TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.
Armed with statistics showing 28% of the city’s police recruits acknowledge never having had a conversation with a homeless person, Pittsburgh police recruits are receiving new training to understand the experiences of people who are homeless.
The new “Homelessness Academy” program at the police training academy is part of Mayor Peduto’s plan to give front-line workers more support when interacting with people in need of social services.
The recruits are taught about the problems faced by people living outside, trauma, reasons people don’t stay in shelters and how police can help them. Police leaders also talk about their experiences and how they build empathy for those living on the street.