Ever mindful that its relationship with the community has a lot to do with successfully fighting crime, the New Orleans Police Department this week began training officers on how to recognize racial bias even when it is hard to spot.
Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said the workshop on "Implicit vs. Explicit Bias & the Impact of Social Media" training was given to a pilot group of NOPD leadership from the eight police districts and the training academy.
"We have to have this deeper conversation as to what actually applies to our community? What is it that you are getting or not getting from your particular law enforcement agency," Ferguson told WWL's Newell Normand.
Ferguson says this isn't new to NOPD, but it's something they try to keep current on.
"We just have to educate our community and insure that they know what policies are in place, what training we have to address those concerns that they are having," said Ferguson.
Ferguson said it is the same type of training on constitutional policing they have been working on for more than a decade.
"It's just more formulated now, I guess, for everyone to have a better understanding of it."
