NAACP expresses concern over new Iowa law ending police bias training mandate

The Iowa-Nebraska NAACP is criticizing a new state law, effective July 1, that eliminates the requirement for Iowa law enforcement officers to receive annual implicit bias and cultural awareness training.

The training requirement was adopted unanimously by the Iowa Legislature in 2020 as part of House File 2647, a bipartisan police reform law passed in response to the killing of George Floyd. Now, House File 2711 keeps the de-escalation training requirements, but individual agencies will now decide whether to continue bias and cultural awareness training.

Betty Andrews, president of the NAACP Iowa-Nebraska State Area Conference of Branches, said the change breaks a promise lawmakers made in 2020.

“Six years ago, Iowa lawmakers made a unanimous, bipartisan promise to strengthen public trust by requiring annual bias and cultural awareness training for law enforcement officers,” Andrews said in a press release. “House File 2711 breaks that promise. By making this training optional, the state is creating a dangerous patchwork where a person’s experience with law enforcement may depend entirely on the community in which they live.”

Andrews said that de-escalation training is not a substitute for bias training, explaining that understanding bias and cultural awareness helps prevent encounters from escalating in the first place. The NAACP was also against the HF2711’s removal of requirements that the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy should consult with civil rights organizations and community members when developing training guidelines.

According to a press release from the NAACP, Iowa’s racial disparities rank among some of the highest nationally, with Black Iowans incarcerated at roughly nine times the rate of white Iowans, down from nearly 14 times in 2007.

“If local leaders are truly committed to making every neighborhood safe and ensuring every resident is treated fairly and respectfully, they should continue this training voluntarily. Citizens should also be advocating for it with their local governments, openly holding them accountable,” Andrews said.