New Blue, a national police fellowship program focused on building community trust through innovative public safety solutions, announces that the LGBTQIA+ community interaction training curriculum developed by 2025 Fellow Sgt. Jake Lepper of University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department will be implemented statewide across all Wisconsin police academies.
MADISON, Wis., Dec. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- New Blue is proud to announce that the innovative training curriculum developed by 2025 New Blue Fellow Sgt. Jake Lepper of University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department will now be implemented statewide across all Wisconsin police academies. Sgt. Lepper's New Blue Solution is a groundbreaking, evidence-based program designed to strengthen officers' understanding of and interactions with LGBTQIA+ community members, fostering safety, trust, and dignity for all Wisconsinites.
Sgt. Lepper's curriculum equips future officers with practical tools to build rapport, reduce bias, and navigate sensitive situations with professionalism and empathy. The program includes scenario-based learning, guidance on respectful communication, and instruction on the diverse lived experiences within LGBTQIA+ communities.Sgt. Lepper and his community partner will also be hosting a Wisconsin DOJ webinar in Spring 2026 to provide this lesson to law enforcement leaders and other stakeholders across the state. Wisconsin's decision to adopt the curriculum statewide marks a major milestone in the movement toward more community-centered policing.
This initiative reflects New Blue's mission to create a shared vision of public safety: one where police and communities work together to build systems that serve everyone. New Blue empowers police leaders of all ranks and community stakeholders to collaborate directly on evidence-based solutions that address real-world challenges in policing. Through the New Blue-UVA Batten Foundation Fellowship, officers work with their community partners to co-design policies and practices that improve agency culture, enhance community well-being, and ensure that solutions are grounded in both lived experience and operational realities. The Fellowship culminates in a Certificate in Leadership from the University of Virginia's Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy Foundation. Upon graduating the program, Fellows implement their solutions within their agencies, but in the case of Sgt. Lepper, his New Blue Solution will have an even greater reach.
"We are thrilled to see Sgt. Lepper's transformative work adopted throughout Wisconsin," said Det. Brittany Nestor, co-founder of New Blue. "This is exactly what happens when police take initiative to really listen to the people they serve: meaningful, practical solutions that make the system more effective, our communities safer, and all of us more human."
New Blue congratulates Sgt. Lepper on this achievement and looks forward to continuing to support law enforcement leaders and community members across the nation who are committed to building a healthier, more trusted, and more responsive public safety system. For more information on how agencies can participate in the Fellowship, contact [email protected].
Media Contact
Kristin Daley, New Blue, 1 7814432027, [email protected], https://newblue.org
SOURCE New Blue
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