Law Enforcement Organization and Administration

Chapter 13

TRAINING

• Historical Perspective– Prior to turn of the 20th

Century training for police was generally not done. Officers were given a gun and badge and worked the street with a tenured officer

– First police training programs were set up around 1915

Recruit Training Today

• On average police recruits today are required to complete 760 hours of classroom training and 180 hours of field training.

Virginia Recruit Training

• Prince William County Criminal Justice Academy – 932 hours of training. Provides training for Prince William County Police and Sheriff and Dumfries Town Police

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• Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy – 776 hours of basic training. Provides training for

• Arlington County Police and Sheriff• George Mason University• Loudoun County Sheriff• Alexandria City Police and Sheriff• Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

Police• Fairfax City Police• Northern Virginia Community College Police• Falls Church Police• Leesburg Police• Middleburg Police

Purcellville Police • Manassas City Police• Manassas Park Police

• Fairfax Count Criminal Justice Academy– Provides training for

Fairfax County Police and Sheriff, the Herndon Town Police Department and the Vienna Town Police

• Basic training generally takes place after the officer is hired. In some states they allow civilians to attend a pre service academy and then apply for a police position. This helps the localities save money.

• Virginia requires all academy faculty to be trained and certified as instructors

• In Virginia, the individual is hired and goes through the academy and is sworn in as a police officer upon graduation from the academy.

• In Florida, the college system is set up so the individual gets the law enforcement certification upon successful completion of a college program at the community college level and pass a certification test.

• Upon certification the individual will seek

Field Training for Police Officers

• Recruit is pared with a field training officer (FTO) for a period of time

• FTO does daily and weekly evaluations• It is important for departments to have a

formal field training program

Field Training

• Chief Executives should view field training as a normal part of the process

• Administrative control should be in the patrol division• Programs should have written policies and clear

guidelines• Use standard evaluations for all and be evaluations

should be given every day• FTOs should be trained in how to train• FTOs should be compensated • Field training programs should be evaluated annually

• Police managers have to be confident that officers know how to do their jobs, make split second decisions, and carry out the mission of the department

Common Deficiencies in Training Programs

• Program Content – Does not fully cover all the aspects of being a police officer

• Quality Instructors – Many are not trained on how to be an instructor

• Poor facilities and equipment• Lack of formal field-training program• Outdated teaching methods• Allowing untrained officers to perform police duties• Field training deficiencies• Teaching methods

Historical Recommendations• In 1973 the National Advisory Commission on

Criminal Justice Standards published curriculum recommendations for police training.– Intro to the criminal justice system 8%– Law 10%– Human values and problems 22%– Patrol and investigation procedures 33%– Police proficiency 18%– Administration 9%

• Commission also recommended departments have in-service training programs for up to 40 hours per year

• This is mandated in Virginia

Training Curriculum at Present

• Nationally most programs can be divided into the following areas:– Administrative procedures– Administration of justice– Basic law– Police procedures– Police proficiency– Community relations

• Performance Outcomes, Training Objectives, Criteria mandated by the state of Virginia are:– Legal issues– Communication– Patrol– Investigations– Defensive tactics/use of force– Weapons Use– Driver training– Physical training– Field training

Terrorism and Emergency Management

• As a result of 9/11, police departments recognize the need for training in terrorism and emergency management

Training in Terrorism and Emergency Management

• Terrorist group identification• Intelligence gathering and reporting• Community threat analysis• Response to incidents involving weapons of mass

destruction (WMD)• Ethical issues related to post 9/11 policing• Security of critical facilities• Legal issues related to counter terrorism• Document fraud• Traumatic stress caused by WMD incidents

AIDS and Blood-borne Pathogens

• Because police can come in contact with blood and other body fluids, agencies need control plans to limit direct exposure and to administer vaccine for hepatitis B to affected employees.

Domestic Violence• In the 1990’s many departments

and states changed regulations/laws regarding police response to incidents of domestic violence. The laws require police to make an arrest.

• Police training on this issue increased to include protecting the officer from injury, listening skills, domestic violence report writing, and arrest procedures.

Use of Force and Deadly Force

• Key to this training is scenario and simulation training. This training can include role playing, case study review, and computer generated training.

Less Lethal Training

• Less lethal weapons include a wide range of devices that will in most case not cause immediate death if used properly. Purpose is to cause pain and create compliance of a combative subject.

Cultural Diversity Training

• Defined as: having empathy toward other cultures and ways of life in order to explain why people feel the way they do. Cultural diversity training prepares officers to deal with various ethnic communities

Virginia mandates that all sworn officers receive cultural diversity training at least once every 24 months.

Hate Crimes

• Hate crimes or bias crimes is defined as offenses motivated by hatred based on his or her race, religion, sexual orientation, handicap or national origin.

Virginia Hate Crime Law• Va Code • § 52-8.5. Reporting hate crimes. • A. The Superintendent shall establish and

maintain within the Department of State Police a central repository for the collection and analysis of information regarding hate crimes and groups and individuals carrying out such acts.

• B. State, county and municipal law-enforcement agencies shall report to the Department all hate crimes occurring in their jurisdictions in a form, time and manner prescribed by the Superintendent. Such reports shall not be open to public inspection except insofar as the Superintendent shall permit

• C. For purposes of this section, "hate crime" means (i) a criminal act committed against a person or his property with the specific intent of instilling fear or intimidation in the individual against whom the act is perpetrated because of race, religion or ethnic origin or that is committed for the purpose of restraining that person from exercising his rights under the Constitution or laws of this Commonwealth or of the United States, (ii) any illegal act directed against any persons or their property because of those persons' race, religion or national origin, and (iii) all other incidents, as determined by law-enforcement authorities, intended to intimidate or harass any individual or group because of race, religion or national origin.

• **Note-Va. Hate Crime law does not include sexual orientation

Specialist Training

• Officers assigned to specialized units such as investigations, vice, accident investigations and sex crimes, should have specialized training in their areas of responsibility.

Supervisory Training

• Officers promoted to sergeant enter into the supervisory training phase. As soon as practical they should be enrolled in a supervisory development course.

• If it is known that an officer will be promoted in the coming months, he/she should receive supervisory training prior to being promoted.

First Line Supervisor Training Topics• Role of supervisor and leadership skills

• Wellness program• Supervisor communications• Civil Liability• Evaluation, counseling and discipline• Intermediate law• Crime Prevention and community relations• Stress Management• Critical Incident Management• Personnel Issues• Use of deadly force• Report review• Supervisor as a trainer

Management Training

• Once promoted to the management ranks, the individual should attend senior management training. There are a variety of programs around the United States. These programs are college level studies, some which offer Master Degree credits. They range from three months in length to a few weeks.

Senior Management Training

FBI National Academy

Southern Police Institute

Southwestern Law Enforcement Institute

Senior Management Institute for Police Senior Executive Leadership Forum

Civil Liability

• Civil Liability exist in the failure to train police officers or training in a negligent fashion.