Reimagining Policing - Mental Health & Change with Jeff Wenninger on The Healers Café & Manon Bolliger

In this episode of The Healers Café, Manon Bolliger, FCAH, RBHT (facilitator and retired naturopath with 30+ years of practice) speaks to Jeff about the need to reimagine policing in the 21st Century, emphasizing the importance of incorporating community input and addressing societal expectations. He highlights the critical failure of law enforcement in managing the narrative post-incidents, which erodes public trust. Weninger notes that 36% of officer-involved shootings involve individuals in mental health crises, and stresses the need for better training and de-escalation tactics. He advocates for hiring practices that prioritize education and empathy, and suggests incorporating civilian experts to improve law enforcement's effectiveness and public perception.

For the transcript and full story go to: https://www.drmanonbolliger.com/jeff-wenninger    

Highlights from today's episode include:

Jeff advocats for reimagining policing by prioritizing transparency, community involvement, and honest conversations about law enforcement’s role and culture.

Jeff recommends adopting hiring and training practices similar to Nordic countries, emphasizing empathy, critical thinking, and multi-year training to reduce use-of-force incidents.

Manon drew a parallel between the challenges in law enforcement and medicine, stressing the importance of maintaining the heart and soul of a profession despite institutional pressures.

 

ABOUT JEFF WENNINGER:

Jeff Wenninger is a nationally recognized expert in law enforcement as a retired Lieutenant with over 33 years of experience primarily with the LAPD. As the Founder & CEO of Law Enforcement Consultants, LLC, Jeff draws from his vast experience in the investigation and adjudication of police use of force incidents, crowd management and control, school and campus safety, and the development of police management best practices. His work focuses on aligning police methods with societal expectations and improving public trust by administering comprehensive evaluations and recommendations to police departments, municipalities, and universities aimed at enhancing police training, reducing liability, improving safety, and fostering better community efficacy. Jeff is a recognized court use of force expert with experience testifying in criminal and civil cases as well as administrative hearings.

Having worked the LAPD elite Metropolitan Division, Jeff obtained extensive experience working with the Secret Service and U.S. State Department in coordinating dignitary protection details for the President, Vice President, First Lady, and any Head of State visiting Los Angeles. With this experience, he later oversaw the security of some prominent entertainers, and the venue security of a Major League Baseball team.
Despite challenges in his youth to overcome dyslexia and a speech impediment, Jeff excelled athletically and academically, earning a college scholarship for ice hockey and obtaining degrees in sociology, psychology and criminal justice. Jeff recognizes the historical value of traditional policing, but also appreciates the empirical evidence which supports that equally, if not more importantly, how research data can significantly impact the future of law enforcement. He built a distinguished career in law enforcement, beginning with receiving the Certificate of Merit for having the highest level of achievement of overall performance while in the academy & i.e. academics, physical fitness, firearms proficiency, and leadership. Throughout his career, Jeff was selected for coveted positions that included working in the elite LAPD Metropolitan Division, supervising the Rampart Gang Enforcement Detail, and managing police lethal force investigations used in evaluating potential criminal