New program will train Baltimore officers to prevent police misconduct

The Baltimore Police Department is launching a new peer intervention program that will train officers to police misconduct, reports CBS Baltimore.

The program, called Ethical Policing Is Courageous (EPIC), will train officers to intervene with their colleagues in potentially problematic situations to stop misconduct and save lives.

Officials said the program had been in development before the protests following the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minnesota earlier this year. The department said it could help officers get the skills they need to step in and stop something like that from occurring again.

Thus far, 100 police officers have completed the program, and the goal is to increase it next year to get every officer trained and able to intervene in all ranks. Officers are even being taught what to do if they see a superior acting inappropriately.

The department called it a necessary step forward in policing that could help officers regain the community’s trust.

“We have the opportunity to demonstrate that we’re accountable to ourselves,” Maj. Martin Bartness, a commander of education and training within the police department said. “We have certain standards and expectations for ourselves and for our colleagues when misconduct and mistakes are occurring.”