Topeka Police Rebuild Trust After Training Scandal | Topeka News

A Topeka Police Chief is taking bold steps to rebuild trust after a damning 2019 training slide surfaced — one that told officers to “have a plan to kill.” Though the slide is now retired and new training focused on de-escalation and communication is being rolled out, community outcry remains high, especially after a recent pepper spray incident at a Walmart that sparked social media outrage. Chief Chris Vallejo defended the officer’s actions using full body cam footage, but acknowledged the department’s past failures and pledged accountability — even though he wasn’t there when the slide was used. He’s bringing in an outside council to help reshape training and is committed to transparency, saying the department is working hard to align with community expectations and earn back public confidence. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/88530b0cf1c4d708