Learning, Training and Career Development News


This section of the Research Centre presents all of our collected articles on Learning, Training and Career Development as they relate to the policing sector. The articles are organized by date.


Wed 27 Sept 2006, San Diego, USA
New Recruits Train On High-Speed Chase Simulators

In the past, officers had few ways to train for high-speed pursuits through the streets of San Diego. But now, the police department has teamed up with Miramar College to bring the latest high-tech training to San Diego. It’s not real, but it’s as close as you can get.

There are over 100 different scenarios. Instructors can throw in everything from kids crossing the street to a pick-up that pulls out in front of you. They can also change weather conditions, and time of day. But for us, just driving in the most ideal situation was tough enough.

The four simulators cost $440,000, split between SDPD and Miramar College. All basic recruits will use it, along with students studying public safety.


Wed 27 Sept 2006, News Oregon
More training needed

Mulntomah County, like other agencies around the state of Oregon provides annual training to its officers. But there could be more. Currently new recruits, at the state police academy receive 10 weeks of training. That will jump to 16 weeks next year. It still lags behind the national average of 21 months of training for new recruits.

"The bottom line is, I think there is a feeling among public safety officials and the public too that the level of training given to police officers at the basic level is not sufficient to reach the needs of the complexities of our culture," John Minnis of Public Safety Standards and Training said. Administrators say, there isn't more training because of funding, and because many police agencies are short handed, and need their officers on the street.



Wed 27 Sept 2006, Wall Street Journal
With 'Reality Visors,' Officers Try New Tack To Face Mentally Ill

In Arizona, officers are training to better understand and work with the mentally ill. The new tactics involved in the training have officers undergo a simulated schizophrenic episode. This is done using a reality visor that includes visuals from a computer screen and a headset that broadcasts sounds. When the visor is on the officer will feel his/her brain filling with murmurs and whispers calling him/her worthless and crazy. "They're after you," says one voice. Hallucinations will flit in and out of the person’s line of sight. All of this is done in an attempt to help officers understand the perspective of someone with a mental illness and help them see the need for different and innovative methods to work with someone in a hallucinogenic state.


Wed 30 August 2006, Calgary Herald
Police college going to Fort Macleod

The provincial government is expected to announce today that Fort Macleod ‑‑ a town with a rich policing history ‑‑ will be home to Alberta's new police college, the Herald has learned. The Klein government gave final approval Tuesday for the southern Alberta community of 3,000 people to be the site of the Alberta Police and Peace Officer Training Centre, say sources familiar with the project. "This will spur business for Fort Macleod. It will jump‑start the economy. It will be unbelievable," said a source. The formal announcement will be made this morning in Edmonton, followed by a ceremony in the early afternoon in the town, likely at the Fort Museum of the North West Mounted Police. Government MLAs, including Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko, are expected to be on hand with the town council for a tour of the proposed site at the southeast edge of town. It's believed the college could cost as much as $60 million to set up. The facility could train up to 1,400 of the province's non‑RCMP municipal police and peace officer recruits (including sheriffs and special constables) a year and provide professional development for up to 1,200 current officers. The RCMP has also expressed interest in having some officer training and executive personnel development conducted at the centre, while the Canadian military has inquired about training officers at the site, the source said.


Thurs 24 August 2006, The Oregonian
Hillsboro police require all officers to train as mediators

All 147 officers in the Hillsboro Police Department are required to take at least 32 hours of mediation training. When the last batch finishes training in October, Hillsboro will have the only police department in the US with 100 percent of its officers trained in mediation, said Patti Williams, the police management assistant who heads the program.
Police Chief Ron Louie, with a background in anthropology, started the mediation program in 1996. For many officers, mediation skills go against their natural orientation. "They like to kick down the doors and crawl around and shoot at things," Williams said.
Before he was trained in mediation, Youth Services Detective Ed Vance was skeptical. But when he used it to work out a problem between a bunch of rowdy youths and their frustrated neighbors, he was surprised at how well the process worked. Now, after years of mediation experience, Vance said, "I am completely and totally sold on it." "Most cops want to control people, control the scene… we're not necessarily problem-solvers," said Louie.

Problem-solving often means recognizing people's emotions -- the rage inside the man who must drag himself to work each day after another sleepless night because of his neighbor's barking dog. "Cops don't pay attention to those feelings. They just say, 'If you don't stop (threatening your neighbor) you'll have to go to jail.' "

Mediation takes more time, which can be difficult for a busy officer.  "It takes several hours to really mediate an issue," Goerling said. "We don't have that kind of time out in the field. We kind of do mini-mediations." In 2005-06, Hillsboro officers mediated 69 cases on site, Williams said, and referred more complicated cases to the mediation program.


Tues 8 Aug 2006, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Class of police recruits is fired - Cobb group caught in cheating scandal

An entire class of Cobb County police recruits was fired Monday after they cheated on a test, authorities said. "Not much shocks me after 35 years in this business, but I was shocked," said Mickey Lloyd, Cobb's public safety director. A police academy instructor caught two recruits comparing answers during a written exam last week, Lloyd said. After the academy alerted Lloyd on Friday, he ordered an inquest and soon learned that all 20 recruits had cheated, he said. "Integrity with our police officers is something we do not skimp on," said Goreham, the commissioners' public safety liaison. "The level of service our officers provide the citizenry is top-notch. We will not tolerate an incident of this type." Cobb officials plan to report the dismissals to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, which oversees the training and certification of law enforcement officers.

The recruits were county employees training to become sworn police officers. They were in the fifth week of a 22-week training period required to join about 600 officers on Cobb's police force, where salaries start around $34,600.



Wednesday May 31 2006, Standard-Freeholder (Cornwall)
Little specific training to investigate historic abuse

Specific training is not given to Ontario police officers to deal with historical sexual assaults, the Cornwall Public Inquiry heard Tuesday.

Officers are getting some training on how to properly investigate these sorts of crimes but only as a part of a broader investigations course through the Ontario Police College.

Individual agencies and police forces have conducted their own local training in the interim to address this issue.

Included in the evidence being provided this week by the Ontario Police College are outlines of various courses the college has offered over the past several years. Although there have been sexual assault and child abuse investigation courses included as part of the college's curriculum for many years, training related to the investigation of historical sexual assault wasn't included as part of a course description until 2006.

Rudy Gheysen is the director of the Ontario Police College and sits on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Police Sector Council.



Monday May 29 2006, Kenora Daily Miner & News
Travelling Gun Range Stops In Kenora

Mobile shooting range gets tested by officers with the Kenora Police, the Kenora OPP and conservation officers from the Ministry of Natural Resources. Meggitt’s firearms training trailer is on tour this summer stopping at selected police departments from coast-to-coast.

Designed for firearms training and practice, the 53-foot trailer has room for three to shoot and can handle handguns up to 50-calibre as well as shotguns. The trailer is reinforced with one-quarter inch armour steel and acoustic soundproofing material. At the front of the trailer is a sloped bullet trap filled with granulated rubber that stops the fired bullets without damaging them, so they can be easily recycled. A powerful air circulation system, that includes a HEPA filter, removes the toxic fumes and gases expelled from fired cartridges. The trailer is also equipped with a computer system for programming shooting drills with the targets, including random turning and distance controls. The computer can also track and store scores for testing purposes.

"It would be a nice thing to have, but I don't think we can afford it," said Kenora Police chief Dan Jorgensen, referring to the approximate $300,000 US price tag for the trailer by Meggitt. He said this type of unit would be better suited to the larger police forces - like the RCMP or the OPP - which have numerous remote detachments without proper gun range facilities nearby. Most officers must re-qualify at least once year on their proficiency with their firearm.



Sunday May 28 2006, The Edmonton Journal
Union feels city never had a shot at police college: $50M facility will likely go to rural community

The city of Edmonton has been eliminated from the list of contenders for Alberta’s proposed new Police and Peace Officer College. Nine other cities and towns were also dropped from the list of 29 hopefuls. Since Calgary didn’t submit a bid, the college will be located in a less urban area.

Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel speculated that the province wanted to use the deal to give a small municipality an economic boost. "It was never going to come to Edmonton or Calgary. We weren't told that specifically, but we heard through the grapevine that it was going to go to a small community."

The head of the Edmonton Police Association says the Alberta government has made a mistake. Staff Sgt. Peter Ratcliff said it makes no sense why the province would exclude the main cities which already do extensive police training.

Solicitor General department spokesman Andy Weiler defended the process, insisting that the every contender’s proposal was treated fairly. It is expected that the province will announce the winning bid this summer.

The purpose behind the project is to create “a single-site training facility is trying to prevent duplication of training," said Weiler. "If you can reduce duplication of services... then it's an opportunity to put more money into things like front-line policing, and getting more officers on the street."

Friday May 26 2006, CBC.CA News
Police need more standoff training, inquiry hears

An inquiry into the deaths of RCMP Cpl. Jim Galloway and Martin Ostopovich has resulted in a call for more training and better equipment to deal with police standoffs. Recommendations for training were focused on mental health training for police officers. The final report including recommendations will be issued by the judge shortly.

Wednesday May 24 2006, The Guardian (Charlottetown)
Liberal suggests RCMP training at Slemon Park

Richard Brown, a Liberal MLA wants Prince Edward Island to receive a bigger piece of the RCMP's training budget, now that P.E.I. has a state-of-the-art police training centre at the Atlantic Police Academy in Slemon Park, near Summerside. He wants the national police force to relocate some of its training programs from Regina to Slemon Park. Brown said he's already written the RCMP asking them to move part of their training to the East Coast.

Development Minister Mike Currie said he's prepared to look at that possibility. "The RCMP already uses the facility to some degree and certainly we'll look into seeing if there are any opportunities there.”

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Wednesday May 24 2006, Standard-Freeholder (Cornwall)
OPP officers are not required to update investigative skills

Ontario Provincial Police officers are not required to regularly update their sexual assault investigative skills, despite the fact techniques change on a periodic basis. During recent testimony at the Cornwall Public Inquiry, a senior member of the force said officers often take additional training of their own accord.

"There are no mandatory refresher courses," said Insp. Edward Medved. "I do know that individuals involved, officers involved in (sexual assault) investigations and all officers, for that matter, regardless of their area of expertise, engage in upgrading their skill sets." Investigative techniques have changed over the years because old techniques may lead to tainting of witnesses and inaccurate reportings.

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Wednesday May 24 2006, The Calgary Herald
Police training class smallest in memory

Calgary Police Service has searched the country for qualified candidates but come up short. With only 15 recruits out of a typical 24, the smallest training class in recent memory will begin.

Competition for candidates is heavy, with other police services and the RCMP drawing
from the same pool of people. Add to that a booming economy, recruiters have to compete with oil companies, food chains, marketing firms and others that can offer comparable salaries and no shift work.

At the minimum, candidates have to be 18 years old, a permanent resident, with good moral character, community standing and a desire to make a difference in the community.

In the past, the CPS had the luxury of telling young candidates to get some life experience or a post- secondary education before signing up. "Now, we'd like to see more young people," said recruiting Staff Sgt. Michael Watterston.

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Tuesday May 09 2006, Springfield Illinois
College program benefits city police, firefighters

US police officers and firefighters in Springfield, Illinois can earn a nearly free college degree as part of two schools' new initiatives. For the cost of only books and grad fees, city cops and firefighters can earn associate's, bachelor's and accelerated master's degrees from Springfield College and Benedictine University.

With high-stress jobs that involve long hours, many officers and firefighters find it difficult to carve out the time to earn college degrees. This program is important to current officers and firefighters, but it also will be a good incentive when recruiting new employees.

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Friday May 05 2006, The Edmonton Journal
Aboriginal police grads hope to be role models

Grant MacEwan College offers an aboriginal police studies certificate program, the only Alberta program accredited by the provincial government. It is a 9 month program that prepares students to pass the tests to get into policing. The program teaches students about law, aboriginal history, crime scene investigation and proper gun handling, and runs them through a rigorous physical training regime.

Anthony Bear age 19, grew up on a Saskatchewan reserve where stabbings, drugs, alcohol problems, murders and poverty cracked the life of the community. Now, he is determined to give back, hoping to become an RCMP officer after already getting an arts degree.

Of the 29 students who have graduated from the MacEwan program since 2002, seven are now RCMP members, two are tribal police officers and one works for the Edmonton Police Service.

Of the other 19, half have continued their post-secondary education and are working towards a two-year diploma in police studies at MacEwan, while the other half are in the process of applying to various police forces. Police organizations are looking to hire recruits from diverse backgrounds to ensure their forces reflect the communities they provide services to.

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Fri 05 May 2006, Winnipeg Free Press
Training to fight meth abuse

The province of Manitoba is set to provide cutting edge, online crystal meth training to more than 600 front-line police and community agencies. The province is the first to provide this training to a cross section of agencies.

Canadian Police Knowledge Network (CPKN) has developed the internet accessible program to give officers the latest information on meth lab identification and investigation.

Manitoba Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh said this program is important especially for rural law enforcement agencies that may not have had much exposure to the nasty particulars of crystal meth addictions and the dangerous community hazards of the clandestine labs that produce the drug.

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Thursday May 04 2006, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
DeKalb police to be trained to manage stress, relationships

Personal Relationship Training will now be provided to all recruits at the DeKalb police academy and all officers will receive one day of the training a year. This mandatory training is being provided to avoid domestic violence. Vernon Jones, CEO of the DeKalb police academy, stressed "we've got to go beyond just providing new motorcycles, new bulletproof vests, new weapons. We've got to provide . . . emotional resources to deal with the stress and strain." Topics of the new training include preventing abuse, maintaining constructive relationships after divorce, parenting and dealing with on-the- job relationships.

The training comes in the wake of several allegations of domestic abuse leveled against DeKalb police officers. Jones said the training should not be interpreted as meaning DeKalb officers have a particular problem with domestic violence. "What it does say is that domestic violence knows no boundaries," Jones said.

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Tuesday May 02 2006, Kenora Daily Miner & News
Course Teaches Community About Aboriginal Perspectives

Police officers, community workers and the aboriginal community participated in a five day training course developed to foster better relations with the Aboriginal community.

The Aboriginal Perceptions course was attended by officers from the Treaty 3 Police, the Kenora Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police, correctional officers from the Kenora Jail, health care and justice workers, representatives of local aboriginal government agencies, and elders from the Rat Portage community.

The facilitator, Sgt. Cecil Sveinson of the Winnipeg Police Service, stressed that participants were familiar with the specific problems facing Kenora and the surrounding communities in terms of racial tensions but the focus of the sessions was to not dwell on these problems, it was to find answers. Local elders assisted in the class and were the key to its success.

The perceptions course provided the participants with some aboriginal history and perceptions on current issues and society, which have been shaped by both their culture and their history. The group discussed issues such as aboriginal conceptions of law and justice, treaty rights, land claims, traditional education, residential schools and their right to self government. Throughout, open and frank discussions on these topics among the group were encouraged in order to find common ground and possible solutions.

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Mon 24 Apr 2006, Winnipeg Free Press
Deal in works to authorize use of private 'police'

A new level of policing for Manitoba will see private police operate in select municipalities around Winnipeg. Employees of private security firms like Private Bylaw Enforcement Services will be hired as special constables to enforce the Highway Traffic Act along with other bylaws.

A private police training centre, Northwest Law Enforcement Academy, run by former Winnipeg police chief Herb Stephen, has been approved by the province to train bylaw enforcement officers.

The draft provincial document has been in the works for two years and will be circulated in the next few days. Specifics regarding uniforms, patrol car markings, and whether these special constables will be allowed to carry weapons are still to be determined.

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