Police Role in the Community

CJ 3630

Professor James J. Drylie

Training for COPPS

• Training does not occur in a vacuum.

• Mark Twain describes training as:

– Developing or forming habits, thoughts, or

behaviors of another person by discipline and

instruction;

– Making proficient by instruction and practice;

– Imparting specific and immediately usable

skills.

Understanding training

• The Learning Organization

– According to Senge, an organization must

• Allow its employees to continually expand their

capacity to create the results they truly desire

• Nature new and expansive patterns of thinking

• Allow their collective aspiration to be free, and

• Continually learn to see the whole picture.

Adult learning

• Adults are autonomous and self-directed.

• Adults need to be free to direct themselves.

• Teachers/instructors must actively involve participants in the learning process.

• Participants should be shown how to reach their goals.

Reaching goals through learning

• Adults have life experience and knowledge.

– Learning needs to be connected to this base.

• Adults are goal-oriented.

– Programs need to be organized with clearly

defined elements.

• Adults are relevancy-oriented.

– Learning must be applicable to their work.

• Adults need to be shown respect.

Training police officers

• Training police presents many challenges.

• Police tend to be action-oriented.

• They are more receptive to hands-on skills.

• Training in COPPS is

– More conceptual

– Less hands on

Categories of police training

• Academy

• Field

• In-service

• Roll call

• Specialized

Recruit training

• Often sets the tone for newly hired personnel.

• Recruits begin to develop a strong mindset about their role as police officer.

• COPPS training at this level provides comprehensive instruction in the two primary elements of COPPS:– Community engagement

– Problem solving

Filed Training Officers (FTO)

• Provided immediately upon completing the academy.

• Generally has three phases:

– Introductory

• Agency rules/regs and local ordinances

– Training and evaluation

• Complicated tasks

– Final

• FTO acts as observer and evaluator

In-service

• Provides an opportunity to impart new information.

• Reinforce new skills.

• Useful in sharing experiences in applying COPPS

Roll Call

• Brief in nature

• 15 – 30 minutes

• Supervisory personnel prepare officers for their shift.

• Updates in various areas

– Problem spots

– New/updated laws/ordinances

– Shift-related matters

Specialized training

• Involves a variety of topics

– Tactics

• Firearms

• Self-defense

• Equipment

• Vehicle operations

– COPPS

• Tactical

• Practical

COPPS Needs Assessment

• Does the agency have a COPPS strategy or plan?

• What best describes the department and community practice?

– Uniformed division

– All personnel

– Only specialized personnel

• What are the primary training needs?

• What programs are currently in place?

Community Engagement

• Define

– The community

– Community policing within the community

• This is done through the needs assessment

• Develop a community profile

– Analyze problems

– Identify leaders and available resources

• Communicate with the community

• Understand the community’s cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity.

Diversity training

• COPPS provides an excellent opportunity for a training strategy in a multicultural society.

• Policing in an increasingly diverse society pose new challenges for police.

• These emerging communities require new skills and understanding.

• Six principles of diversity training:1. Respect and sensitivity

2. Develop a broad-based multicultural strategy.

3. Training is an essential element.

4. Training must be ongoing.

5. Strategy and training must be perceived as integral aspects of the philosophy and operations of the agency.

6. The strategy and training must be created in consultation with the ethnoculturalcommunity being served.

Problem Solving Basics

• This helps to teach officers the basics of conflict resolution.

• Analysis is the most important component of problem solving.

• Developing in-depth analysis is necessary for the development of effective response.

• The SARA model is used to reinforce and support problem solving.

Instilling Change

• The transition to COPPS requires support from various levels within the agency.

– Leadership and middle mangers

– First-line supervisors

– Line personnel

Changing of the Guard

• Traditional policing relies on supervision as a point of “control”

– Rules

– Regulations

• This professional entrenchment must change.

• 1st Line supervisors must move to being a “coach” or “facilitator”

COPPS Characteristics

• The ideal 1st Line supervisor under the COPPS philosophy would demonstrate some of these characteristics:– Availability

– Flexibility

– Innovative

– Facilitator

– Open minded

– Humorous

– Supportive

Involving Others

• Support personnel

• Community and business leaders

• Other government agencies/departments

• Social service organizations

• Politicians

• Media

– All of these entities should be involved in training

regarding the basic foundations of COPPS.

– This process is not one-way. It involves two-way

dialogue.