Importance Of Police Training

Also, I would be aware of officers applying with the sole motivation of advancing their own careers rather than having the true motivation of training new officers (Scoville, 2005). There would have to be a minimum amount of time served on patrol, and depending on the size of the agency, the time requirement could be different. I would say 5 years is a good starting point. Data has suggested that FTO’s can become “burnt-out” due to the long shifts and constant flow of new officers rotating in (Doerner, 2012). Officers that possess a strong quality of patients are essential. I would require FTO’s to pass a FTO trainers course consisting of at least 40 hours. The course will provide the qualification of becoming certified as an instructor. I would seek officers that have a diverse qualification background such as K-9, anti-gang/drug, traffic, and homicide, which would expose new officers to the many faucets of police work. Although not a qualification, FTO selection would be strictly reserved for officers that are absolutely honest, have a tough work ethic, and exemplifies moral principals. The long-term impact FTOs have on new officers cannot be

Some departments offer better insurance packages to the new recruits or more flexible sifts. Some departments even provide take home vehicles for their officers. The police recruiters have to come up with new ways of connecting with new recruits. During this century the technology has gotten so advanced with computers, cell phones and different ways to collect evidence the new recruits need to be knowledgeable or have the ability and willingness to learn.

Training is one of the most important roles at a law enforcement agency. It is never-ending as “concepts, theories, philosophies, practices, procedures, and techniques are constantly changing to meet social needs” (Iannone et al, 2009, p. 60). Without training, even the best officer will turn into one that is not respected by his peers or society. Gone are the days when an officer is sent to the training academy and has no more except for yearly inservice. This can be accomplished with field training after the academy, roll call training, inservice, emailed updates from the training staff, and outside the agency training. It does not always have to be expensive. Most think that the effectiveness of training can’t be measured, but successful training can easily be seen through “higher morale, less job stress with its high economic cost, greater esprit de corps, a lessened need for punitive discipline, greater effectiveness, in crime suppression, increased public support and confidence, fewer errors, better

As you progress towards becoming a police officer, you must obviously go through rigorous training programs. Of these training programs, people must go to a police academy in order to train new officers. In these academies, training is committed to the basics of combat policing such as self-defense, firing range, and field tactics. Police Academies usually take roughly 12 to 14 weeks to train soon-to-be officers on these important basic tactics (BLS, 2010-11).

The length of police training varies but on average it is five months. It is important for police officers to learn how to interact with not only our everyday citizens but those who also need a little more attention. Not everyone is the same and we cannot deal with each person the same. Addicts and those who are mentally ill might have a harder time to understand the situation. This does not mean the officer on the scene may instantly use force to make them understand the situation.

Hours and hours of training and classes are mandatory before an officer is allowed to go on patrol. For instance on average a police recruit spends 761 hours in a class room going over everything from proper use of force, to when should my use of force be escalated as well as on average of spending 453 hours on a mandatory field component to further hone their skills(bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov). Now why with all of this training would it be thought that police officers are not subject matter experts in their field? Why is it that everyone feels that police officers do not know there job well or that they constantly do certain things they aren’t supposed to? Maybe it stems from an overall lake of respect for police officers that a good majority have, or possible that media itself show police officers a good majority of the time to be blundering idiots or the bad guys. Either way simple numbers do not lie. Police officers are given a considerable amount of training pertaining to using the tools at their disposal as well as the proper escalation and use of force, so there really can’t be someone crying wolf on that police officer have no idea, knowledge, or training pertaining to their job field.

Officer DiPace believes militiary experiene can help in the fieild of police work. Military experience is helpful in learning how to work in a team oriented environment. Individuals with military experience usually adapt well to life as a police officer. Though not always thought of as a skill, being a good listener and communicator is something that will always be useful in dealing with stressful situations that a officer may encounter. In general, the most useful skill is the desire to have a meaningful and positive impact on the community. A desire to help others is very important as a police officer as it can serve as a driving force during diffcult

Looking at the training on the local level in relation to that of the training academy in Bristol offers a stark difference in the time to train the local law enforcement. The training guide to law enforcement offers that the average training program for local police is about six weeks of training (Academy, 2008). The levels of training reflects the needs of the law enforcement officer and the occurrences that the officer will likely encounter in the field on his patrol. The training of officers usually consists of a classroom part and a field training part. The sessions of training often provide the officers with a balance for the skills and techniques that the officer will likely employ in the field. Such skills and techniques as firearms training, handcuffing, and paperwork preparation are usually training received at a police academy.

At that time the police academy was still a relative new concept for most police departments. It was quickly discovered that there needed to be a bridge between the academy (theory) and police work (reality).

Lawyers and psychologists require even more schooling, a minimum of around eight years. Police officers end up being all of these things, and more. To obtain the real goal of law, and prevent crime, officers must have the trust and respect of the community they serve. "Instead, policing has been defined as uneducated people's work" (Fyfe, 262). Many citizens feel that the people protecting them are not as smart as they are. This leads to disrespect, and a sense of superiority within the community. With disrespect comes uncooperation, something any department would be worlds better without. If officers were required to obtain more basic schooling, and focus on social issues and psychology more during training, they would be better equipped to take up the position of law enforcement in any community. Besides the obvious benefit of being more adept at dealing with citizens, there would be added bonuses in police departments requiring more strenuous schooling. With four years of general education, officers would inherently become acquainted with a wide range of topics that they might not otherwise be exposed to with the minimal curriculum now required. Foreign language, art, and psychology classes would be especially useful in exposing up and comers to the varied environments they might encounter in their careers. Most importantly, people in the community would have a new respect for the

Once considered for employment you than go through an intense training. This is done to determine if you are physically, mentally, and emotionally fit for the job. There are a lot of police positions that offer college reimbursement to study criminal justice law. This is to entice the officer to get more educated when it comes to their position as a law enforcement officer. Police administrators are more concerned with factors such as keeping officers representing the communities they serve, or that instituting a minimum college requirement may be discriminatory against women and subgroups (Peak, 2013.)

I agree education is something that will be a necessity within law enforcement. The growth of technology has changed the playing field for law enforcement and the pass requirement for a police officer to just depend of their street smarts in not enough. The new era police officer is required to not only be street smart, but also book smart. That combination strengthens law enforcement position, especially with the expansion of technology.

There are pros and cons to the military-style police academy training. The best thing about the training is that it makes the cadets mentally tough. “Mental toughness has been described as one of the most important variables in determining success in high stress environments” (Fitzwater, Arthur, & Hardy, 2018, p. 93). Due to the high stress levels associated with police work, police officers must be mentally tough. Another benefit to the military-style police academy training is the fitness aspect.

Some people believe that becoming a police officer takes years of training. Well, that statement is incorrect. According to the CNN News (2016, [online]), many “[s]tates require more training to become a barber than a police officer.” For instance, in California, it takes 1528 hours to become a barber and only 664 hours to become a police officer (Yan, 2016). This news may be shocking, but it is true. However, it is not that easy in every state. Police Officer EDU stated that depending on that state; it can take up to six years to become a police officer, including education, application, the hiring process, the police academy, and probation (2017). On a police officer’s badge are two important words: protect and serve. Those are the qualities everyone expects from police officers. However, are they living up to their expectations? Is the training they receive teaching them the skills necessary to perform their job?

Claim: This essay argues that though having tertiary qualifications can be a helpful tool, it should not be a requirement because everything that is needed to know is learned at the police academy and on the job with other experienced officers.