in a stressful environment. Our profession suffers from depression, alcoholism, family problems, and suicide more than most professions. We need tools to help recognize moments when that stress is getting the better of one of our colleagues or employees. ABLE gives officers a new tool to step in and offer help. I believe the program will save families and lives. An “active bystander” intervenes when he or she sees something happening or about to happen that is wrong. “Passive bystanders” fail to intervene for various reasons. They may be afraid they are interpreting the situation incorrectly, or they think it is not their job to intervene, or they have a misplaced sense of loyalty to a colleague. Frankly, police officers are Active Bystanders every day when it comes to protecting the community. Sadly, however, like most other professions, most of us are less “active” when it comes to each other. Our willingness to intervene in a colleague’s conduct often is stymied by a number of long-studied “inhibitors.” The ABLE training attacks these “inhibitors” to intervention head-on. Passive bystandership not only allows bad things to happen – to community members and officers – it also has a corrosive effect on the culture of policing. The PCPA promotes best practices and standards in the Commonwealth (PLEAC). If no one intervenes to stop mistakes or misconduct, it creates a sense that such things are normal behavior, resulting in more mistakes and misconduct. ABLE is not a 21st century invention. I discovered that the medical, airline, and education professions have been applying peer intervention techniques for years. The military likewise has embraced this philosophy. Elementary schools, high schools and universities have figured out that peer intervention programs are an effective tool for combating bullying, sexual abuse, and mental health issues. However, few law enforcement agencies have realized the advantages of giving officers these same careersaving and life-saving tools. Chair of the ABLE Project Board of Advisors, Jonathan Aronie, added, “Intervening in another’s action is harder than it looks after the fact, but it’s a skill we all can learn. And, frankly, it’s a skill we all need – police and non-police. ABLE teaches that skill.”
Mr. Aronie is a partner at Sheppard Mullin L.L.P.; chair of the ABLE Project Board of Advisors; the federal monitor over the New Orleans, Louisiana, Police Department; and a regular guest instructor at the FBI National Academy.
Danielle Outlaw, Commissioner, Philadelphia Police Department currently serves on the ABLE Project Board Advisors. Outlaw says “ABLE will prioritize the well-being of our officers, but its training will also focus on a department-wide duty to intervene. You get instances like George Floyd, and others like it in over 18,000 police departments, where officers stand there and do nothing when misconduct is going on. This will make us a trailblazer.” Philadelphia has now trained almost 10 officers Commissioner as ABLE instructors. There Danielle Outlaw, Philadelphia Police Department reactions to the training are inspiring: “Having been in Law Enforcement for 30 years and an Instructor for 17, we have always taught the importance of helping other officers in stressful situations. ABLE training has significantly improved that concept by providing concrete, down to earth ways of giving and receiving interventions before issues arise.” Alfredo Lopez, Philadelphia Police Department. "Taking the ABLE training course has enABLEed me to enABLE others to help save lives, careers, reputations, and police-to-community relationships. I have been empowered to empower other police personnel strategically and tactically, regardless of rank, to invoke themselves into others' situations, personal and/or professional, for the subject's best interests. This course literally teaches 'trained observers' how to look for and recognize often overlooked crises. Every professional, especially those in high stress/ high-risk positions, MUST receive ABLE training. It is literally a life-saving, career-saving empowerment!" Timothy Veal Sr., Philadelphia Police Department I was fortunate to have the opportunity, along with Deputy Chief Paul Noel, New Orleans Police Department, and Jonathan Aronie to introduce ABLE to the Executive Board of the FBINAA. The National Academy is committed to training 25 atlarge instructors across our country as certified ABLE instructors to help bring the program to a greater number of agencies. Ken Truver, the Chief of Police in Castle Shannon (Allegheny County) is a PCPA Executive Board member and the 1st vice President of FBINAA. “It was coincidental timing that both of these law enforcement leadership bodies were exploring this terrific training initiative at the
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - June 3, 2020 - Community Members of Harrisburg March through the city in support Black Lives Matter Movement and Police Reform. Photo by Jelani Photography.
As a thirty-five-year practitioner of policing, a thought leader, ABLE Instructor, a law enforcement advocate, and Executive Director of the PCPA, I strongly encourage the law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania to look into and submit an application to become part of ABLE as soon as possible. In Pennsylvania, accountability is what we have every right to expect from law enforcement.
same time. The concept this program is testament to the commitment of our of Active Bystandership is men and women to policing with our community in fundamental intervening Allentown.” in a situation gone awry, One of the ten law enforcement standards for the in an attempt to save all ABLE program is “Paying It Forward.” Agencies participants from harm. employing ABLE-certified instructors must make It uses a commonsense reasonable efforts to make ABLE training (by those approach to ingrain skills certified instructors) available to surrounding law in the student to recognize enforcement agencies that have been admitted Chief Ken Truver, Castle Shannon Police Department opportunities to take action, where there have traditionally been various cultural or subconscious into the ABLE program. This training assistance is provided at no charge (other than necessary travel expenses). impediments. The Pa As a thirty-five-year practitioner of policing, a Chiefs of Police and the FBINAA are among many thought leader, ABLE Instructor, a law enforcement other law enforcement leaders who recognize that advocate, and Executive Director of the PCPA, I this “train the trainer” program has the ability to strongly encourage the law enforcement agencies in exponentially increase awareness.” Pennsylvania to look into and submit an application to become part of ABLE as soon as possible. In The City of Allentown Police Department, led by Chief Pennsylvania, accountability is what we have every Glenn Granitz Jr, has committed to the ABLE program right to expect from law enforcement. We are and now has two ABLE trained instructors. Allentown committed to the ethical, brave, and honest men Police Chief Glenn Granitz and women who keep our communities safe, enforce Jr. said the decision to the law, and meet the needs of victims of crime. apply for inclusion in the We have a moral obligation to reflect the values of ABLE Project reflects our communities and are proud and committed to important priorities for the upholding this obligation. ABLE is part of the solution. department. “Allentown Police Department officers The Pennsylvania Police of Chiefs Association will and the community are be introducing the ABLE program in a 2-hour always looking for new session at our July Conference at Kalahari Resorts and meaningful training in the Poconos. Pennsylvania is at the forefront of City of Allentown Police Department, Chief Glenn Granitz Jr., M.S. CJA opportunities. We are currently training in these areas, however, being one of the first agencies in the progressive policing in the country. Do not miss this presentation and keep Pennsylvania at the forefront of progressive policing in our nation. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about the ABLE Project, country to be selected for visit www.law.georgetown.edu/ABLE.
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