The field of Law Enforcement is ever changing, and it is the responsibility of not only the individual Officer to keep themselves up to date with current trends, but also that of the organization. Law Enforcement is a desirable profession, and the selection process is competitive. Once in the system some Officer choose to continue to develop and others are satisfied and become complacent. My Agency does what it can for those who are willing to work for it, and have shown the ability and desire to contribute back. When a new Officer is hired, they are put through the five month Police Academy where they receive the initial training. There they are exposed to the basics of things such as Laws of Arrest, Emergency Medical Responder, Search
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They are assigned to the Field Training Program, which I am the Coordinator for within my Police Department. They begin a minimum sixteen week field training program where they shadow veteran officers who undertake the responsibility for continuing their training. I have eight officers who have been specifically selected and trained as Field Training Officers (FTOs) who become first line supervisor and evaluators for the new Officer. The probationary officers is assigned to FTO with whom he rides for four weeks. The FTO conducts daily observation reports in which they evaluate the probationary officer 's performance and highlights their strengths and weaknesses. The FTO then works to develop the skills of the probationary officer and prepares them for patrol. At the beginning the probationary officer is mainly listening and observing, but by the end of the four weeks they are expected to be able to perform 25-50% of the work load. Upon successful completion of the first phase of field training, the probationary officers is recommended for advancement to phase two, and with the coordinator 's approval they move to a new FTO. This FTO then works with the officer for another four weeks during which time they are exposed to more cases and continue to work on a training check off list. The …show more content…
The Department must maintain an active Sergeant list, but not for any other rank. The list is good for three years or until the list is exhausted, whichever comes first. When the current list expires, the Chief places a minimum thirty day notice of an upcoming test and request letters of interest. Applicants need to have a minimum five years of service with the Police Department prior to the written test. The written test has historically been administered by an outside vendor and consists of a combination of multiple choice and essay questions which are designed to test the candidate 's knowledge of laws, procedures, policies, and fundamentals of leadership. Then there is an oral board test in which the candidates sit before a panel of Lieutenants or higher from towns no less than twenty five miles away. This board asks questions and places the candidate in theoretical situations which will test their decision making and reasoning ability. The written test holds sixty percent of the overall score, and the written forty percent. Once the scores are tabulated, then seniority points can be added on top and the final list is completed. When an opening occurs, the top three candidates on the list sit before the Police Commission and are interviewed. The Commission then appoints the new Sergeant from those interviewed. The process for Lieutenant is similar, though the candidate must have a
They are assigned to the Field Training Program, which I am the Coordinator for within my Police Department. They begin a minimum sixteen week field training program where they shadow veteran officers who undertake the responsibility for continuing their training. I have eight officers who have been specifically selected and trained as Field Training Officers (FTOs) who become first line supervisor and evaluators for the new Officer. The probationary officers is assigned to FTO with whom he rides for four weeks. The FTO conducts daily observation reports in which they evaluate the probationary officer 's performance and highlights their strengths and weaknesses. The FTO then works to develop the skills of the probationary officer and prepares them for patrol. At the beginning the probationary officer is mainly listening and observing, but by the end of the four weeks they are expected to be able to perform 25-50% of the work load. Upon successful completion of the first phase of field training, the probationary officers is recommended for advancement to phase two, and with the coordinator 's approval they move to a new FTO. This FTO then works with the officer for another four weeks during which time they are exposed to more cases and continue to work on a training check off list. The …show more content…
The Department must maintain an active Sergeant list, but not for any other rank. The list is good for three years or until the list is exhausted, whichever comes first. When the current list expires, the Chief places a minimum thirty day notice of an upcoming test and request letters of interest. Applicants need to have a minimum five years of service with the Police Department prior to the written test. The written test has historically been administered by an outside vendor and consists of a combination of multiple choice and essay questions which are designed to test the candidate 's knowledge of laws, procedures, policies, and fundamentals of leadership. Then there is an oral board test in which the candidates sit before a panel of Lieutenants or higher from towns no less than twenty five miles away. This board asks questions and places the candidate in theoretical situations which will test their decision making and reasoning ability. The written test holds sixty percent of the overall score, and the written forty percent. Once the scores are tabulated, then seniority points can be added on top and the final list is completed. When an opening occurs, the top three candidates on the list sit before the Police Commission and are interviewed. The Commission then appoints the new Sergeant from those interviewed. The process for Lieutenant is similar, though the candidate must have a