On Wednesday, February 17, 2021, the MA in Criminal Justice held a panel discussion on Trauma-Informed Policing with Professor Bianca Harris, Chief Blue, and his staff from the Chapel Hill Police Department. The topic of discussion for this panel was to discuss what Trauma-Informed Policing is. Throughout the discussion, Chief Blue and his staff would describe this policing model as showing empathy and acknowledging that the community that officers are engaging with has been impacted by trauma in various ways. This collaborative policing allows officers to approach individuals with a trauma-informed lens.
Quote from the panel: “We do more than just the traditional law enforcement job. We help resolve the situation by using empathy and understanding to help the individual get the help they need in order to not escalate the situation. This is because everything is not black and white, you have to look at the grey areas”. – Chapel Hill Police Department
