WPD officers must step in if other officers behave badly

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Wichita Police Department officers, from the lowest to the highest level, are getting trained on what to do if they see other officers doing bad things.

“Our main goal is for every officer, every individual on this department, to be empowered with the ability to speak up at the moment they believe something is not happening the way it should happen,” Sgt. Ken Kimble, WPD, said.

Kimble is the first WPD instructor in Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement training, also known as ABLE. The eight-hour course teaches officers when to intervene and how to intervene if other officers are engaging in inappropriate or potentially harmful behavior. There will be continuing education on ABLE each year.

“I have people in class today who only have weeks on the department where they’re walking away with the same power, the same empowerment to step in and prevent bad behavior that even the most senior person in the room has,” he said.

Captain Ronald Hunt, WPD, asked community groups like the NAACP and the Ministerial League for input before deciding on ABLE.

“The NAACP, they challenged us,” Hunt said. “We needed to be challenged by them, and then we also need them to hold us accountable.”

He said the NAACP pointed out that officers should not be engaging in misconduct to begin with.

“I would agree,” Hunt said. “We strive to do a great job on a daily basis. But, like anybody, an officer can have a bad day. We want to make sure we are doing everything we can to hold that officer accountable if they do misconduct and that their actions don’t negatively affect the things that we’re trying to build with the community.”

Larry Burks, the president of the Wichita Branch of the NAACP, said he is optimistic.

“We agreed to support this initiative, knowing that it has been successful throughout the country in a lot of other jurisdictions,” he said. “We’re going to be holding the police department accountable for that.”

Vanessa Christophersen is a community activist and a participant in Civic Engagement. She also thinks ABLE could help during interactions with the WPD.

“It will reduce harm within the community membership by improving police and community relations, restoring public trust and adhering to community standards,” she said.

Police Chief Joe Sullivan said the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement developed ABLE. He was determined to bring it to Wichita.

“This training has been shown to positively impact behaviors and cultures within police departments,” he said.

He said if a police officer, no matter their rank, sees another officer committing a wrongdoing or about to commit a wrongdoing, the officer must step in.

“It encourages you to be preventative. Look out for one another. If you see someone, you know, body positioned incorrectly, let them know. They might not even be aware of it,” Sullivan said. “If something does occur, you have a responsibility as a police officer not only to step in and stop it but then to report it after the fact.”

Hunt said there is an anti-retaliation clause. Other officers cannot retaliate against the officer who stopped the bad behavior.

“We’re trying to break down the stereotype of the blue wall of silence. We’re trying to get on the other side of that,” he said. “I may stand shoulder to shoulder with a fellow officer, but if they do something that’s wrong or illegal … our organization is going to hold them accountable.”

The WPD said ABLE training is another tool to develop better officers while helping the department improve accountability.

“All the officers are going to walk away knowing that they have the ability to step in if they see bad behavior. It doesn’t turn into a supervisor problem. It’s a ‘them’ problem, for right there on scene,” Kimble said. “The time we spend preventing bad behavior will save us countless hours dealing with the bad behavior after it occurs.”