Effective Training Strategies for Law Enforcement Officers
School
Kenyatta University School of Economics**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
DES CB101
Subject
Law
Date
Dec 12, 2024
Pages
5
Uploaded by ChancellorPowerQuetzal32
1Effective Strategies For Teaching Law Enforcement Officers Through In-Service TrainingAnd Written GuidesStudent’s NameCourseInstitutionProfessor’s NameDue Date
2Effective Strategies for Teaching Law Enforcement Officers through in-service training Teaching law enforcement officers through in-service training programs can be a challenge to the trainer since some of the officers may feel that the non-law enforcement trainers and training coordinators do not appreciate the unique situation they face during theirwork. Furthermore, some law enforcement officers may have little or no background in the psychology of behavior and may have a difficult time translating the complex information into action. It is therefore important for a trainer to come up with a well-developed framework and strategies of ensuring the in-service training is effective. Strategies that can help teach career law enforcement officersa concept in a short amount of timeinclude the use of experienced law enforcement officers, the use of experiential learning, and the use of questions. One of the effective strategies for teaching law enforcement officers is by utilizing experienced law enforcement officers throughout the training program (Council of State Governments Justice Center, n.d.). The understanding of the trainer about police work is vitalduring training. If the officer trainees find the trainer not to be credible, they are more likely to reject the training by not implementing what they learned. This happens because the trainerdid not put the lesson in the context of the law enforcement officer. Accordingly, to ensure that the trainees implement what they learn, it is important to use an experienced officer who has undergone similar training before. The role of the experienced officer will be to help in conducting role-play, introducing the topic of the day and how it is important for first responders, and generally helping the trainees link the training to their lines of duty. According to Sekerinet al. (2018), the use of experienced or senior employees for on-the-job or in-service training is an effective strategy for ensuring knowledge is shared in a quick and effective way.
3The use of role-plays and teaching techniques that engage the law enforcement officerwill also enhance the effectiveness of the training. Adults learn best from their own experiences in a controlled environment (Zeivots, 2016). The learning process can only happen if the experience of the learner is engaged to a certain extent. Accordingly, this highlights the importance of experiential training in teaching law enforcement officers. Experiential training involves an engagement of the inner world of an officer and the outer environment (Wilson,& Beard,2013)and requires adequate planning to ensure that the experience of the officers is positive and productive. Role-plays are an example of engagement activities that can help transfer knowledge to law enforcement officers effectively. After every role-play experiential learning activity, the officers should be debriefed to summarize what they have learned. Debriefing can also help those that did not understand the importance of the experiential learning task. The use of questions to prompt the officers to reflect on their own experiences and stimulate discussion through a language the law enforcement officer understand is also an effective training strategy (Council of State Governments Justice Center, n.d.). Using questions in training is the most effective strategy for training when one wants to use the shortest time possible. Developing questions based on a certain topic will start the conversation and encourage the officer to participate in the training leading to positive training outcomes. The training process should also follow or use a language that the law enforcement officers are familiar with. The trainers should avoid using psychological terms during training and instead the content should be delivered in a simple language that is relevant to the law enforcement officers. Effective training of career officers requires the trainer to utilize a combination of strategies to ensure that the training program is effective and utilizes the shortest time. The
4use of experienced officers, the use of experiential training such as role play as well as using questions will enhance the quality of training and minimize the time needed.
5ReferencesCouncil of State Governments Justice Center. (n.d.). Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: Strategies for Effective Law Enforcement Training. Bureau of Justice Assistance Office. https://www.theiacp.org/sites/default/files/2018-08/IACP_Responding_to_MI.pdfSekerin, V. D., Gaisina, L. M., Shutov, N. V., Abdrakhmanov, N. K., & Valitova, N. E. (2018). Improving the quality of competence-oriented training of personnel at industrial enterprises. Calitatea, 19(165), 68-72.Wilson, J. P., & Beard, C. (2013). Experiential learning: A handbook for education, training,and coaching. Kogan Page Publishers.Zeivots, S. (2016). Emotional highs in adult experiential learning. Australian Journal of AdultLearning, 56(3), 353-373.