CJ 345 Supervisory Practices in Criminal Justice Seminar #9 Tom Piotrowski

Seminar Topic We will discuss the importance of training and what, if any, training should be mandatory for police officers? (Beyond the need to know the laws and the limits for use of force). We will discuss the purpose and goals of training.

Training

Training Training is the practical and applied side of education, designed to transmit the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to improve the employee’s problem solving ability or on the job performance in a criminal justice organization. Training must be relevant, job related, and focused on the realities of police work rather than the myths associates with it.

Two types of police training 1) In service training 2) Police Academy training

Training- Recruit Designed for newly sworn police personnel who, having met all the minimum qualifications for appointment, were commissioned as police officers, contingent upon successful completion of a rigorous (pre-service) basic police training program.

Training- Recruit Commonly referred to as “Basic Recruit Training” involves the attendance at a Police Training Academy . The Academy will provide basic training as mandated by the State. The training is considered a foundation for in-service field training by the home agency to build upon.

Training- In service In-service training is focused almost exclusively on the occupational and professional development of certified police officers through various specialized job-related training programs.

Training- In service Once the recruits successfully complete their basic training, they are usually assigned to the uniformed patrol division. Certified Field Training Officers are usually responsible for the post-academy training of all probationary patrol officers. Performance audits are conduced in the field. The process includes an extensive review and reporting system. Probationary Officers are evaluated on: Appearance Attitude Job-Related knowledge On-the-job Performance Interpersonal Relationships

In Service Training- Field Training Officer (FTO) The Field Training Officer (FTO) approach is a behavioral based training process. It is designed to give recruits the specialized tools of their occupation in a structured environment. They are then evaluated on exactly how well they use those tools in real-life situations. It is a delicate and complex process.

The training process Training is never fully accomplished and is always “in-process.” Department-sponsored police training has two very basic goals: Improve the officer’s on-the-job performance. Develop the officer’s capacity to handle even higher levels of responsibility. In other words, training should help the individual do a better job while preparing that same person for more challenging duties.

The training process continued Police trainers may perform their training function more effectively if they are aware of and understand the principles of learning and teaching. Some of these principles have special significance for police trainers and supervisors. Motivation – The readiness to learn is one of the most important factors in successful training. Effect – When the trainee is in the state of readiness in a more-or-less favorable environment, effective learning is possible.

The training process continued Individualism – Successful training is tailored to meet the needs of the officer as well as those of the Department. Relevance – All training should be directly related to the employee’s current position or future job. Active Learning – Learning by doing is considered the best form of police training. Realism – Police trainers should design the learning process to be as close as possible to the real thing (Plunket, 1992) Primacy – Training should always come before, rather than after the fact. Recency – Attitudes, skills, or knowledge learned recently are, if reinforced, remembered best. Repetition – Repetition builds habits that, if correct, leads to success, a sense of satisfaction, and a desire to repeat the things that produce pleasure.

The training process continued Reinforcement – Practice, repetition, and re-training are good reinforcers. Feedback – Feedback is a very important two-way street in law enforcement. Police officers need to know where they stand in the Department and what they can do to improve their personal skills.

The training process continued ERRORS TO AVOID: Trying to teach to much. Trying to teach to fast. Lack of communication concerning training plans. Failure to recognize individual differences. Failure to provide practice time. Failure to show the employees the big picture. Failure to give positive reinforcement. Intimidation of employees. Lack of common vocabulary The Pygmalion Effect

Civil liability for failure to train police personnel Police Departments are no longer immune to civil litigation. They can be sued for civil rights violations under federal law (42 U.S.C. 1983) known as Section 1983. Police Departments are held liable if their policies and procedures are responsible for any deprivation of rights enumerated by the U.S. Constitution. Major areas of concern are: Negligent Employment Negligent Supervision Negligent Training What is adequate training? Generally the Courts have held that training is any function that prepares one for a proper response to normal and repeated incidents that a person encounters in their duties.

Civil liability for failure to train police personnel, continued In order to make a case against the police, it must be shown that the training was inadequate due to a deliberate indifference (the need for more training was obvious) or the lack of training was a direct cause of injury. Defenses to Section 1983 actions: Absolute Immunity – The person cannot be held liable for anything done or not done. This is very limited. Examples are persons involved in judicial activities. Qualified Immunity – This is available to police and police supervisors. For supervisors, if involved in tasks that require deliberation, or judgment, such as policymaking. Probable Cause – In a false arrest or unlawful search claim, if probable cause existed, there is no liability. Good Faith – At the time of the action, the officer did not know the act was unconstitutional or there was an invalid warrant.

Civil liability for failure to train police personnel, continued Documentation, Documentation, and More Documentation! All informal (advising, coaching, counseling) and informal training activities should be thoroughly documented. Adequate record keeping is absolutely essential! These records should include: Individual training record forms. Completed examinations and quizzes. Hands-on performance demonstrations. Lesson plans.

Creative Project Create a 10-15 slide PowerPoint presentation (excluding the title and reference page) that applies critical thinking to construct persuasive arguments on the following: Defend the theories required to be successful in supervisory practices in the criminal justice field Address the following issues in your presentation:

Creative Project Include several theories that are essential for success in supervision. · Explain why the theories are important. · How the theories impact upon supervisory practices. · Support the theories with research. Submit to the dropbox by Tuesday July 19, 2011 at 11:59 PM ET.

Questions Any Questions about the seminar? Any Questions about the course? Make sure to submit all missing assignments. Have a great week. Thank you for all of your attention and participation throughout the course.