Members of the McKendree Diversity and Inclusion Committee (MADIC) and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) participated in a simulation in firearms and de-escalation training in cooperation with the Illinois State Police at the forensic lab in Belleville, Ill. 

The students and the members of law enforcement also engaged in constructive dialogue in an effort to gain a better understanding of their difficult profession as well as bridge the gap between law enforcement and college age students. 

"On behalf of McKendree University, I want to thank the Illinois State Police and The Belleville Forensics Lab for making this tremendous opportunity possible," McKendree interim Athletics Director Anthony Francis said. "The MILO simulator and meaningful conversation with Illinois State Police law enforcement officials was better than I could have imagined. We are all grateful for that. As representatives of an institution of higher education, we will always strive to provide learning opportunities for our students. I'm excited to share what we have learned with members of our McKendree community. We look forward to continued partnership with the Illinois State Police."  

"Anytime there is an opportunity to get in front of and educate community members, it's a positive," Sgt. Buddy Dye of the Illinois State Police said. "I appreciated the manner in which the Mckendree student-athletes represented themselves and the thought-provoking questions that were asked. The open dialogue and discussion is always welcome and encouraged. I believe this experience was truly beneficial for both parties and look forward to more opportunities in the future." 

This opportunity began when members of the McKendree athletics department reached out to local law enforcement communities to engage in constructive discussions during the peak of the civil unrest in the country last summer.  The student-athletes wanted to ask the questions of law enforcements officers on the hours of training it took to become a police officer, the targeting of minority populations, and what kind of training do they receive for deescalating harmful situations.  

 "The MILO simulator was a good experience for my group, and we were able to add to our perspectives about policing. We had great conversations about deescalation training, use of force training, and community policing programs," MADIC President and student-athlete Shelby Benn (Lansing, IL/Brother Rice) said. "Conversations like the ones we had during the program can help save lives. I want to challenge other departments to have these conversations with their communities because it can lead to groundbreaking results. The McKendree Athletics Diversity and Inclusion committee will continue our efforts to bring equity on and outside of our campus. "

During the simulations student-athletes acted as the law enforcement officers in shoot, don't shoot training. They were also provided constructive criticism from Illinois State Police Officers during and after each situation.  The experience was like none other for the student-athletes and the conversation and the partnership with the Illinois State Police will continue in hopes of helping the relationship.