For years, our communities have been crying out to police departments to "be better." Communities want police departments they can believe in. Unfortunately, each wrongful conviction brought to light damages the bridge of trust even further. Several years ago, the Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) implemented an elective class at a police training academy to educate recruits about wrongful convictions and how law enforcement can help prevent mistakes. In 2023, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board mandated this class be a part of the required curriculum at each of the state's eight police academies. Today, a retired law enforcement officer leads IIP's Wrongful Conviction Awareness and Avoidance program featuring IIP attorneys and exonerees from across the country. IIP has educated over 1,000 police recruits from departments in Illinois. Please join us for a panel discussion of how this pioneer program is impacting law enforcement in Illinois and across the country.