Miami Heat will pay to train city police on ways to improve interactions with minorities
The Miami Heat, as part of an effort to combat racial bias, will pay for training of city of Miami police officers and some civilians on how to improve interactions with the public, particularly minorities.
The Thursday announcement by the Heat and police — as protests against police brutality continue nationwide three months after the death of George Floyd and after the Aug. 23 shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin — comes after several months of negotiations. The Heat, together with the rest of the NBA, has taken an active role in social justice reform.
“The Heat had some concerns. And ultimately what we want is the same thing: to take care of the city the way we’re supposed to, because it’s our duty,” said Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina during the announcement in an auditorium next to Miami Police headquarters. “We’ve made mistakes. What matters is, how do we address those mistakes?”
The training will be run by a firm called D2C, which is run by M. Quentin Williams, a former federal agent and professional sports executive who teaches courses on public interaction at FBI headquarters in Quantico, Va. Williams was in attendance along with Michael McCullough, a Miami Heat executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
McCullough said the Heat pledged in June to help end social injustice and racial inequality. “We’ve got a big voice and platform,” he said.
Even earlier, the city began discussions with Heat veteran Udonis Haslem and Coach Eric Spoelstra. Haslem, who grew up in the shadow of downtown Miami, was one of the first NBA veterans to speak up when violent protests erupted the week of Floyd’s May 25 death under the knee of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin.
On May 31, Haslem joined a group of city leaders outside Miami police headquarters who were trying to quell the unrest that was taking place. He told the crowd he believed there had to be “justice for George,” but, “I’d be lying if I said it has been gone about the right way.” Then he urged the community to come together.
The exact details of the program announced Thursday weren’t immediately available. Miami police said the training would likely be done in Miami by Williams and some of his staff. The pilot program will consist of 20-25 officers and two or three civilians, said Miami Assistant Chief of Police Armando Aguilar. Williams said it’s the first time his company has teamed up with a police department.
“This is a very large step in the right direction of healing some of the wounds that we’ve seen in the country,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
Training for implicit bias, attitudes and stereotypes that cause people to act and make decisions in a subconscious manner has become a major talking point in the reform movement that has swept the country the past three months.
Unlike some major cities, with the exception of one of the first nights when there was looting and police cars were lit on fire, protests in and around Miami have been mostly peaceful. Miami police, initially, were lauded for a light touch when it came to protesters, often leading them through city streets and blocking traffic to keep them safe. But that department seemed to change tactics in early June when police began directing protesters off of roadways and arresting those who didn’t heed orders. Since then, arrests have increased dramatically.
During Thursday’s announcement, Mayor Suarez said the city was moving in the right direction.
“This is a very large step in the right direction of healing some of the wounds we’ve seen in this country,” Suarez said. “We’re going to give them all the tools they need to understand their role and mission.”
