NCJ Number
79523
Journal
Tijdschrift voor de politie Volume: 40 Issue: 2 Dated: (1978) Pages: 67-72
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The goals and curriculum of modern police training in the Netherlands are illustrated with the example of the South Nederlands Institute for municipal police training in Heerlen.
Abstract
The existing basic training program for police officer trainees lasts 40 to 42 weeks. During this time, trainees devote about 40 percent of their time to legal technical subjects such as criminal law and procedure, traffic law, civil rights and government, reports, criminal investigation, and official procedures. About 27 percent of all training time is spent on physical education (i.e., self-defense, boxing, gymnastics, swimming, and various other sports), as well as to use of weapons. A training team of a pedagogue and a psychologist provides social training to improve candidates' knowledge of themselves, of society, and of the role of the police in society. Social skills areas include elementary social behavior, background in social attitudes, personality training, and function within the police organization. Lectures on such subjects as rehabilitation and social services, cultural excursions, and music evenings are also part of the social curriculum, which makes up 22 percent of training time. Finally, about 11 percent of training time is devoted to practical police behavior, such as police skills, and integrated testing of the material relating to human interaction. Role playing and multidisciplinary teaching are particularly valuable in this area. In the author's opinion, more time should be spent on social skills and practical police behavior to give trainees insight into the practical skills required. The author also recommends a new three-stage training model in which the first 7 months are devoted to legal-technical and physical training at a training institute, the second 6 months are spent in practical training in a police unit which is not too small, and the last 9 months at the training institute focus particularly on social skills and practical police behaviors.