For Immediate Release

Monday, July 31, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Four Randolph Police Officers Set to Participate in Racial Intelligence Training

RANDOLPH — Police Chief William Pace reports that four members from the Randolph Police Department will participate in a course led by the Racial Intelligence Training and Engagement Academy (RITE Academy) next month.

The RITE Academy offers a unique form of cultural diversity training that equips officers with techniques to better enhance their work by identifying and removing implicit biases and improving verbal skills among officers.

Additionally, the RITE Academy teaches participants to use emotional and social intelligence to improve communication with the public, and in turn, de-escalate 95 percent of service calls.

Commander David Avery, Detective Michael Tuitt, Officer Casey L’Italien and Officer Billy Lok will attend the training during the first week of August in Henderson, North Carolina. Afterward, the four will conduct training annually for all Randolph Police Officers.

“The RITE program is a valuable course for members of the Randolph Police Department to take because it gives them important tools needed to respond to modern challenges we face in our profession,” Chief Pace said. “De-escalation tactics are key skills to have when responding to any situation, so I foresee this portion of the training to be particularly valuable.”

The program incorporates much of Former President Barack Obama’s 21st Century Policing strategy and has three main goals:

• Teach critical components of emotional and social intelligence
• Increase departmental morale
• Build and foster community trust

Sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the RITE Academy prioritizes the officer’s wellness and enhances community policing, both of which are vital to the success of modern law enforcement agencies. Additionally, officers with better communication skills are more equipped to de-escalate potentially dangerous situations when needed.

The RITE Academy was co-founded in 2015 by Linda Webb and Randy Friedman and has received the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) national seal of approval, the highest standard of police training.

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