Advanced training for LEO's...

[Silver Fox]

Other than graduating from a police academy, or holding an associate in Science or bachelor of science Degree in criminal justice, what other LEO related courses, seminars, schools, symposiums, etc. have you attended to better prepare yourself for your job?
Does your department encourage you and does it pay for all the costs involved to attend courses in advanced training ?

[Cat_Doc]

I have over 2,000 hours of advanced law enforcement training, all paid for by the departments I worked for.

Other than practical courses in patrol and criminal investigation techniques, I have the opportunity to attend;

Basic Police Supervision
Situational Leadership
Performance Management
Staff Skills Development
Liability Issues in Law Enforcement Supervision

My most recent advanced training was a couple of 40 hour courses on Homicide Investigation, and three advanced seminars on Internal Affairs/Professional Standards.

I got tired of going to Las Vegas for the PATC schools because I always blew too much money in the casinos.:eek:

Now that I am back on patrol running a squad, I don’t think I’ll be seeing as many schools. It’s more important to send the line deputy and new sergeants than this old dog.

[mcsap]

FTO School
Advanced Acc Investigation
Motor Carrier Enforcement
Haz-Mat Enforcement ( motor carrier based)
Vascar-Robic-ESP speed enforcement
POSIT
Sobriety Check Point manager

Didnt cost me a dime

[SnapShawt]

FTO School
Advanced Acc Investigation
Motor Carrier Enforcement
Haz-Mat Enforcement ( motor carrier based)
Vascar-Robic-ESP speed enforcement
POSIT
Sobriety Check Point manager

Didnt cost me a dime

mcsap, don't forget you also have "RealPolice LEO Verification Specialist and Moderation Enforcement" :D ;)

[Silver Fox]

IMO, providing advanced training to qualifed personnel is a good investment by a Dept; as those who have attended and completed a course can pass along what Info. the attendees acquired to others in the department via on the job Tng. or in short seminars set up by the department.
Today most departments have tight budgets and I know some who have taken a week or more of their leave/vacation time and paid all the involved expenses to attend a seminar or workshop.
When I was in LE the sky was the limit when it came to spending for training and buying equipment (it's just the opposite today). I and many of our agents attended advanced Tng. courses all over the country, from the FBI's facility in Quantico VA to Anaheim CA. and many cities and states in between, north and south.
Our air travel, lodging and registration fee costs were prepaid and we were on expense accounts for our meals.
If an AT course was being held within the radius of 2-300 miles we either drove a state vehicle or our own personal cars and got mileage. It wasn't a lot as gas prices then was a buck or a little over per gallon.
They went as far in the way of equipment to purchase us a new mobile crime lab, which one of the men flew to Michigan factory to pick up and drive back.

[phantasm]

I've had CIMS and NIMS.

[SnapShawt]

My agency encourages AT and pays for as much as they can. Bill hit the nail on the head - budgetary constraints are making it much more difficult to get much-needed training and equipment than used to be the case.

[SSA1811]

Until your question prompted some additional research, I had assumed that the reimbursement incentives for further education (for State Police) would have been very similar from State to State.

The following table prepared by the State of Connecticut shows a wide disparity in educational incentives between States --- I believe Massachusetts which may offer the most in incentives not only reimburses its Troopers for 100% of the tuition, but provides an additional 25% pay increase for a Masters Degree.

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2001/rpt/olr/htm/2001-r-0092.htm


.

[Roger Dat]

Radar/Lidar certification
Emergency First responder Certification
Crime Scene Technician
Breath Test Operator

[Cat_Doc]

Today most departments have tight budgets... When I was in LE the sky was the limit when it came to spending for training and buying equipment (it's just the opposite today).

Yep, Bill, it is different, now.

I can't remember the acronym (possibly LEAP? Law Enforcement Assistance Program?) in which we got federal funding for advanced training, back when I was a rookie. We were sending cops all over the nation, fully reimbursed by the feds.

Some of the new sergeants got sent to Houston, for an entire month, for leadership training. Crime scene techs were sent to Oklahoma for nearly two months for advanced training. Virginia was another state oft traveled.

After this program was taken away and training funds were strictly upon the shoulders of the agency out of state advanced training was cut dramatically due to budget constraints.

My agency still has a fairly decent training budget, but the brass is pretty strict in that you are only sent to schools that are narrowly focused on your job assignment. Traffic cops don’t get sent to homicide training and homicide Det’s don’t get sent to reconstruction school.

We do, however, have a fairly large internal staff that have been certified as specialty trainers and conduct regular in-house POST sanctioned training on a variety of topics.

Some of the deputies still attend schools out of their own pocket and depending on the circumstances; the department will allow them to do it on their regular work hours without taking vacation.

I had to pay for a few Caliber Press Street Survival seminars, out of my own pocket, but it was well worth it and a tax write-off.

[Cat_Doc]

The following table prepared by the State of Connecticut shows a wide disparity in educational incentives between States

My agency does not offer pay incentives for advanced education, but does provide very beneficial "promotion points" during file review on promotions and transfers.

The county will reimburse higher education tuition on a scale; 100% for A's, 80% for B's, 50% for C's, zilch for anything under. But, the sought after reimbursement has to be narrowly job focused and approved prior to enlisting in the desired program.

No way will they reimburse you for taking Pottery 101 or Square Dancing 200. ;)

[Silver Fox]

Yep, Bill, it is different, now.

I can't remember the acronym (possibly LEAP? Law Enforcement Assistance Program?) in which we got federal funding for advanced training, back when I was a rookie. We were sending cops all over the nation, fully reimbursed by the feds.

Some of the new sergeants got sent to Houston, for an entire month, for leadership training. Crime scene techs were sent to Oklahoma for nearly two months for advanced training. Virginia was another state oft traveled.

After this program was taken away and training funds were strictly upon the shoulders of the agency out of state advanced training was cut dramatically due to budget constraints.

My agency still has a fairly decent training budget, but the brass is pretty strict in that you are only sent to schools that are narrowly focused on your job assignment. Traffic cops don’t get sent to homicide training and homicide Det’s don’t get sent to reconstruction school.

We do, however, have a fairly large internal staff that have been certified as specialty trainers and conduct regular in-house POST sanctioned training on a variety of topics.

Some of the deputies still attend schools out of their own pocket and depending on the circumstances; the department will allow them to do it on their regular work hours without taking vacation.

I had to pay for a few Caliber POmnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.
ress Street Survival seminars, out of my own pocket, but it was well worth it and a tax write-off.

To the best of my recollection, the program was called the omnibus crime control and safe Streets Act. which I believe came to and end in the mid to late 70's when congress stopped funding it.
We didn't receive any monies for training, but got a lot for buying equipment.
One of the program directors was located here and helped me fill out the forms, Etc. required. We got the mobile lab, riot guns, fingerprint kits, ammo and a lot of other equipment through the program.
Our department's director an elected official was highly pro-law enforcement and each year got a lot of money for LE training appropriated through the general assembly. It was a different world back then.
A short time before I retired a new commissioner took over and the good times came to a screeching halt. This was one of the main reasons I took an early retirement and went to work for a retired FBI agent who formed his own private investigative company hiring other retired agents. I was the only one with the company who wasn't a former FBI agent.