Police Training Programs Based on the Methods of Leland P. Bradford in 1945

Overview -- Employee Development

In 1947, T-groups (Laboratory Training) were created, in which the learners use present experience in the group, participant feedback and human behavior theory to explore group process and gain insights into themselves and others. This was a new method that would help leaders and managers create a more humanistic, people serving system and allow leaders and managers to see how their behavior actually affected others. In the early 1950s, organizations experimented with group methods in organization training programs, such as human relations training, group dynamics, and executive development. Typically middle- and top-level personnel attended off-site training programs and learned new ideas about supervision, increased skills on working with others, and acquired new attitudes consistent with these skills (Roethlisberger, 1954). In 1954, the California State Personnel Board established the first structured organizational development program that specifically integrated employee training and development into the organizations structure. Part of this program included:

Increasing know-how in:

A. Conducting training to improve employees work quality and quantity.

B. Using on-the-job training as a management tool.

C. Meeting company planning, coordinating, and decision-making goals.

D. Thinking about proper and efficient utilization of employees.

IV. Using employee development to discover and solve organizational problems within the established framework for action. Specifically:

A. Orienting the employee.

B. Teaching the employee his/her job.

C. Training supervisors in name to become supervisors in fact.

D. Using the employees to solve such problems as absenteeism, accident and injury, public relations, budgeting, record keeping, and management.

E. Increasing the ability to talk about and consider trouble spots in organization whether stimulated from within or without (Sherwood, 1965)

Employee development came more slowly in police departments, which were still debating the level of post-high school education required. In 1977, Staufenberger analyzed the state of employee development in police stations and concluded: "Few departments have made a concerted effort to provide in-service training to their personnel. Most departments seem to assume that whatever an officer cannot learn on the street is probably not worthwhile and that the skills that make a good street officer will also make a good supervisor. Thus, many police officers move into supervisory and executive positions with an apparent lack of skills to perform those jobs" (p. 684).

Barker (1983) argued the best method to deter police corruption was to introduce the police recruits to corruption issues before entering the police force. Lynch (1976) proposed that curricula can be developed within higher education to effectively provide training with an emphasis on ethics and development of moral reasoning. Higher education can enable individuals to examine choices, solutions and various courses of action. Because of the varied skills necessary to perform these complex functions (Morris & Morris, 1993), enhancement of critical thinking would enable police officers to create a broader array of alternatives when approaching problems, dilemmas and crises within their many roles. Critical thinking and conceptual development could also be promoted within higher education curricula.

Over the past several decades, some police departments have incorporated employee development. However, despite continually new technology introductions most police education has not fundamentally changed in generations. Officers are sent to a central site to work with instructors. Present-day law enforcement agencies are facing increased challenges. Nationwide police departments are confronting new domestic pressures, such as computer crimes and identity theft in addition to the terrorism threat terrorism homeland defense. Unfortunately, at the same time, some departments are facing a drop in funding and training often represents one of the first budget items cut (Nelson, 2006).

Increasingly, departments are recognizing a need for overall change. Small agencies cannot afford a central training facility and large departments often do not want to address specialized needs in-house. Thus, agencies often must choose to send officers to an outside facility and incur the costs and temporary staffing shortages or forego the training.

The concept of police professionalism evolved throughout the twentieth century. Today, professionalism is in line with: 1) Corporateness that involves instilling an understanding of professional duty and building a minimum level of expertise in individuals before they are admitted to the profession. From there, it mandates collectively maintaining established standards of performance. Implementing the concepts in corporateness take many forms using lessons learned for sustaining expertise; (2) creating and maintaining quality instruction, and (3) developing structures and procedures to obtain the maximum potential from police training (Panitch, 2003).

At the beginning of the 21st century, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was analyzed by the RAND organization to institute a new employee development program with the following five parameters: use of force, search and seizure, arrest, community policing, and diversity awareness. The analysis found an absence of a unifying theme for officer development as well as a struggle in developing a consistent leadership vision for department officers.

It is understood at the LAPD that training continually develops and hones unique skills. While the LAPD training group is primarily responsible for developing the skills and expertise of the officers, every leader and officer must unceasingly work to better himself/herself and colleagues as public servants. Department training should not only help recruits become officers, but also constantly educate police at every echelon beyond their academy graduation. he recommendations of the RAND study were: 1) Introduce and consistently maintain high quality throughout every aspect of LAPD training; 2) Restructure the LAPD Tarining Group to Allow the Centralization of Planning; Instructor Qualification, Evaluation, and Learning Retention; and More Efficient Use of Resources; 3) Integrate Elements of Community-Oriented Policing and Diversity Awareness Training models Throughout LAPD Training; and 4) Develop Training on Use of Force, Search and Seizure, and Arrest Procedures That Meets Current Standards of Excellence.

Knowledge-Based Society

Today, employee development consists of a collaborative goal of both the organizations management and its personnel to continually enhance the employee's knowledge, skills, and abilities. In order to be successful, employee development must balance the individual's career requisites and goals, as well as the organization's need to have the highest quality output possible. Repeated studies show that employee development programs contribute positively to organizational gain and performance. A more highly educated and trained workforce is able to achieve more and a managements group can attain higher standards as the employees acquire additional experience and knowledge.

Globalization and the increasing demographic diversity demands flexibility in all organizations, and these demands have made employee expertise more essential than ever (Jacobs & Washington, 2003). Based on the results of a four-year study, Kotter and Heskett (1992) concluded that organizational success is determined largely by the knowledge, skills and attitudes of their people in them. According to Drucker (1993), knowledge is the primary resource for organizations in todays post-capitalistic society.

Now, more than ever, organizations require high-performing employees who can complete complex multitasking, including problem solving and decision making. This can only be acquired with the necessary knowledge, experience and skill-building capabilities. As employees possess higher competence levels, the organization as a whole is more able to effectively respond to the many challenges faced in present-day society (Jacobs and Washington, 2003).

Jacobs and Washington (2003) express that organizations now need "experts," or individuals "who achieve the most valuable outcomes in organizations." They determine different levels of individuals to reach that level of expertise.

A novice has minimal exposure to the work and lacks the knowledge and skills required to adequately perform the job. The specialist can perform specific units of work unsupervised. However, the work is limited to routine responsibilities and the individuals usually need to be coached. An experienced specialist can perform specific units of work repeatedly, and thus with skill and ease. It is possible to stay at this level for extended periods of time. An expert has the knowledge and experience to meet and frequently exceed the requirements of a particular form of work. This individual is respected by others for his/her skills or expertise and ability to deal with routine and nonroutine situations. Finally, the master is recognized as "the" expert among all employee who sets standards for others.

Police Departments, as well, require knowledge-based motivational employee development program to motivate and retain their employees and provide them with a strong background leading to higher levels of knowledge. A professional approach to policing includes a process of personnel, vehicles, and facilities, as well as a in-depth procedural manual and code of conduct and a comprehensive and fair disciplinary system. Training and management procedures must also adhere to the highest professional standards. Also, pride and professionalism must be emphasized continually to all personnel. An employee development program to be successful must also involve a strong reward/reinforcement system that can greatly improve departmental morale.

Employee development programs also enhance the educational levels of the department staff, while also giving individuals a means for advancing in their careers. Seeking personal fulfillment from professional ability is essential. Too often, officers are not given sufficient opportunities for professional development and tend to remain in rigidly assigned positions. Many times, training opportunities end with the basic academy or the fulfillment of State-mandated minimums rather than a continual opportunity for professional training.

Mercedes, Texas Police Department (website), which has 25 officers serving a municipality of 14,000 people, began its employee development program in 1986. Its first step was establishing high professional standards throughout the department, including a rewards/reinforcement system to recognize and promote superior performance. As a result, the delivery of police service showed an immediate rise in improvement and increase in public confidence. Patrol enhancement, consisting of limited follow-up responsibility in certain offenses, team policing duties, and walking patrol assignments were also a part of the program. Officers, who were very open to these duties, soon began to suggest that more assignments be added. The public was also quick to note the officers' increased involvement.

The department then instituted a policy where each officer was required to complete a minimum of 40 hours in-service training per year per officer. A wide variety of training was offered to police personnel. At the end of 1986, after seven months of the new program, each officer had achieved an average of 96 hours of training. By the end of 1987, this average increased to 109 hours of training per officer. Before the implementation of this educational incentive plan, only two officers had any college-level education, one had an associate's degree in law enforcement from a community college, and one officer was attending college. Within the first year of the program, six officers earned college credits, and ten were actively enrolled in college courses.

In addition, recruiting efforts attracted three officers with an average of two years' college experience, all indicating that they were decided to join the department because it would allow them to continue their education. Subsequent recruiting activities resulted in well-educated, highly motivated, and extremely desirable candidates for employment. The turnover rate went from 38 percent to 7 percent over 24 months. This reduction in the turnover rate resulted in an estimated budgetary savings of at least $53,000. Departments need to recognize that the initial expense of implementing an employee development program is minimal when compared to the advantages gained by both the law enforcement agency and the officer. Most importantly employees experience professional growth and development and the agency gains better trained and personally satisfied employees prepared to deal with the myriad challenges in their municipality.

Bibliography

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Drucker, P. (1983). Post-Capitalistic Society. Boston: Harvard Business School Press

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Kotter, J. R, and J. L Heskett (1992) Corporate Culture and Performance. New York: Free Press.

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Lynch, G.W. (1976) The contributions of higher education to ethical behavior in law enforcement, Journal of Criminal justice, 4, 285-290.

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Morris, C. & Morris, N. (1993) Defining good policing: the instrumental and moral in approaches to good practice and competence, Policing and Society, 3: 205-221.

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Staufenberger, R.A. (1987) A Symposium: The Professions in Government. The Professionalization of Police: Efforts and Obstacles. Public Administration Review, 81604 37(6) 678-685.

Trott, R. (2006) :Training for Law Enforcement Managers: What Does Professional Military Education Offer? FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 75 (5) 12-18

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