Why New Police Recruits in Portland Have to Walk a Mile with a Teen – Talk a Mile

One of the requirements for new police recruits in Portland doesn’t happen in an academy classroom. It happens on a track walking a mile with a high school student. In this episode of Uncomfy, we explore “Talk a Mile,” a program bringing police officers and high school students together for a simple but powerful exercise: walking a mile side-by-side while having honest conversations. ABOUT GUESTS Sgt. Aaron Schmautz - president of the Portland Police Association (https://www.portland.gov/bhr/employee-relations/labor-relations/ppa) Justin Fogarty - co-founder of Talk a Mile (https://talkamile.org) CHAPTERS (0:00) Introduction (0:42) What Is Talk a Mile (01:33) First Walk Experience (3:29) Why Youth Connection Matters (4:40) Program Origins in 2020 (7:43) Why Walking Works (9:18) Four Laps Structure (11:19) Policing Portland Challenges (12:27) Humanizing for Safety (16:21) Results and Survey Data (17:39) How to Start and Expand (19:05) Conclusion