NCJ Number
125313
Date Published
1990
Length
41 pages
Annotation
Focusing on District of Columbia police recruit qualifications and training program operations between August 1982 and early 1990, the report addresses questions pertaining to changes in the police academy course of study and academic requirements, the number of recruit termination recommendations overturned by officials above the Director of Training level, the police academy instructor selection and training process, and the procedure for obtaining accreditation.
Abstract
Training staff at the academy were interviewed, and course syllabi, grade sheets, and Recruit Officer Handbooks were reviewed to determine changes in the course of study and graduation requirements. The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. and three police departments, one in Houston and two in Connecticut, were visited to research the accreditation process. Frequent changes have occurred in the academy's course of study and performance standards. The hours of instruction recruits receive have ranged from 294 to 880. An absence of academy documentation regarding termination actions against recruits prevented an independent determination of the number of such actions disapproved by Metropolitan Police Department officials above the Director of Training Level. A formal selection process is used to select academy instructors who receive both classroom and on-the-job training. The five-phase accreditation process begins with an application to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. Once declared eligible, the agency completes a profile questionnaire describing its organization and management, provides documentation of its compliance with accreditation standards, and submits to an on-site assessment to verify agency compliance. 7 appendixes.