Date: Thursday, September 27, 2021
To: West Virginia Chiefs of Police, Sheriffs, and Superintendents
From: Jeff S. Sandy, Cabinet Secretary, CFE, CAMS
Re: Invitation to Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Training Event
I hope this letter finds both you and those who fall under your command safe and healthy. I am writing you this letter to personally invite you to participate in The West Virginia Law Enforcement Initiative: Project EQ. Project EQ has been created to introduce law enforcement agencies to comprehensive emotional intelligence (EQ) training. Emotional intelligence training has already commenced with the entire Charleston Police Department and every basic officer and cadet being trained at the West Virginia State Police Academy since February 2021. Officers from both entities are expressing growing understanding and confidence in moving forward with their careers by developing strategies to maintain their strengths and improve upon their weaknesses while communicating with others. Since implementing emotional intelligence training, the Charleston Police Department is reporting officer misconduct complaints have declined 37% and use of force incidents have declined 45%. With this training, both departments are also pinpointing specific types of social intelligence training which helps each officer achieve cultural competency.
On October 20th , 2021 , from 9am-4pm, you and 39 other West Virginia law enforcement leaders (chiefs, sheriffs, and superintendents) are being invited to convene at the Charleston, WV Coliseum and Convention Center to receive emotional intelligence training entitled "21 2! Century Policinq: Identifyinq Unconscious Biases and Unlockinq Emotional Intelligence."
Sponsored by the State of WV Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, WV Department of Education, Jobs and Hope WV, City of Charleston, Charleston Police Department, and TalentSmartEQ, this historic gathering will be the first of three training events for West Virginia's law enforcement leaders with the overall goal of introducing emotional intelligence to every law enforcement officer in our state. With your presence at the training, and participation with this initiative, our approximately 3,500 law enforcement officers in our state will have a tool that will help them thrive both professionally and personally.
Please take time to RSVP Errol Randle by email at erandIe304@gmail.com or by calling (304)993-9998 by October 8th , 2021. Once you've RSVP'd, you will be emailed instructions on necessary correspondence that you will need to complete prior to the training.
With your help, our West Virginian law enforcement officers can set the standard for our entire country by mastering their own emotional intelligence and serving our community appropriately and effectively.
Click here for more information about the Project EQ initiative.