San Marcos Police Department joins Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement Project

The San Marcos Police Department will join more than 150 national law enforcement agencies in committing to transformational reform through the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Project starting the week of Oct. 4, 2021. 

ABLE — an evidence-based national training and support initiative that was created by the Georgetown University Law Center — is intended to empower and educate officers, ultimately preventing misconduct, reducing mistakes, promoting officers’ health and wellness, and improving community relations. 

“ABLE is a truly valuable resource for the department and the citizens of San Marcos alike,” Chief of Police Stan Standridge said. “We look forward to sharing the program with our officers and demonstrating our commitment to continuous improvement in service to our community.” 

SMPD was accepted into the program after going through an application process that affirmed the department’s commitment to excellence. This included submitting letters of support for the project written by Standridge, city leadership, and community groups.

The program will be led by SMPD’s certified ABLE trainers which include, Standridge and Officers John Dehkordi, GeCorrie Royal and Crystal Benavides.

Each officer will undergo eight hours of training designed to reinforce active bystandership, which authorizes and empowers law enforcement personnel to intervene in another officer’s action, teaches successful intervention strategies, and protects individuals following the intervention.

Training in the ABLE Project reinforces SMPD employees’ moral, ethical, and legal duty to intervene to prevent another employee from engaging in conduct that would unnecessarily harm others or violate law or policy, which applies regardless of rank.   

Officers’ completion of ABLE training also aims to improve relationships between law enforcement personnel and community members, build trust and foster cooperation. Employees are also encouraged to intervene to assist colleagues in addressing health and wellness concerns. 

Intervention is required where the bystander employee is witness to and has a reasonable opportunity to prevent or mitigate harm caused by policy or legal violations or mistakes.  

For additional information regarding the project, visit the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement website at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/d2e7960518694b50b61cd387906eab25. agonzales