Training & Education

Kathryn Loving People have stopped talking to each other, and it didn’t happen overnight. Technology has grown so fast that most of us can’t keep up. Suddenly, it’s easier to text, tweet or “like” than talk, yet the absence of human contact and interpersonal relationships leave out a basic psychological need – the need to communicate face-to-face. Police are not immune to this reality and, in fact, law enforcement has had to adapt their methods of communication in order to…

Christa M. Miller What are some of the best practices which commanders can utilize to foster millennial officers’ educational aspirations? It may be an understatement to say that American policing has become exponentially more complex in the decade and a half since 9/11. A greater emphasis on local level homeland security has gone hand in hand with higher demand for better response tactics toward the mentally ill, minority communities and other groups. Agencies need officers who can think their way…

George Petronis Training exercises which utilize realistic scenarios coupled with realistic weaponry provide great potential for positive learning through stress inoculation. The last issue of P&SN called attention to the limitations of traditional “on the line” firearms training in preparing an officer for a lethal encounter. On the line training is irreplaceable for teaching basic gun handling, but it will not prepare you for the physical and emotional stresses of coming under fire. Over the decades, there have been numerous…

Christa Miller Whether you’re a high school graduate seeking a two year or four year degree, or you’ve begun to seek a graduate or postgraduate degree, it’s likely you’re doing so because you’ve committed to law enforcement as more than just a job. However, it’s also likely that, as a Millennial or Generation X officer, your commitment looks a little different than your older colleagues’.  Effectively demonstrating the value of a different path requires a good plan for your career,…

Lt. John Domingo & John G. Peters, Jr., Ph.D., CLS, CT © 2017. A.R.R. For those resistive suspects who are mentally ill or under the influence, the P.E.P. method favors the use of procedures to restrict and restrain physical movement which renders the suspect immobile, as opposed to utilizing pain compliance, wrist lock or arm bar techniques. When I got to the scene, the suspect was poking his arms and legs with a hypodermic needle and yelling that he had…

In recent years, we’ve seen a dramatic change in how law enforcement officers are trained, with some firearms training evolving to more closely reflect the reality of actual street encounters. In the not so distant past, firearms training was mostly conducted “on the line” under strict control and command of the range master and his “range safety rules.” Unfortunately, in some places, this is how training still occurs. The addition of these highly controlling “range safety rules” to the Firearms…

Why have a great many officers grown indifferent to firearms training? Many law enforcement officers regard firearms training as one of life’s many inconveniences, much like a dental checkup or filing a tax return. They know it’s not the end of the world, but there are many other ways they would rather be spending their time. Unfortunately, many officers fail to make the connection between the range and the street. Trainers not only have an obligation to provide the “how…

The answer to this question is, “Of course.”  That is unless you have such stellar, world-class training from your agency that you don’t need to consider anything else. We are in the golden age of training – there are more firearms trainers, with more knowledge and more experience and more data to draw on than ever before in history. This would be the case now even if we didn’t have droves of highly trained and experienced military personnel returning from…

  The urban environment presents a unique set of circumstances which require officers to adapt their tactics to overcome the many obstacles contained within. As we’ve seen in Dallas, Baton Rouge, Orlando, San Bernardino, and a number of other areas across the country, the willingness of assailants to use rifles against law enforcement seems to be on the rise. As in the case in Baton Rouge, some of these individuals have a military background, including military combat training. Because of…

Practical Advice for Helping You Achieve Your Degree – While Continuing on the Job Advancing your knowledge translates to personal satisfaction; career achievements; setting an example for others; and, many times, higher earnings potential. When you make the decision to study toward a degree or certificate, you’ve already taken the first step toward betterment. Now you need to answer more specific questions about your education plans: What are your goals for higher education? Are you seeking advancement in your present…