BREAKING THE ICE - REALISTIC STATE TROOPER TRAINING ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE FACTS AND ATTITUDES (FROM PROCEEDINGS OF FIRST INTERNATIONAL ACTION CONFERENCE ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE, NOVEMBER 1977, V 3 - INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION)

• NCJ Number: 60029
• Author(s): F N BOEDER
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Do It Now Foundation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS PRESENTATION DESCRIBES THE INITIATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE TRAINING FOR WISCONSIN STATE TROOPERS, WITH PARTICULAR FOCUS ON ATTITUDES ENCOUNTERED AND TRAINING CONTENT.

Abstract

FOLLOWING TWO YEARS OF UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS TO INVOLVE LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL WITH A LEAA-FUNDED ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE TRAINING PROGRAM, THE STATE PATROL TRAINING DIRECTOR SET UP A MEETING WITH THE SPEAKER TO PLAN FOR INSERVICE TRAINING OF PATROL MEMBERS. THE MEETING DEMONSTRATED THE TRAINER'S MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT POLICE OFFICERS AND THE NEED TO CHANGE HIS OWN ATTITUDES. THE TRAINING FORMAT CHOSEN WAS TWO FOUR-HOUR SESSONS, THE FIRST ON AN AFTERNOON AND THE SECOND THE FOLLOWING MORNING, IN ORDER TO ALLOW BOTH HOMEWORK AND INFORMAL INTERACTION DURING THE EVENING. THE LARGELY NEGATIVE RESPONSE TO THE FIRST TRAINING SESSION LED TO THE ADDITION OF TWO FILMS AND A TALK ON SEARCH AND SEIZURE OF DRUGS. THE TRAINING AGENDA INCLUDED INTRODUCTORY REMARKS DESIGNED TO CREATE AN INFORMAL TONE, A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF DRUGS, ECONOMICS OF THE DRUG INDUSTRY, DRUG SEARCH AND SEIZURE, ARREST AND INCIDENT REPORTS, DEFINITIONS FROM PHARMACOLOGY, DRUG IDENTIFICATION AND SLANG TERMS, AND ABUSES OF ALL SUBSTANCES INCLUDING DRUGS. TROOPERS WERE TOLD TO CHECK INDIVIDUALS DRIVING ERRATICALLY FOR OTHER PHYSICAL OR MENTAL CONDITIONS, USE OF PRESCRIBED DRUGS, AND ABILITY TO PASS PHYSICAL TESTS SUCH AS TOUCHING THE NOSE, SINCE ONLY ALCOHOL ABUSERS CAN BE DETECTED ON THE BREATHALZYER TEST. PRETESTING AND POSTTESTING OF THE TRAINING SESSIONS DEMONSTRATED SUBSTANTIAL LEARNING AND THE PROGRAM WAS JUDGED A SUCCESS. TRAINING POLICE IN THIS AREA IS ESPECIALLY RECOMMENDED BECAUSE POLICE HAVE THE FIRST CONTACT WITH OFFENDERS WHO USE DRUGS, ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS, PROVIDE FIRSTLINE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, HAVE THE MANPOWER TO PERFORM THIS FUNCTION, AND HAVE A STRONG IMPACT ON DRUG LAWS. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT POLICE TRAINERS RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN ATTITUDES, AVOID OVERREACTING TO NEGATIVE COMMENTS, AND EMPHASIZE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF INFORMATION. THE ADDRESS WHICH TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS GIVEN. (CFW)