Today, Mayor Wheeler and Chief Lovell announce the selection of Rebecca Arredondo Yazzie, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW as the Civilian Dean of Training at the Portland Police Bureau.
"Dr. Yazzie brings a great deal of experience in adult education through a social work lens, which will add important perspectives to the good work at PPB’s Training Division. I look forward to supporting her in this important work,” said Mayor Ted Wheeler.
The hiring and selection process for Dr. Yazzie was led by Chief Lovell and Mayor Wheeler, and included input from community members, City Commissioners’ and/or their offices, the Albina Ministerial Alliance, the Police Bureau’s Equity and Inclusion Manager and a member of their training division. \
The City will host a virtual Community Forum with Dr. Yazzie on May 15, 2023, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and she will start her new position in June. Additional information regarding the Community Forum will be announced soon.
Per release from the Portland Police Bureau,the Training Division is responsible for ongoing training delivered through the Learning Management System, as well as annual in-service training for Bureau members, Advanced Academy, Sergeant’s Academy and the Community Academy. It is also responsible for all recruits and their training during their probationary period. Adding a Civilian Dean of Training was proposed internally a few years ago, but it became a reality recently when the appropriate funding was granted, and it was incorporated into the City's agreement with the Department of Justice.
The Training Dean will facilitate the design, development, and delivery of training programs for the Portland Police Bureau’s Training Division. They will provide professional development and continuing education to Training Division instructors to ensure that all personnel are highly qualified and well equipped to perform their duties in and provide expertise in developing engaging and effective programs for adult learners through classroom instruction, interactive exercises, role-playing scenarios and on-demand, web-based modules.
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