Patrol BEFORE Academy?

[StrikeEagle]

Thanks for the many responses!
It amazes me that departments would still allow untrained officers out on the road, especially considering what retdetsgt noted about potential liability, not to mention potential dangers.
But hey, I guess it has worked okay thus far.
The departments that I'm familiar with are very large--it's kinda neat to see how the things are done so differently in other, smaller departments!

Thanks!
Strike

[fyr dog]

Well here in Maine the system works like this.

1. All persons with the powers to make arrests and carry a weapon must complete the Law Enforfcement Pre-service (L.E.P.S) course, no exceptions.
This course is required for out of state full academy grads, who have recived reciprociety from the ME criminal justice academy.
this course is also taken by the following,
Reserve police officers
Court security officers
Capitol police
Harbor masters

2. Any person who wants to attened the full time academy must first complete the L.E.P.S. program
and anyone else who has the powers to make arrests and carry a firearm.

3. Reserve police officers are limited to 1040 hours of work time per year, and they are paid postions.the only exceptions to this rule are
A. The chief law enforcement officer of an agency may request an
extension on the time restriction in cases of server staff shortages.
B. A reserve who has been hired full time may work more than 1040 hours
in a year but he/she must attened the full academy with in one year of
hiring, and the academy is only offered twice a year.
4. Court security officers, capitol police, harbormasters, ect may work full time but they must meet the additional training above and beyond thje L.E.P.S as required by statute and the board of trustee's of the criminal justice academy.

So in short up here you may work the road while you are waiting to attened the full academy.:eek:

[Whtwolf14]

When I was in Charleston, SC a friend of mine worked with North Charleston PD. He didn't get to the academy for 12 months after he was hired. They put his group threw a 30 day "mini-academy" at the PD, sworn in by the Chief, FTO'd for 4-6 weeks (??), then gave him a car and a green light. If I remember correctly he thought the "mini-academy" was way better than what the big academy tought him.

[mcsap]

I was hired in March of 1986.

I was FTO'd for 2 weeks.

I was out on my own ( full arrest powers, gun etc) for about 3 weks.

THAN I went to the academy.

The rule back then was you had to go to the academy sometime during your first year on the job. They changed that around 1990 to going to the academy FIRST

[DigitalFuzi0n]

In KY, you have a year to a year and a half (if your department requests an extension) to go to academy after being hired before you lose your powers of arrest. During that time you are a sworn police officers with full powers of arrest. The only drawbacks are that you can't make domestic violence arrests, can't operate the intoxilyzer for DUIs, you don't draw KLEPF incentive, and you make anywhere from .75 - 2.00 less an hour.

I was hired by my first department, given two weeks of ride time, during which we made one traffic stop on some kids out after midnight (it was a very small town), and then cut loose. I worked the roads by myself for 8 months before transferring to a slightly larger department in my own hometown. I did no FTO with them since they said I was from the city and knew my way around. I worked for them for 3 months before they sent me to the academy.

[retdetsgt]

Back when my dept ran its own academy, it was routine to put officers out with FTO's until there were enough hired to justify an academy. I was senior in my academy and was hired in May, but didn't start the academy until September.

I'm not sure the year it changed, but at some point in the 70's, we started sending everyone to state basic academy. By doing that we could send them as they were hired. After returning though, they still keep them with FTO's until there are enough for a local advanced academy. We tack on an extra 8 weeks to what the state provides. Then officers are allowed out on their own, but not before. Their career is long enough they have plenty of time to work alone, we'd rather make sure they have the best available training via academy AND FTO's first.

[Mr. Peanut]

I'm going to dig this up because somebody posted a new thread about a recent AP article and was pointed here.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070305/...zg2sLzW7gDW7oF

What is your reaction to this?

[deputywave]

What is your reaction to this?

That you dug up an old post just to repost an article.:rolleyes:

[Mr. Peanut]

That you dug up an old post just to repost an article.:rolleyes:

Someone else posted a new thread about it, and it was locked, with a link to this one. So where do you suggest I put it? The article is new and is not a repost.

[nikerret]

Hey, Mr. Peanut, that's the article I was referring to. I don't think anyone has anything else to add. I do have a question that may spark someone's interest.

When would HR 218 go into effect for these "un-Academied" officers?
Is it when they qualify with their duty firearms, or only after the academy?