Antioch Police use EthiCards to strengthen trust through ethical leadership
“Developed by military experts, proven in combat zones, adapted for law enforcement.”
“Antioch is a true leader, here, in this space.” – Founder & CEO of EthiCards
By Antioch Police Department
Integrity in policing is built through continuous practice, open dialogue and a commitment to doing what is right every single day.
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, Lt. Franco Cesar delivered a presentation to the Antioch City Council introducing EthiCards – an innovative, scenario-based ethics training program designed to engage officers across all ranks in regular, real-world ethical problem-solving. (See 1:57:00 mark of meeting video)
EthiCards moves beyond traditional classroom lectures, putting structured ethical dilemmas directly into daily briefings and roll calls to sharpen critical thinking, promote active bystandership, and reinforce procedural justice in the field.
Following the presentation, Founder and CEO of EthiCards, Bradley Strawser, a Professor of Military Ethics and Chair of the Defense Analysis Department at the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, honored Chief Vigil and the Antioch Police Department with the “Compass Leader in Ethical Culture” certificate. This award recognizes APD’s outstanding leadership in going above and beyond to prioritize ethics, accountability, and continuous professional development for our personnel.
Strawser told the City Council, “We started this program based on over a decade of research. Most ethics approaches within law enforcement just don’t do much. It’s just sort of a check the box exercise. We’re in about 150 departments across the country, right now which sounds like a lot but it’s not. There are thousands of police departments across the country. So, really Antioch is a true leader, here, in this space.”
According to the Compass EthiCards website, they were “Developed by military experts, proven in combat zones, adapted for law enforcement” and “grounded in behavioral science and organizational psychology—research that reveals what actually drives ethical behavior.”
They are “52 expertly crafted cards with real-world policing scenarios, organized into 4 suits with ethical insights from our experts” and offer “Personalized features like marking cards as completed and saving favorites for each team member.” The company also offers access to “Access to the EthiCards app and website for your entire department—not just sworn officers,” and “Annual Deck Updates” with “a brand new set of 52 fresh scenarios to keep discussions current and relevant.”
The company claims the cards have “Reduced Misconduct, Improved Retention,” they “Lower Liability” and are “Proven Globally” and “The result: a healthier, ethical culture built from the inside out.”
Thank you to the City Council and our Antioch community for your continued support as we invest in proactive, high-standard training for our officers!
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
the attachments to this post:
EthiCards example video screenshot
APD EthiCards logo, founder & group photo ACC092226
