NCJ Number
137327
Date Published
1992
Length
81 pages
Annotation
This study addressed the issue of identified skills and abilities that will be required of future law enforcement applicants and the declining level of qualified candidates from which to recruit by the year 2001.
Abstract
The study focus was on what special training programs will be required to prepare applicants for entry into police academies. It incorporated a review of the literature, interviews with subject matter experts, and a survey of law enforcement training managers who identified critical skill and ability needs of future law enforcement officers. The Nominal Group Technique was used to project five trends: level of literacy needed by entry-level police officers, level of technical training in police academies, public expectations of law enforcement officers, public funding, and public expectations to include more police officers from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Five events were forecasted that involved computer literacy required by police academy graduates, voice-activated computers for report writing, mandated increase in length of police academy training, California requirement of a literacy test for high school graduates, and law enforcement requirement of a 12th grade reading level. Strategic and transition management plans were developed that evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of the training community and established policies for training program improvement. It was determined that special pre-academy training programs need to be implemented as soon as possible to ensure a continued level of qualified applicants from which to recruit. Twenty appendixes contain supplemental information on the study procedures and analysis. 43 references and 23 endnotes