Baltimore Police Adopt Emotional Regulation Training in Reform Efforts

The new program, overseen by anti-violence organization Roca, aims to address mental health challenges among officers and improve public interactions.

Baltimore Police Department has started requiring its officers to complete a program on emotional regulation, a departure from traditional police training.
The program, overseen by anti-violence organization Roca, uses video as a learning tool and teaches officers the basics of brain science, examining the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and actions.
The eight-hour Rewire4 course, now required of all Baltimore police officers, is a modified version of the curriculum Roca uses with at-risk youth.
The training includes practices rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy, aimed at strengthening healthy neurological pathways in the brain through awareness and repetition.
The Baltimore Police Department's adoption of this program comes amid other reform efforts following a series of scandals and public trust issues.