UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Inspired by the prospect of expanding access to the University’s nationally recognized training program for law enforcement and choosing to remain anonymous, a donor has come forward with an estate commitment to support the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute (JASI). The bequest, valued in excess of $1 million, is the first significant gift in JASI’s 53-year history and will play a pivotal role in enabling underfunded law enforcement agencies to enroll their personnel in the Criminal Justice Professional Training program at Penn State.

“Because the responsibilities of law enforcement have the potential to impact communities in both subtle and far-reaching ways, the Justice and Safety Institute is truly among the most consequential programs that the University offers,” said Larry D. Terry II, vice president for Penn State Outreach. “Now, this extraordinary gift is poised to elevate the national profile of the institute, but more importantly, it will open doors for a much larger volume of law enforcement agents to benefit from the program’s cutting-edge training, tools and curriculum. I am deeply grateful to the donor for taking this bold action to dramatically enhance Penn State’s role in training and educating the law enforcements professionals who will be charged with keeping communities safe.”

The Justice and Safety Institute was formed in 1971 to meet the professional development needs of law enforcement and public safety professionals. Since then, hundreds of municipal, county, state and federal police agencies have relied on JASI to train thousands of law enforcement professionals, parole officers, corrections officers and emergency management personnel. With facilities at Penn State Harrisburg and the Penn State Criminal Justice Research Center at University Park, the center provides a wide array of justice-related training programs and organizational development consultancy to government agencies, private firms and communities.

According to the donor, the impetus for the gift was partly a response to fallout from the high-profile murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020, which inflamed tensions between police and communities nationwide. Sustained community engagement with law enforcement entities that listen and respond to the specific concerns of constituents, the donor said, is imperative to reestablishing trust and building partnerships.

“A sense of empathy must be at the core of every police officer,” the donor said. “Being a law enforcement professional is a calling. It’s demanding. It’s difficult. We sometimes see human beings at their worst when they’re most distressed. It’s a huge responsibility to take from someone their freedom — in some cases, their life. But if we can recruit officers with a capacity for empathy, and then train them with skills in active listening, effective communication and de-escalation techniques, then they can be extraordinarily effective contributors to safe and secure communities. And in return, communities can and should expect high standards of empathy, professionalism, leadership, transparency and accountability — from every interaction, every time.”

The Criminal Justice Training Program contains a comprehensive management module sequentially covering police supervisory training, high impact supervision, leadership and command, and police executive development. A suite of specialty program topics is also available and includes training on effective report writing, field training, grant writing and managing police conduct. Delivery takes place through a combination of in-person, virtual and hybrid learning options.

Above all, the Criminal Justice Training Program uses a dynamic and evolving curriculum that puts understanding and interacting with communities at the center of its pedagogical approach.

“There’s no doubt that tactical skills are really exciting, but the truth is that communication skills are really the backbone of successful community engagement,” the donor said. “Vulnerable populations — people who are too often treated as invisible — need to feel heard and seen in an interaction, and no amount of training in tasers, batons or firearms can help that happen. JASI’s Criminal Justice Training Program, supported by its world-class expert faculty, is ideally positioned to shift the paradigm in community-engaged policing.”

Over the years, JASI’s training portfolio has expanded to include the Pennsylvania Child Support Enforcement Training Institute and the Pennsylvania Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Training Program, and it maintains close ties with law enforcement organizations such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association, the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association and the Fraternal Order of Police.

Steve Shelow, director of JASI, said the gift will have a powerful impact in extending the reach of the program.

“Over the years, the Justice and Safety Institute has leveraged its considerable expertise and resources to deliver vital training to members of law enforcement, but too often budgetary pressures at agencies prevent this training from reaching the personnel in communities that would benefit the most,” Shelow said. “This gift will create a permanent resource to bridge funding gaps, and the downstream effects will be substantial: better-trained officers, safer neighborhoods and restored trust among all the community stakeholders.”

For his part, the donor said he hopes his gift has the potential inspire other alumni and friends of the University to consider directing support to JASI.

“Police agencies in the tri-state area recognize JASI as the pinnacle of professional law enforcement training," the donor said. "My hope is that this gift can draw some attention its way and maybe convince others that bolstering its reach and resources is a worthy cause. If I can accomplish that, I’ll be satisfied I’ve made a real difference.”

Donors advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.