Civilian Interaction Training (Tcole # 30418)

This is the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) mandated Civilian Interaction Training #30418 online training course offered for Texas Peace Officers. In the wake of Sandra Bland’s in custody death in 2015, the Texas Legislature took action to educate the driving public and peace officers in a first of a kind Civilian Interaction Training program in the United States. To refresh your memory, Sandra Bland was a 28-year-old woman who was pulled over for a traffic violation on July 10, 2015, by a Texas Peace Officer. The interaction escalated, resulting in Bland's arrest and charges for assaulting a police officer. While awaiting an appearance before a magistrate, Bland committed suicide in jail. Her autopsy revealed she had a very large concentration of THC in her system and according to her Facebook post she had "a little bit of depression as well as PTSD." Referred to as the Community Safety Education Act, Texas Senate Bill 30, requires school districts, charter schools for students 9 through 12 to be educated on how to conduct themselves when stopped by the police. At the same time, all Texas Peace Officers will be receiving additional training on interactions with the driving public. Mandated topics for both residents and officers include the role of law enforcement, proper behavior for civilians and peace officer during a traffic stop, individual rights, requirements to show proof of identification and much more. This course is a required course to be completed no later than the second anniversary of the date the officer is licensed unless the officer completes the training as part of the officer’s basic training. A peace officer or reserve law enforcement officer who holds a license under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, issued on or before January 1, 2018, shall complete a training program established under Section 1701.268, Occupations Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1, 2020.