Why New Police Recruits in Portland Have to Walk a Mile with a Teen – Talk a Mile
From Uncomfy: Sticking with Moments That Challenge Us by BYUradio
May 6, 2026 · 21 min · Season 2026 · Episode 18
About this episode
This episode explores the 'Talk a Mile' program in Portland, where police recruits walk a mile with high school students to foster honest conversations and community connections.
One of the requirements for new police recruits in Portland doesn’t happen in an academy classroom. It happens on a track walking a mile with a high school student. In this episode of Uncomfy, we explore “Talk a Mile,” a program bringing police officers and high school students together for a simple but powerful exercise: walking a mile side-by-side while having honest conversations. ABOUT GUESTS Sgt. Aaron Schmautz - president of the Portland Police Association (https://www.portland.gov/bhr/employee-relations/labor-relations/ppa) Justin Fogarty - co-founder of Talk a Mile (https://talkamile.org) CHAPTERS (0:00) Introduction (0:42) What Is Talk a Mile (01:33) First Walk Experience (3:29) Why Youth Connection Matters (4:40) Program Origins in 2020 (7:43) Why Walking Works (9:18) Four Laps Structure (11:19) Policing Portland Challenges (12:27) Humanizing for Safety (16:21) Results and Survey Data (17:39) How to Start and Expand (19:05) Conclusion
People in this episode
Guests: Sgt. Aaron Schmautz, Justin Fogarty
Topics covered
- police training
- youth engagement
- community relations
- honest conversations
- program origins
- walking exercise
Keywords
- police recruits
- Talk a Mile
- Portland
- youth connection
- community safety
- honest conversations
- program origins
- walking exercise
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Portland Police Association, Talk a Mile
Places: Portland
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