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Police Training Institute

Police Training Institute aims to teach police officers how to de-escalate conflict effectively and have safe, positive interactions with at-risk young people

Transforming Interactions Between Police Officers and Youth

PTI logo

Police Training Institute is a completed project, which was funded in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Connecting Youth & Communities with Law Enforcement (CYCLE) training curriculum that was developed through the initiative is available for licensing by non-profit organizations interested in conducting the training.

The Police Training Institute (PTI) was created in 2016 after members of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids contacted our offices to ask for assistance following reported incidents resulting in police and community mistrust throughout the country. A national dialogue had begun on police and youth interactions, especially youth of color and youth in underserved communities. In an effort to improve police-youth interactions, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids conducted extensive research with our members and held a summit to discover what help was needed and how we could provide the appropriate help to both our law enforcement members and community youth.

The Police Training Institute was created with a team of seasoned law enforcement officers, agency executives, and trainers to research and build what is now known as “Connecting Youth & Communities with Law Enforcement” (CYCLE). The CYCLE training program aims to work with law enforcement, community leaders, and community youth to provide state-of-the-art training for law enforcement and youth engagement activities that are positive, proactive, and promote bridging the gap between police and the community, as well as building safer and healthier communities. The CYCLE training curriculum provides enhanced public safety education, reducing violence and decreasing negative experiences for youth that can contribute to long-term health and safety issues.

The CYCLE training program and its one-of-a-kind curriculum has undergone both process and outcome evaluations. A copy of the outcome evaluation, letters of support from partner agencies and community-based organizations, and other documents, can be found on our PTI Resources Page. Focusing on key skills that provide law enforcement and youth with essential tools, the curriculum continues to build a bridge between police and youth.


To learn more about the Police Training Institute:

CYCLE Curriculum
CYCLE Train the Trainer
PTI Resources