Austin PD Hires Dr. Anne Kringen As New Training Academy Manager

Austin TX

29 March, 2021

9:00 AM

Description

AUSTIN, TX — Austin Police Department has hired Dr. Anne Kringen as the new Training Academy Division Manager, authorities announced Friday. Kringen is expected to play a significant role in revising the department's police cadet program as part of the reimaging public safety process. Officials said she will be working to implement evidence-based practices in training and developing processes to measure training success. "I'm excited about the opportunity to help Austin Police Department and the City of Austin take the next steps in police cadet training," Kringen said. "I think it's fundamentally important to involve the community's voice into policing in all spheres, including the academy, and I'll work to foster a culture of inclusivity that reflects the needs of a city as diverse and exciting as Austin." Officials said Kringen will initially focus on ensuring that all academy curriculum in development for the 144th cadet class, which is expected to start by June 7 at the latest, is inclusive and incorporates community perspectives highlighted through the reimagining public safety process. The new training academy division manager will also focus on incorporating adult learning techniques in the academy and ensuring that all defined learning objectives are covered and properly evaluated. Authorities said APD launched a pilot neighborhood liaison program in which department cadet applicants were paired with APD District Representatives to learn about the community and provide engagement opportunities. As of Friday, seven applicants for the next cadet class have been enrolled in the pilot program. APD will use the information learned from this pilot to design a pre-academy 80-hour curriculum to facilitate community connectivity. The revised academy will also include a community video review panel that consists of both city and community stakeholders. The group will review and provide feedback on academy training videos, officials said. In addition, the revised academy will include an additional 30 community-engagement hours. An example of one course the department will have is the Groundwater Analysis workshops by Joyce James, which provide insight into institutionalized racism and explores the underlying causes of inequality as well as tools to address these causes. Authorities said the department is currently working with community partners to identify additional engagement opportunities for incorporation into the academy curriculum as well.