There's alot more to a Police Academy than just training. Academy is 2 things. 1, basic training, anything one could get out of a book. 2, a chance for senior cadre to size up potential Police Officers. One thing Police Academys do is weed out the ones that will eventually fail, cause problems, not have the right makeup for the field. For the most part, the pissing on each other's academys, is due to how much cadre screwed with cadets. The more presure you get without folding the better you deal in the field. There's the competition. Your absolutly correct about Academys stretching out the term but that is management making those decisions, not the guys running the academy.
My academy was half (13 weeks) of what it is now....I would like to see a standardized length for field training, I think it should be a minimum of 8 weeks.
I agree that FTO programs should be standardized for most agencies, buth how much training is enough?? I went thru a 16 week FTO with the city PD, then 16 weeks with the Attorney General's Office then 16 weeks with the Sheriff's Office here in FL. I've been OC'd 5 times, tazered twice and run through the ringer I don't know how many times. Between probation and FTO, it seems like my entire 24 year career has been in one training or another. The beauty is that if I ever moved back to MA, I would probably have to attend another full time academy!!!
No. The above is true if two conditions are met: first, there has to be new cops hitting the streets regularly and second, those new cops have to REMAIN on the streets to get good experience. Egos. Hmm, probably the reason for the birth of multiple academies all around the state...which are all empty right now. I like how some departments do 5-6 months of academy, hit the road for 1-2 months, then go back for training to finish their academy, then back to FTO. I would imagine those folks who went through something like that could refine their skills, and have a bazillion questions for their instructors upon that last phase. Too bad some of those depts stick their new boots in the cell room or on the meat wagon for a few years, washing all that knowledge and enthusiasm down the toilet.
As I mentioned before, I think 8 weeks field training should be the minimum (preferably more), and that's what my PD does; recruits do 2 weeks with each FTO, so they're exposed to 4 (or more, depending on sick time, P-days, etc.) FTO's during the training cycle. If I get a n00b just out of the academy (hasn't been with an FTO yet), I just have them observe for the first couple of days, which gives me an idea of how much guidance they're going to need afterwards. If I think they're ready after the first couple of days, or if I get them a few weeks into the training cycle, I turn into the observer. I tell them that I won't let them do anything that's going to get them hurt or land them in the jackpot, but there's no better way to learn the job than to do it, so they should do it, under my guidance. Problem is, there is often the academy way of doing things, and the reality way of doing things. Agreed.
can't speak to other sheriff's offices , but Plymouth has a separate corrections academy and afterward officers can attend the MPTC part-time academy to become deputized. i do know one correction officer from the MSO that went through the Boston Police Academy. he was going on the apprehension team.
Sometimes I feel the same way. Poignantly accurate, while other PD's burden some, if not all of their newly hired aggressive criminal enforcers with an invisible 'harness' essentially caging not only the young mustang horses in the group who may require careful management by knowledgeable handlers, but unfortunately stymieing even the most capable of officers among them in the process. That, and "To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe." -Marilyn vos Savant
yes pretty much the last academy they put through was 26 weeks i think which was corrections with deputy sheriff courses as well so the graduating class had knowledge in mass basic law so they were appointed deputy sheriffs. The past few years there has been no FT academy its been 2 weeks crash course of corrections for the "TEMP" co's usually young guys who are dumb and dont know what there signing up for, the moneys good and thats really the only reason they stick around. as of now there are probably the same amount of TEMPS as full time guys on if not more..there all waiting for the department to put a full time academy through. And yes there is different training for the different positions. If you have enough juice to score a K9 bid they send you to the Boston academy then k9 classes, or the warrant app team same crap, just send in you check early
