Police Training in Practice: Organization and Delivery According to European Law Enforcement Agencies

Police training plays a crucial role in the development of police officers. Because the training of police officers combines various educational components and is governed by organizational guidelines, police training is a complex, multifaceted topic. The current study investigates training at six European law enforcement agencies and aims to identify strengths and challenges of current training organization and practice. We interviewed a total of 16 police instructors and seven police coordinators with conceptual training tasks. A thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006; Terry et al., 2017) was conducted and results organized in the two main themes evident across all six law enforcement agencies: organization of training and delivery of training. Results show that governmental structures and police executive boards are seen as the primary authorities that define the training framework in which police instructors operate. These administrative structures regulate distant and immediate resources, such as available training time, training facilities, equipment, and personnel. Within the confines of available resources and predetermined training frameworks, results indicate that police instructors thoroughly enjoy teaching, creating supportive and motivating learning environments, and applying their personal learning perspectives to training. Nonetheless, police instructors are critical of the level of training they are able to achieve with the available resources.

Changing Police Personal Safety Training Using Scenario-Based-Training: A Critical Analysis of the ‘Dilemmas of Practice’ Impacting Change

This paper outlines an analysis of using Scenario-Based-Training (SBT) to change officer Personal Safety Training (PST) based on existing research evidence and reflections from supporting a National Police Agency attempting to change PST practice. SBT is interrogated in light of its underlying assumptions and situated within the ambiguities, tensions and compromises inherent within police training cultures. Using Windschitl’s framework of conceptual, pedagogical, cultural, and political dilemmas this paper analyses the forces impacting using SBT to change PST. An alternative agenda for change is presented to develop skilled officers and trainers equipped with innovative pedagogies to ‘re-culture’ PST.

Features of training of police employee in the USA

The complexities of modern policing require internal affairs agencies to expand the training opportunities for police officers to carry out the tasks assigned to internal affairs agencies. It is not enough to focus solely on the law or on perishable skills such as arrest and control; defensive tactics; driving; and firearms. This article discusses the experience of building and developing the psychological skills required by the United States police force. Police training in the United States focuses on developing the skills needed to deal with the modern challenges that arise in the performance of official tasks. Training involves building and developing skills such as cognitive, emotional, social and moral skills that can improve the condition of police officers, as well as foster relationships between police officers and members of the community. Trained police officers need to develop critical thinking skills, effective communication, and emotional intelligence. The presented article reveals professional competencies for police officers, graduates of the police academy, which were developed by the Law Enforcement Foundation in the United States (Ohio). It also discusses aspects of psychological screening developed by the California Commission on Peacekeeping Training Standards to Consider When Recruiting Police Officers. The authors emphasize that when training police officers in any country, it is necessary to pay special attention to the continuity between training and practical service activities of the police officer.

Lived Experiences on Varied Dimensions of Police Recruits’ Training and Practice Basis for Quality Police Performance

Police malpractice, abuse of power, and police misfits are issues and problems associated with police recruits. There were reports about inappropriate acts committed by newly hired police officers during their actual field practice. This qualitative phenomenological studydetermined the dimensions of training that hamper the development of knowledge and skills of the police trainees and police officers.Seventeen (17) purposely selected participants comprised the sample for this study. They were chosen through the following inclusion criteria: police supervisors, trainers, police recruits, staff from the National Police Training Institute (NPTI) and have two or more years ofexperience. Thirteen recurring themes emerged from the verbatim interviews. The Philippine National Police (PNP), National Police Training Institute (NPTI), and the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) are the three public safety institutions in the Philippinesthat are expected to promote the quality performance of police recruits in both training and practice. On the whole, the results of this study can serve as the basis for creating innovative policies about police recruits’ selection, curriculum development, stress management,creation of core competency framework, performance evaluation system, and training and practice needs assessment.

The Law Enforcement Higher Education in the People’s Republic of China

The authors of the essay spent two weeks in the People’s Republic of China, where they had a chance to study the Chinese law enforcement higher education system. In this essay, the authors intend to share the experiences of these two weeks. Furthermore, they would like to shed light on the current standards and status of the law enforcement higher education in the People’s Republic of China, show those areas where they have fallbacks and set the course of the development of the Hungarian law enforcement leveraging Chinese ‘best practices’. We can declare that significant changes have taken place also on an international level regarding police and education. In China, not only the number of police staff has been increased but also the level of their professionalism. All the same, the crucial question remains as to what is more important: police higher education or police training/preparation courses. The first part of the study tends to present the law enforcement higher education in China with the major landmark events and phases of its development. The second part of the article introduces one of the most outstanding law enforcement higher educational institutes of the country, the People’s Public Security University of China (PPSUC), with special remarks on application, its admission requirements and process, curriculum structure, student life and their special training on criminalistics.

German police recruits’ perception of skill transfer from training to the field

In order optimally to prepare police officers for the demands in the field, police training has to be designed representatively. However, for the German context, there is a scarcity of research investigating to what extent training meets the demands of the field. To fill this gap, the current study examined if police training in Germany meets the field demands of police officers based on the perspective of police recruits. Thirteen recruits from a German police force were interviewed in a semi-structured way to identify possible matches and discrepancies between training and the field. The qualitative were was analysed using content analysis. The results revealed that recruits valued police training very positively because they were able to apply learned skills and tactics in the field. However, results also indicated that: (a) key informational variables present in the field were missing in training, namely chaotic, highly dynamic situations; and (b) police officers need to be adaptable and flexible in the field to cope with the demands. Finally, the results suggested that police training focuses narrowly on dealing with extreme threats, which differs from the experiences recruits had in the field and may have drawbacks because continuously perceiving social situations as threatening and dangerous is a risk factor for aggressive behaviour. Taken together, the current study provides further insights into the wants and needs of recruits in police training.

Training police search and rescue teams: Implications for missing persons work

Police search and rescue teams are crucial players in resolving missing person cases. Resultantly, police employ a host of training for search and rescue members in collaboration with institutions, organizations, and groups. Such training, however, has not been studied. This warrants attention as, in a time of police legitimacy crises and austerity policing, appropriate and quality police training for effective, efficient practices is imperative. Therefore, we examined the training needs and offerings for police search and rescue personnel, and their impact on search and rescue operations and work, through thematic analysis of interviews with 52 police search and rescue members from 17 agencies across Canada. Findings suggest there are no homogeneous, structured, or standardized training offerings for police search and rescue personnel. Instead, training varies within and across agencies and regions, and between officers and roles, as it is commonly based upon anecdotal experiences and in-house developed “best practices.” We discuss the implications of these findings for police search and rescue operations and work.

Didactic methods used in police training in some foreign countries

In the publication, I present the didactic methods used in the training of deputy police officers, the amount of time spent on training, the number of students in the training, and the proportion of theory-practice. I will explain whether the different generations are taken into account during the training, and whether smart tools are used, as well as the availability and quality of personal and material conditions.

Experience, Seniority and Gut Feeling—A Qualitative Examination of How Swedish Police Officers Perceive They Value, Evaluate and Manage Knowledge When Making Decisions

There is a debate in current scholarship regarding whether or not education and training is an effective tool to change police officers’ conduct. Compared to the United States, Sweden has longer training for officers who experience 2 years of academic training and 6 months of practical training. The Swedish police training is also, contrary to the American training, standardized. This paper aims to investigate how Swedish officers value, evaluate and manage knowledge when making decisions. To examine this further 27 qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 male and 13 female Swedish police officers during 2018. The interviews were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis in both English and Swedish to uncover themes and codes. Findings suggest that police officers utilize experience, seniority, and gut feeling when valuing, evaluating and managing knowledge. Furthermore, the results imply that certain types of knowledge are valued differently by officers. These findings can inform how and if education can be used as a tool to potentially change how officers in the US and other countries make their decisions.

A phenomenological exploration of how bilingual police recruits join the police community during their initial training

<p>New Zealand seeks to increase the diversity of its police organisation and this research provides an insight into perspectives of bilingual police learners. Learning to become a police officer challenges any recruit to develop academic, physical and social skills. This study examined the cultural and linguistic adaptations reported by bilingual recruits as they developed the necessary repertoire of skills to join the police community. Through a phenomenological methodology, this research considers the rich, individual perspectives provided by three recruits about their lived experience as bilingual learners during their 19 week initial police training. Data were gathered through interviews and on-going personal journals. Two major themes emerged. The first relates to learning to be a New Zealand Police officer by envisioning themselves as a member of the professional community of the police, and also identifying with the wider culture of being a New Zealander. The second theme is personal reflection, as the participants learnt about themselves and reflected on their backgrounds through undertaking a range of activities, interacting with people, and managing emotions. These themes were further analysed against dimensions from a community of practice framework. Participants in this study valued the support of other recruits and especially of the supervising staff. However, it appears that engagement in the police community might be further enhanced if college staff were fully aware of the linguistic and cultural demands faced by bilingual recruits who must come to terms with multiple cultures while developing their police identity. This study highlights the need for further research on the changing identity of bilingual police officers both under training at the college and immediately after starting full-time employment.</p>