Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck joined President Barack Obama and Bill Keller, editor-in-chief of The Marshall Project, on Oct. 22 for a conversation in Washington, D.C. on criminal justice reform with U.S. Attorney John Walsh, from Colorado. The focus of the discussion was how to make law enforcement and correctional practices more effective.

The LAPD has embraced the recommendations from the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing Interim Report, which was released earlier this year. A key element of the interim report is about developing policy and oversight of police training and education.

Last summer, Beck unveiled a five-hour block of training for every field officer in on the topic of reverence for life. The training utilized historical reference points including the 1992 Los Angeles Riots and the Rampart corruption scandal, as well as national use of force incidents, to highlight transformational moments in the department’s history. The course also included a block on building departmental capacity to better deal with individuals who are mentally ill.

Beck also addressed a second element of the report – community policing and crime reduction. He pledged to continue to grow the LAPD cadet program, and to establish an LAPD headquarters cadet post to recognize the voice of youth in community decision-making. The department is also spearheading a Juvenile Arrest Diversion program in Operations South Bureau to keep first time offenders out of jail through social engagement, education, and job training programs.