DOJ issues transgender training for police

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is training police officers on how to treat transgender people with respect.

Police officers will learn techniques for interacting with transgender people during routine encounters in a training video, the agency said Thursday. They will also be discouraged from stereotyping and advised to “keep their questions relevant.”

{mosads}”In one of the examples, the video demonstrates an officer laughing [at] a transgender individual who appears to be the victim of a crime, and the officer’s partner pulls him aside to correct his behavior,” according to the DOJ.

“Afterwards, the offending officer apologizes for his prior conduct and approaches the rest of the interview with the necessary respect and professionalism,” the agency said.

“This illustration not only highlights how officers should act with members of the transgender community, but also addresses the need for officers to say something to their peers when they see problematic behavior.”

The training video also educates police on the difference between the assigned sex given to someone at birth and their gender identity.

In another example, a police officer pulls over a transgender woman who was driving and asks: “Do you prefer if I call you ma’am or sir?”

“Individuals who feel disrespected are less likely to have faith in or cooperate with law enforcement,” the DOJ said.