| Is Law Enforcement Training A Sham? |
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Every law enforcement agency should have a minimum of one complete working day set aside for training every month and at least one week a year for specific or targeted training. Training requirements for specialized units should be more intense. The usual 40 hours of training required every other year by some state departments of criminal justice services to maintain certification should not count as training per se because officers are allowed to select the courses that will take. Many law enforcement agencies are getting by with a half hour of training now and then during roll call. The whole thing is a sham, because the roll call room and what is going on there is not conducive to learning anything. A serious approach to training where the team concept is emphasized can result in a more effective police force, but most importantly it will it also improve morale. Equally important is instruction and formal training exercises on homeland security issues. This ought to include things like document identification and verification credentials, biometrics, access control procedures, explosives and bombs, biological and delivery systems, toxins and poisons and delivery systems, nuclear dirty bombs, and all the other topics and issues associated with terrorist attacks. Availability of resources is often cited as a reason for not training cops as it should be done. But in reality, training does not need to cost an arm and a leg. Being creative and not afraid to ask for help can go a long way in producing a training program to match the expected demands of a particular law enforcement agency. The cost of training should not be viewed as an expense – it's an investment that will pay high dividends to the agency, the local government and the community we’re charged with serving and protecting. Louis G. Dominguez is a certified law enforcement officer in Virginia and a nationally recognized crime prevention and homeland security expert. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites          |
