NCJ Number
225582
Journal
THE POLICE CHIEF Volume: 75 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2008 Pages: 28-30,32,35,37,39
Date Published
November 2008
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article identifies and discusses key features of an effective police training program.
Abstract
One key element of training is vision, which involves knowledge of and insightful assessment of current and past training practices, as well as an appreciation of the challenges, needs, and opportunities for the future. Other key elements of training are mission, values, and goals. The mission to be served by training must always be at the forefront of planning and assessment. Values to be implemented in the course of the mission are also important. These include service excellence, continuous improvement, stewardship, creativity, integrity, and professionalism. In addition, identifying and selecting the right staff is crucial in ensuring that the training effectively serves the mission, values, and goals of the agency. Further, training requires strong team members who will lead the enterprise by creating excitement, demonstrating relevance, and importing a sense of importance and urgency to students through the topics covered. An important aspect of creating a team environment is trust. Coordinators must be able to trust team members, which develops based on integrity, honesty, commitment, open-mindedness, and a willingness to innovate. Virtually all the critical elements of training are impeded when funding is insufficient to sustain the best efforts of the agency and its personnel with the resources needed. Other important features of a training enterprise are autonomy for the training team, the cultivation of innovation, accountability for performance, and the promotion of relationship building that fosters unselfish commitment to team efforts. The article concludes with an outline of future challenges for police training.