NCJ Number
211396
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 32 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2005 Pages: 70,72,78
Date Published
September 2005
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article describes lessons learned in recent changes in law enforcement training in Tennessee and Ohio that have sought to introduce more realism into training scenarios.
Abstract
The Tennessee Highway Patrol's (THP's) shift toward more systematic reality-based training (RBT) was evident in 2002 when the setting for training changed to provide less time sitting and listening in classrooms and more time outdoors in teams. Over the last 2 years, the THP training program has built a "shoot house" for use in role-play. Troopers are required to fire weapons from various positions, and low-light training is required every other year. Much of the training involves role playing in which trainees interact with instructors trained in role playing that simulates known behaviors of offenders. RBT give trainees a chance to make mistakes and learn from them without having to experience the consequences of the mistake in a similar situation in the field. In Ohio, a consortium of 7 law enforcement agencies sponsors training for 100 other agencies in the region. Known as Southeast Area Law Enforcement (SEALE), its academy's adventure into RBT was similar to that of the THP. Simulation props and scenarios used in training imitate field environments and various past events actually experienced by officers. This article also discusses the selection of trainers for RBT and offers suggestions for funding resourcefulness in RBT.