PA Chiefs of Police Create Course to Respond to LGBTQ+ Victims

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In order to help municipal police officers better respond to victims, the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police worked with longtime learning partner d’Vinci Interactive to create the Responding to LGBTQ+ course. The course was created in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) with input from the PCADV Gender and Sexual Justice Caucus.

Research on domestic violence in LGBTQ+ relationships reveals that abuse occurs at an equal or even higher rate than in heterosexual relationships. This online course addresses terminology, best practices in communication, and trauma-informed response, to educate law enforcement on intimate partner violence in LGBTQ+ relationships and response tactics for these incidents.

Various learning techniques were leveraged to impart this important knowledge for officers, including the use of realistic scenarios represented with imagery and videos. The use of these memorable interactions helps learners apply newly learned skills in real situations.

In the limited time that the course has been available on the Pennsylvania Training Network, hundreds of officers have completed the course, learned new skills, and earned Continuing Law Enforcement Education credit.

Since 2012, d’Vinci has partnered with The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police to provide technology consulting, instructional design, eLearning course development and a learning management solution, the Pennsylvania Virtual Training Network (PAVTN.net). PAVTN provides officers access to the essential training needed to perform their duties in a complex, ever-changing environment. With a growing number of courses and hundreds of thousands of hours of training delivered, PAVTN continues to evolve - adding new courses and features to enhance the learning experience.

Learn more about d’Vinci’s work with Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police