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Police organizations want people to better understand officers, police reform activists push for more training

The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on police training Tuesday

HARRISBURG, Pa. — As protests against police brutality continue in Central Pennsylvania and across the country, Tuesday in Harrisburg, lawmakers heard from law enforcement organizations about police training in a House Judiciary Committee. 

"You just can't put it all in one basket and say, 'this is how you're going to handle it," said Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police President John English, on police training. "We a lot of times have to make split second decisions."

English and other testifiers said some people have become too quick to judge without fully understanding the severity of situations law enforcement officers are put in, especially when use of force is involved. 

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"Anyone who's never been afraid out there is lying to you," said Les Neri, Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police. "We have to do the best job we can do, so it's not just a safe outcome for the police officer, but whoever we're dealing with." 

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However, Kevin Maxson, a police reform activist in Harrisburg says, more needs to be done to improve the disproportional rates at which black people are arrested and killed by police officers. 

"Growing up as a black man, I get scared every time I get pulled over," said Maxson. 'I'm in more fear than them because historically we get shot and gunned down. How are you in fear of me sitting in the car unarmed?"

Maxson says, more needs to be done to help what he says is the irrational fear some officers have of black people. 

"You have a vest on, a firearm," said Maxson. "You have all the mechanism for protection but you feel the need to use excessive force when you are the one with the lethal devices in your possession and rarely is the victim."

Maxson is hoping more women and people of color are also added to police departments, along with more diversity training to help officers deal with people from different backgrounds. 

Lawmakers at the hearing are looking at any ways to improve police training, along with training uniformity across the state. 

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