“What we found was really disturbing,” said Acting Director Kevin D. Walsh in a December 2023 news conference releasing the final report. The investigation found the training sessions, organized by the New Jersey-based company Street Cop, not only promoted unconstitutional policing tactics, like extending police stops to develop probable cause but also fostered an environment where police officers glorified violence against civilians, discriminated against women and minorities, and a disregarded citizens’ civil liberties like searching vehicles without probable cause. The findings of the investigation exposed the lack of centralized oversight of police training across law enforcement agencies nationwide, including in Virginia.
According to the New Jersey government’s report, the six-day training conference held by Street Cop in Atlantic City in October 2021 drew nearly 1,000 police officers. The investigation highlighted several deficiencies in the training, including discriminatory and harassing comments, advocacy for unconstitutional policing tactics such as stopping motorists without reason or prolonging police stops illegally, and the promotion of a "warrior" approach to policing that dehumanized civilians. Such practices directly contradicted nearly a decade of police reforms aimed at curbing bias and excessive force in policing, undermining community trust.
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