KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri Police Officers are being required to complete a domestic violence training course by April 1st. The mandate comes from KCPD Chief Darryl Forte. Chief Forte wrote in his blog that he wanted to get ahead of the issue.
While there isn’t necessarily an issue in his department with domestic violence, Chief Forte acknowledged the potential is out there with the stress that comes with the job. Citing the long and odd hours, and being a witness to some of the most disturbing things society had to offer, he writes that some studies show police families are two to four times more likely to experience domestic violence than other families.
Chief Forte also referenced studies of some police departments that have found officers will cover up for their colleagues who have abused family members.
The training for all KCPD officers will come from Florida State’s Institute for Family Violence Studies and be used for preventing abuse in KC. Chief Forte wrote that he wants to make sure KCPD officers are healthy in life and in their relationships and hopes the training will provide tools for prevention and the ability for officers to ask for help.
