NCJ Number
212743
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 72 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2005 Pages: 92-96
Date Published
December 2005
Length
5 pages
Annotation
After briefly considering factors that should be addressed before and after employing a police officer who has worked for another law enforcement agency (lateral transfer), this article focuses on training issues.
Abstract
Some factors that must be considered in lateral transfers are any differences in policing philosophy between the receiving agency and the previous agency, how well the officer will fit with the image of the receiving department, and the degree to which the lateral-transfer officer must change in complying with the policies and procedures of the new department. The article warns against unwittingly accepting rogue officers who have performed poorly in previous agencies, as well as engaging in efforts to attract officers from other agencies ("poaching"). The major section of this article addresses training issues after hiring a lateral-transfer officer. In order to determine the type of training the officer requires before assuming street duty with the new department, it is important to obtain and assess the transferee's complete training record. Although the transferee will have completed a law enforcement training program at an academy and passed a State exam before becoming a sworn officer, the transferee must learn the local ordinances of the new jurisdiction, departmental policies and strategies for enforcing those laws, and State laws if the officer is transferring from another State. Other training for the transferee pertains to the use of the equipment issued by the department, notably the use of the particular firearms issued by the agency. Prior to assuming active duty, a transferee should be tested in the skills and knowledge required to function effectively and safely with departmental equipment under the department's policies and procedures in enforcing the laws and ordinances of the new jurisdiction.