“Street Cop Training” is coming to Kissimmee. The conference starts Sunday at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee.
It’ll span five days, with multiple presentations including a leadership seminar by Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivy.
The controversial training has been prohibited in nine states including New Jersey, where the company founder, Dennis Benigno, was once a street cop.
The New Jersey comptroller said the following quote is what Benigno said at a 2021 Atlantic City conference:
“Shut the (expletive) up, right? About to get pepper-sprayed, (expletive) Tased, windows broken out, (expletive).”
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Benigno was talking about people who record police interactions.
Last year, the state comptroller said the company taught unconstitutional policing tactics describing the conference as “lewd, disparaging and glorifying violence.”
News 6 reporter Treasure Roberts emailed Benigno about the training and a viral TikTok video that showed pictures of a slide allegedly presented at his conference that read, “African American complaints hold less weight as they are known to be criminals.”
He replied with this statement:
Central Florida law enforcement agencies are moving with caution, though.
Orlando police and Volusia County deputies won’t be attending the conference.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said they’re aware of the past concerns about the program.
They plan to send two members of their training section to assess whether it is professional.
News 6 Law Enforcement Analyst Orlando Rolon said, “Training is the most important component of any law enforcement agency and for officers to receive the proper training is more critical today than it ever was before.”
He believes what the speakers said during the previous conference was inappropriate adding officers shouldn’t be exposed to a situation like that.
For officers who plan to attend the training, this is what Rolon had a message.
” I can only hope that those officers will basically stand to the test of what they have signed up for which is to serve and protect and to do so with honor,” he said.
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