NCJ Number
118751
Date Published
1988
Length
83 pages
Annotation
This monograph examines the role of authoritarian-based police training by the year 2000, so as to assist California police agencies in planning for the multifaceted training environment that will be required to meet the needs of tomorrow's police agencies and the communities they serve.
Abstract
An examination of the training environments of the military academies found that they have developed a system for indoctrinating first-year cadets and midshipmen with discipline and military bearing without using demeaning treatment or senseless punishments. This has resulted in fewer dropouts and better qualified graduates. With the help of an assessment group, this study identified five trends that will potentially impact police recruit training: expanding police job requirements, minority population growth, increased legislative influence on police training, the decreasing use of high-stress police academy training, and increasing special-interest group focus on law enforcement. These trends were cross-impacted against five selected potential events; and from this data, scenarios were developed to identify a normative future. A plan for bringing police recruit training into the year 2000 calls for establishing a fellowship for the research and study of a recommended police academy training environment, expanding the scope of study nationwide to include State and Federal law enforcement training centers and military training academies, and creating a future-oriented police academy model environment. To implement this strategic plan, a transition plan is proposed. Appended supplementary information, 22 notes, 16-item bibliography. (Author summary modified)