1. Dr. Gregg W. Etter Sr. , Ed.D. University of Central Missouri
In-Service Training of Older Law Enforcement Officers: An Andragogical Argument
Dr. Gregg W. Etter Sr. , Ed.D.
University of Central Missouri

2. Introduction
Law enforcement officers come in all ages, genders, races, and sizes.
The age range of law enforcement officers varies widely from entry level at about 21 to over 65 before retirement.
This is a descriptive study of the in-service training requirements of older law enforcement officers.
For purposes of this study, an older law enforcement officer is defined as a law enforcement officer who has reached the age of 40 or older.

3. The Need for In-Service Training
Laws change, technology and equipment improves, tactics change, the demographics of the population being served change.
There is a duty to provide training.
Fail to train is a reason for lawsuits in law enforcement.
CANTON v. HARRIS
109, S. Ct., L.E.D., 412 (1989)

4. The Older Law Enforcement Officer
As we age we become somewhat more different.
The members of the law enforcement community are no exception to this phenomenon.
Most older law enforcement officers have divided themselves into three basic groups.
Each group has its own motivations and beliefs about police work, the police administration, and the need for in-service training.
The training and educational needs of each of these groups must be met in order to achieve the organizational goals of the agency or department.

5. Executives: (The Brass)
Those who have made rank and who still have ambitions to make further advances within the system.

6. Frozen in Time:
Those who have made some rank (i.e.: Detective, Sergeant, etc.) but are unwilling or unable to advance any further within the organizational structure.

7. Career Deputies “Born a patrolman, die a patrolman!”
By choice or chance this is a large group within many departments.
This is especially true in larger departments with a lean command structure.
Many talented deputies like it where they are assigned and have no ambitions to move anywhere else.

8. Research Questions
How many hours of annual in-service training are required to maintain a license or certification as a law enforcement officer in your state?
How many certified law enforcement officers do you have in your state?

9. Methodology
The P.O.S.T. organization or equivalent was contacted in a telephone survey in all 50 states.
It is estimated that 30% of all active duty law enforcement officer are 40 years or older (BJS).
Overall training liability was determined by using the number of required in-service training hours times the estimated number of older law enforcement officers in each state.

10. Findings Training requirements vary widely. 5 states require 40/yr
1 state requires 30-39/yr
18 states require 20-29/yr
12 states require 10-19/yr
3 states require 1-9/yr
11 states have no statutory requirement for the mandatory in-service training of LE officers beyond the academy.

11. Findings 40hrs/yr, 3.9% (n=34,199) 30>hrs/yr, 0.3% (n=2,654)
No Tng Req, 24.4% (n=212,999)
N=873,723

12. How many officers are 40+?
In the U.S., there are an estimated 262,117 LE officers that are 40+.
Of these, an estimated 198,217 require some kind of annual in-service training to keep their LE license.
This leads to an annual minimum requirement of an estimated 3,499,935 training hours needed for this group.

13. Discussion
Because of the large number of older (40+) officers, instructors need to know the principles of adult education.
Training should concentrate on developing competencies and demonstrating those competencies.

14. Discussion Cont. Teach 3 ways. Reinforce proper practices.
Incorporate Building Block Learning.
Use simulations and problem solving exercises .
Eliminate the “sage on the stage”.

15. Limitations of the Study
Only state, county, and municipal law enforcement officers were included in this study.
No federal officers were included.
Only P.O.S.T. or the local equivalent were contacted. Many LE agencies have in-service training requirements that exceed the P.O.S.T. requirements even in states with no P.O.S.T. requirement.

16. Summary You can teach old dogs new tricks.
But, you should use new techniques!

17. References
BJS (2009) Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics: State Agency Profile Accessed 10/03/09.
Etter, G. (2000) The Perceived Effectiveness of In-Service Training of Sheriff’s Deputies in Kansas: A Post Instructional Analysis. Ann Arbor, MI: Ball & Howell Information and Learning.
Sisco, B. (1991) Setting the Climate for Effective Teaching and Learning. New Directions For Adult and Continuing Education: Creating Environments for Effective Adult Learning. Roger Hiemstra, Ed. San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass Inc.