Should our Patrol officers be subjected to additional police training?

 

Roxanne Dixon

CJE 1711

Palm Beach State College

 

Abstract

The horrific tragedy of the September 11^th World Trade Center massacre came to a surprise for almost everyone, as one of many results, the critical need for new and continued training for law enforcement employees at all levels of a regime is ever growing. Due to the importance of patrolmen and their interaction with the public on a consistent base. Police officers must practice situational awareness consistently through the day. This mindset underscores the importance for routine application of training to ensure ample investigative technique, officer safety, and proficiency. Police officers are required to upstand their responsibility to make certain they that are up-to-date on modern day training, proper education, and become educated in tactics used by the criminal acts. Of course, we all know that Training and education does not only require you to sit in a classroom, it is also about hands-on training and maintaining proficiency. This paper serves as a crucial point for overseers at all levels of government regime and to see the profits of advanced training and education to government institutions, supervisors, officers, and the public.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

1. Chapter 1 – Introduction…………………………………………………………………4

2. Chapter 2 – Literary Review……………………………………………………………..5

3. Chapter 3 – Research Methods…………………………………………………………..6

4. Chapter 4 – Summary……………………………………………………………………12

5. Chapter 5 – Conclusion………………………………………………………………..…13

6. References/Works Cited…………………………………………………………………14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Chapter 1.Introduction

Knowledge is the foundation for establishing objectives and accomplishing goals. Without knowledge, one will be ineffective, unproductive, and unable to accomplish tasks at maximum efficiency. This goes with any profession, especially those fields that require the extensive interaction with human beings and the “darker” sides of human nature. Law enforcement is no different. Police officers have to be solid in their commitment to themselves, their department, and their community in order to effectively enforce the law and conduct investigations. These actions require intelligence, common sense, and diligence, all of which one cannot be born with but rather earned through experience and applied learning. Schroeder and Lombardo (2007) focus on two differing aspects of law enforcement training and the benefits therein: the officer and the supervisor. (p. 166-169) unfortunately, the authors do not emphasize the various ideas enough and only elaborate loosely. What is also missing is the larger piece of the same puzzle, which includes the department and the community itself. These four facets of the law enforcement agency make up the total body for which training and education are imperative for the future success of the entire department. This paper will focus on these four elements with a thorough explanation of why they are important and what the benefits are for the police department as a whole, the supervisors, the individual officers, and the impact on the citizens they serve.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 2. Study Plan

This essay is based off of informative information as to what is taking place in today’s society. It comes to no surprise that we see more and more shooting being taking place by our patrol officers. I would say we are encountering more of these horrific incident ever since the September 11th massacre.

I am here to not only give you the facts of how our patrol men have been trained prior to starting the force but to also persuade you as to why I believe they need more advanced training.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to touch on all states and how each individual ones conduct training, but I will give you the basics requirements of what several states require for you to be considered as a patrol men.

References: Borelli, Monier, Schroeder and Lombardo (2015)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 3.Current Training Standards

 Law enforcement officers in Arkansas begin their career with bare minimum requirements, such as being “21 years old, a U.S. citizen, show a valid driver’s license, have a  high school diploma or GED, no felony record, pass a psychological exam, and a physical given by a doctor before being hired by a law enforcement agency.” (Monier, 2010, para. 10) Though highly preferred, police applicants do not need extensive certifications or a background in law enforcement operations. After employment by a law enforcement agency, Arkansas officers can work full-time without going through any formal police academy for up to one year, with an option for an 8-month extension. (para. 5) Furthermore, firearm qualifications with most agencies in Arkansas are annual or biannual, with some officers needing several attempts to pass the basic qualification course. A minimum number of required training hours (such as 40 hours per year) for a police officer cannot be the limit; it must be the beginning. A simple mathematical look at this example shows the following: there are 52 weeks in one year, and a police officer works 40 hours per week, then the officer is on-duty roughly 2080 hours per year. If an officer only acquires the bare minimum of training hours for his/her department in a given year, then the officer is only spending roughly 1.9% of their time in training throughout a year (this result is after the first year police cadets spend in their respective academies). According to hair stylist Diana Colclasure, “Arkansas hair dressers have to go through 2,000 hours of training and pass a state board exam before even picking up a pair of scissors.” (para. 8) The problem rests with current legislation regarding state law and the employment of police officers. Surrounding states such as Mississippi and Tennessee have laws requiring the successful completion of a state-approved academy before one’s employment as a police officer. Law enforcement organizations, as well as their leaders, must be more proactive in training to reduce liabilities and improve their workforce. With respect to both fields of study, the question stands: why would hairdressers have more stringent criteria than a law enforcement officer in Arkansas would?  There are four levels of competence in a specific skill and each with a varying degree of proficiency: (Borelli, 2010, para. 4)

1.Unconscious Incompetent: At this level, we quite literally do not know what we do not know. We are very ignorant of a skill and our lack of mastery of it.

 2. Conscious Incompetent: At this level, we have been taught about the existence of a skill and how it is performed. However, we still are incapable of performing it. We have just become aware of our lack of that skill.

3. Conscious Competent: At this level, we are able to successfully demonstrate and complete a given skill with concentration and directed thought.

4. Unconscious Competent: At this level, the person can perform and demonstrate a skill without conscious thought; the officer recognizes the need to perform the skill and does so without consciously considering each step.

Borelli (2010) elaborates on how we get officers trained at maximum efficiency and proposes two ideas: spending training dollars and pushing the students. (para. 9) Departments must never reduce their training funds to compensate for anything. This is taking away the very essence of proper police work. If law enforcement officers do not adequately train and regularly update that knowledge, then most officers will have a skill proficiency at “conscious competent” with very few critical skills at the higher levels. At a minimum, most of the police skills we use on a day-to-day basis must be at “conscious competent” with the critical skills (firearms, defensive tactics, etc) being at “unconscious competent.”

Departmental Benefits:

Law enforcement departments have a specific duty to “protect and serve” within their community or area. Law enforcement agencies range from local police departments patrolling the streets of America to federal agencies responding to national and even international criminal activities. These agencies have a responsibility to put forth 100% of their effort to combat potential problems within their given geographic arena. Anything less than 100% results in grievances, liabilities, and a poor public profile, not to mention missed opportunities, distractions, and complacency. Law enforcement agencies can directly benefit in numerous ways so that not only does their public image improve but is also maintained through the acts of qualified officers that the public sees day-to-day. Public interaction is the key concept that police agencies revolve around and thereby is the most important. With that interaction, comes a need for accountability and responsibility, not only to that citizen, but also to the department, our fellow officer, and our self. A specific department can increase its services to the community and decrease its vulnerabilities with an improved training curriculum. “The expectations for security professionals have changed dramatically. If your training methods and protocols have not kept pace, and if you have not updated your means of evaluating those procedures, then your training program could prove more of a liability than an asset.” (Villines, 2010, ) Departmental training should be a fluid concept, meaning that it should adapt to the times, change with laws and regulations, and updated regularly. A training program is not set in stone. Constant training will improve officer conduct but also greatly develop their interpersonal skills throughout the department by improving competence, communications, and confidence. The idea focuses on moving the department forward with a foundation of loyalties in its staff and officers. The officers, through training and education, will see that their department is concerned about their future and taking appropriate measures to mitigate workplace problems while on duty. The agency itself will also see fewer complaints, improved and detailed reports and documentation, and a higher degree of success with specialized services (crime scene investigation, fingerprinting, field training officer programs, etc). This also gives the department a chance to assess and evaluate what the needs are for the department. For example, the department may see a group of officers interested in pursuing programs of interest, which may entail the establishment of a new division. Even though this may sound like more expenses for the department, it could lead to a much-improved and safer workforce. Lack of funds can be problematic as well. “Budgetary constraints can lead to inadequate training and equipment, which can cause unsafe working conditions.” (Pittaro, 2008, ) Budget cuts within the department usually begin with training funds. Do police departments really want to cut the lifeline for improving the officers’ future? With today’s economy, police departments are cutting back due to reduced budgets. Pay raises are taken away, holiday bonuses are cut, and sometimes days off are required without pay. Agencies keep taking away from their officers and leaving them with the bare minimum. Through all of this, if training is the last thing left for officers to look forward to also disappears, where is the motivation now to “exceed expectations”? Inadequate training, insufficient training hours, or “doing the minimum required” can lead to interdepartmental problems such as low morale, ineffective and inefficient staff, and open the door to liabilities. Not only does this affect the department but the other staff as well. This reflects in excessive sick time use and inabilities to perform certain aspects of the job where reassignment may be necessary. If you are an administrator and you want to save money down the road in liability losses, increase your training budgets now. Failing to train officers properly and adequately is a potentially colossal liability issue, for the officer, department, and community. Sending officers to additional training on a regular basis may be the most cost efficient decision a supervisor ever makes for police departments. The thought of paying a week’s salary to improve the workforce is much more appealing than paying millions for an avoidable mistake. Training and education improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the department. If officers begin to realize that their skills are not improving and education does not seem to be a priority for the department, then the officer may get what I call the “Grass is Greener Mentality.” This state of mind is the process by which an officer’s morale and motivation becomes stagnant and the officer begins to justify the act of looking for a new job at a different agency where they may apply their skills and talents in a useful manner where proactive learning and training is encouraged. Apathy sets in and the officer may think, “Since the department does not care about my training then I don’t care about the department,” resulting in skewed loyalties, inefficiency, and ineptitude. This realization shows that departments should focus on retention, because losing an officer and the years of experience they have with the department will only hinder the agency that much more in the long term. The idea is to focus on retaining those officers with long-term potential so that they remain committed to their respective department. Retention should emphasize training and education for the officers and placing a key interest to officer motivations. Retention is a need for the department due to the extensive amount of resources already applied to build the officer to who he is today. Furthermore, this department then becomes the “greener side” that other officers from other departments want to come to, thereby increasing a higher qualified applicant pool for future reference. Another key area where training and advanced education for your officers will benefit is employee engagement. This practice shows that officers are more office-friendly due to newly acquired motivations. Although interdepartmental relations and morale is important, it is not the sole basis for creating this environment. “The goal of employee engagement is not employee engagement itself—it is a better-functioning organization.” (Axelrod, 2010) Whereas improving the communications of the agency through interdepartmental training and educational seminars is imperative, agencies should focus on the effectiveness of the team, which should be the overall strategy for the entire department.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4:Summary:

 Training builds better leaders through self-improvement, self-motivation, and self-confidence. “It’s not what leaders’ do that’s important—it’s why they do it. Leadership is a motivation.” (Slap, 2010,) People become the products of their environment. This simple concept illustrates the need for the law enforcement environment to be competent, trained, and regularly informed. We, as officers, are not the same as when we began our careers. (D. Conroy, personal communication, November 16, 2010) this clearly shows that law enforcement officers evolve as years in this field increase. The criminal element also evolves. Just like the military’s philosophy of “adapt and overcome,” officers must do the same in daily operations that require common sense and a solid background in police education. Officers must stay on the cutting edge of technology and information so that any incident that crosses our paths, we will be prepared and ready. Again, the tactics we used ten years ago will not work today and will not work ten years from now. Police departments must remain comprehensive in the pursuit of new tactics to combat the criminal element and prepare their officers mentally to be vigilant in the line of duty.

Too many tragic incidents have accorded since the devastation of 9-11.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                            Chapter 5: Conclusion

Fear has been placed in our patrols hearts, with that being said, they react out of fear. To conclude, I strong believe and recommend that our patrol officers be order to take additional training. It’s not only beneficial on their behalf, but beneficial to the community as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                Reference Page

Axelrod, R. (2010). All aboard?. The Conference Board Review. Retrieved 10/12/2010 from http://www.tcbreview.com/all-aboard.php

Borelli, F. (2010, March 17). Firearms training [Online Forum Comment]. Retrieved 10/29/2010 from http://www.officer.com/interactive/2010/03/17/firearms-training/

Eterno, J. (2008). Homeland security and the benefits of college education: an exploratory study of the New York City police department’s cadet corps. Professional Issues in Criminal Justice, 3(2). Retrieved 10/11/2010 from http://kucampus.kaplan.edu/documentstore/docs09/pdf/picj/vol3/issue2/PICJ_v3n2.pdf

 Monier, J. (2010, February 18). Police training lacking in parts of Arkansas. Retrieved 11/02/2010 from http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/local/021710-police-traininglacking-in-parts-of-arkansas

Pittaro, M. (2008). Police occupational stress and its impact on community relations. Police Forum, 17(1). Retrieved 11/03/2010 from http://www.sulross.edu/policeforum/docs%5Carchives%5CVolume_17_Number_1.pdf Schroeder, D., & Lombardo, F. (2006). Management and supervision of law enforcement personnel. Charlottesville, VA: Matthew Bender & Company.

Slap, S. (2010, October 01). Fully committed?. Conference Board Review. Retrieved 11/11/2010 from http://www.tcbreview.com/fully-committed.php

Strom, K, et al. (2010). Building on clues: examining successes and failures in detecting U.S. terrorist plots, 1999-2009. Institute for Homeland Security Solutions. Retrieved 11/07/2010 from https://www.ihssnc.org/portals/0/Building_on_Clues_Strom.pdf

 Villines, J. (2010, October). Training: asset or risk. Security Magazine. Retrieved 11/02/2010 from http://digital.bnpmedia.com/display_article.php?id=515448