NCJ Number
72035
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 67 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1980) Pages: 16-19
Date Published
1980
Length
4 pages
Annotation
A staff member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) argues that proper inservice training upgrades officer performance and decreases the likelihood of complaints and potential litigation.
Abstract
Courts typically ask questions concerning officer inservice training in cases where legal injury is caused, in part, by inadequate training. The IACP recommends that every officer should receive 80 hours of inservice training each year. A total inservice training program would consist of several elements: continual inservice training, yearly refresher training, specialized training, and concentrated training aimed at a specific jurisdictional problem. Agencies who wish to establish such programs may run into varied difficulties including cost, labor agreements, standardization or uniform instruction within an agency, and interest. Scheduling modules may be monthly, weekly, or daily; also, roll-call training, which has the advantage of reaching personnel in all shifts and divisions, may be used. Training materials should be of oerational value to police officers, factual, and based on reliably researched information. Training effectiveness can be measured by field observation, community response, and written and oral testing. Officer feedback, program evaluation, and attendance of administrators and command personnel are important. Finally, most inservice training sessions should be conducted by first-line supervisors using material provided by the agency.