Over the years, training has taken more than its share of budget cuts. Some department administrators see the training budget as a politically convenient place to help balance some funding shortfalls. To me, it seems counter-intuitive that groups who are generally opposed to law enforcement scream the loudest when departments send officers to training. Then, when there is an incident where they disagree with the outcome, they blame the officers and departments for insufficient training.

Most law enforcement agencies struggle to offer training beyond the basic requirements to maintain certifications. Budget cuts and personnel shortages force departments to run below minimum staffing levels, making it difficult to schedule officers for training. The smaller the department, the more difficult this becomes. When an officer is off the road for training, other officers must pick up the slack by working longer hours, taking more calls for service and working more mandatory overtime shifts.

As a result, most of the training officers and instructors receive is conducted within their own region or state to reduce costs and the amount of time away from the department. This is great until the training material and information become stagnant. The result is what we call institutionalized intellectual incest. The same material gets rehashed repeatedly with little to no fresh ideas or new ways of doing business introduced. Instead, the classes continuously cover “the way we’ve always done it.”

If you’re not interested in looking for new and better ways to do something, why attend training in the first place?

Training is key

Most cops like to mock other professionals who stick to “the way we’ve always done it.” I get it. Everyone likes to think of themselves as adaptable, trainable and forward-thinking. We tend to believe the way we do something is the cutting-edge. I see this all the time in the classes we teach. People come to class to learn something new (hopefully), but when you correct their technique or suggest a different way of doing something, they respond with, “That’s not how I do it.” Which takes us right back to “the way we’ve always done it.”

“The way we’ve always done it” is easy. It doesn’t require any effort. It’s our current default setting. We can go on autopilot and not look or feel like a newbie. It’s comfortable. It requires courage and discipline to break out of one’s comfort zone. Learning new material, techniques or tactics should demand effort and make you feel like a newbie. Your brain hasn’t formed a motor program to use that information without conscious thought. But the best part is that the new material may be the new “way we’re going to do it.”

If you’re not interested in looking for new and better ways to do something, why attend training in the first place? By all means, keep doing what you’re doing and falling into the trap of institutionalized intellectual incest. There are entire states that have dragged all of their law enforcement agencies into the trap of institutionalized intellectual incest. These states continue to do things the way their POST agency says to do it. The worst part is they haven’t changed much in the past 30 years. It’s not good for the departments, the officers or the people who live there. But by God, it’s “the way we’ve always done it.”

The solution

One of the best ways to fight against “the way we’ve always done it” and combat institutionalized intellectual incest is to attend training outside your region. At the minimum, go to training in another part of your state. You will be working with the same rules and case law. Whether it’s criminal statutes, criminal procedures or search-and-seizure case law, everyone attending that class will probably be on the same page. However, you may discover a new way to do business, a new tactic or a new technique that you have never seen utilized in your home area.

Even better, attend training outside your state. Look for a new way of approaching old problems. On the firearms range, maybe it’s a new drill or target. During SWAT school, you may find a different approach to clearing a building. No matter what the topic is, you will discover different ways to approach problems you may have never considered. If you open your mind to new ideas and guard against “the-way-we’ve-always-done-it” thinking, you could bring home something that benefits other officers in your department and region.

As good as this is, the single best solution to guard against “the way we’ve always done it” and institutionalized intellectual incest is to approach training outside your region as a new way to make connections and establish relationships with other officers and trainers. Once you begin training outside your fishbowl, the connections you make during those training opportunities can lead to lifelong friendships. There are dozens upon dozens of people I’ve met at training classes outside my state who have become close friends. These are people I can trust for advice, information and recommendations. Whether it’s an equipment issue, a policy question or a personal matter, these are friends I trust as much or more than the other officers with whom I work. 

There isn’t a problem so unique to your department that someone else hasn’t already found a possible solution. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel when someone has a solution readily available. The connections you make can be a valuable resource, professionally and personally.

The excuses

Too many officers and instructors aren’t interested in advancing their training. I call these people the lowest common denominators (LCD). LCDs are satisfied with minimum standard training programs, are unwilling to put forth the time and effort to excel and are satisfied with just keeping their heads down, doing the bare minimum and flying beneath the radar. We all have life priorities and interests, and training outside your department might mean training on your own time and dime. However, the most successful law enforcement officers I know have taken responsibility for their own training.  

I’ve heard all the excuses. “If my department won’t pay for it, then it’s not important.” “Training is expensive, and I can’t afford it.” “If I pay for my own training, my department won’t bother to pay for any of my training.” Be a professional and seek training outside your home base. Attending quality training doesn’t need to cost a small fortune. If you’re considering attending a conference or training school on your own time and dime, many have scholarships available to help defer part or all costs. The application for these scholarships may take a little extra time, but it can save you thousands of dollars in travel and tuition expenses. Many officers who would be eligible for training scholarships fail to apply and never get the training benefit.

The cycle of limited and repetitive training within your own area code undermines the introduction of fresh ideas, improved practices and better ways of doing business. Professional law enforcement officers should seek additional training, education and development outside their department and away from their normal service area. Let’s get away from “the way we’ve always done it” and prevent institutionalized intellectual incest.