Straus Institute Builds Bridges: Los Angeles Police Department and Community Unite for Beyond the Dialogue Program

June 20-21, 2024 marked a milestone in the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution's Beyond the Dialogue Initiative, generously supported by the JAMS Foundation. The Straus Institute brought together 18 Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers and supervisors alongside 19 community members from across Los Angeles for intensive training in mediation and de-escalation techniques.

Participants engaged in hands-on skills-building and role-play scenarios, fostering mutual understanding and enhancing communication between law enforcement and the community they serve at the Caruso School of Law.

Day two of the in-person training was a day of service and dialogue at the Union Rescue Mission in Downtown Los Angeles. LAPD officers and community members worked side-by-side building playground equipment for children and assembling hygiene kits for residents of the mission. They then engaged in dialogue designed to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Stereotypes and biases were addressed and challenged during this dialogue. 

The training was impactful and transformative. Law enforcement and community members were able to connect and see each other in a way that highlighted their humanity and changed their viewpoints.