In law enforcement, change is inevitable. Officers retire or resign for other employment or career opportunities. Societal norms change and the tactics and strategies previously employed by law enforcement are no longer acceptable. Organizational development (OD) is the ability of an organization to meet the challenges associated with change (Raia, 1972). One area of focus to affect extensive change within a law enforcement agency is in how we view training.
When an officer is hired, training is the primary focus of the agency. From police academy to the agency's Field Training Officer (FTO) program, the new officer is taught the basic skills needed to perform the job effectively. But what happens after the academy and FTO program borders on the line of dereliction of duty. The state mandates every officer receive a set number of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) annually. Because the training is mandated, it is oftentimes viewed as "not an investment but an expense" (VUŢĂ & FĂRCAŞ, 2015, p. 370). Consequently, the majority of training the officer receives is conducted in-house because there is no cost, other than salary, involved in providing the training. This type of training tends …show more content…
Although it would not relieve an agency's responsibility in fulfilling the state mandated training requirement, it would serve as a means to developing talent within the agency for future leadership roles. Moreover, it would promote communication between senior officers and junior officers as mentorship is a one-on-one activity. Ideas exchanged between the mentor and mentee could lead to an agency's ability to be more proactive in developing strategies to meet future challenges. Additionally, an effective mentorship program could lead to improved retention rates (Giancola, Heaney, Metzger, & Whitman,
When an officer is hired, training is the primary focus of the agency. From police academy to the agency's Field Training Officer (FTO) program, the new officer is taught the basic skills needed to perform the job effectively. But what happens after the academy and FTO program borders on the line of dereliction of duty. The state mandates every officer receive a set number of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) annually. Because the training is mandated, it is oftentimes viewed as "not an investment but an expense" (VUŢĂ & FĂRCAŞ, 2015, p. 370). Consequently, the majority of training the officer receives is conducted in-house because there is no cost, other than salary, involved in providing the training. This type of training tends …show more content…
Although it would not relieve an agency's responsibility in fulfilling the state mandated training requirement, it would serve as a means to developing talent within the agency for future leadership roles. Moreover, it would promote communication between senior officers and junior officers as mentorship is a one-on-one activity. Ideas exchanged between the mentor and mentee could lead to an agency's ability to be more proactive in developing strategies to meet future challenges. Additionally, an effective mentorship program could lead to improved retention rates (Giancola, Heaney, Metzger, & Whitman,