FBINAA Associate Magazine Q2.2021

It is a very common story. You wake up, grab that cup of coffee, take a glance at the news and inevitably begin to follow an unfolding story about the actions of one of our brother or sister officers. Although the situations vary, the underlying cause is usually the same – an issue with training. TRAINING: THE KEY TO INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATION PROTECTION A cross the country, law firms are training their personnel on how to develop cases against individual officers and police

JIM HARRIS, FBINA 265

This means that we provide our officers with yearly updates on arrest, search and seizure as well as use of force. These two areas represent some of the most common areas that result in lawsuits. By continually updating our officers with updated infor- mation from a qualified professional, we are instituting a layer of protection for our officers and the agency against frivolous litigation. The second factor in protection is the agency. Agency lead- ership must review what is taking place within their organization on a regular basis. Data on lawsuits, complaints, and the com- mon officer errors being reported by supervisors must be shared with the training division and instructional staff. Training is the opportunity to address minor concerns being observed. Many times, department commanders don’t share the circumstances of events that have led to complaints and lawsuits for fear of embarrassing the officer or others. This failure to share informa- tion will lead to a continued problem that will open the door to future legal actions against the agency. Therefore, management must stay vigilant and provide insightful feedback to instructors that will ensure the minor issues are corrected and officers are operating effectively. As we glance into the future of our profession, it is essen- tial to understand the nuances of training and why it is such an important and vital aspect of our career. Properly trained per- sonnel provide the most effective services to the communities they serve. Providing quality training to your agency increases morale of the officers. High quality training will provide officers with the tools necessary to be successful in their positions and, therefore, will increase productivity. Most importantly, profes- sional training will provide your officers and your agency that increased layer of insulation from civil litigation.

agencies. The core components of the suits brought against our family stem around police misconduct, use of force, false arrest and more. The basis of these claims revolve around the lack of training. Therefore, it is essential that agencies take a hard look at the training they are providing to their officers as well as prop- erly reviewing the external training their officers are attending. Officers want to excel in their careers and often seek training opportunities on their own. They submit a request to their train- ing officer to attend and, many times, will often privately pay to attend if their agency cannot afford to send them through the training budget. The first supervisor to receive the request, the bureau commander reviewing the request and training officer approving the request all have a responsibility to that officer and to the agency that often is neglected. That responsibility is properly vetting the instruction, the trainers and the provider to ensure this education is in-line with the goals and objectives of the organization and to ensure that those instructing are reputable. In short, if an agency sends an officer to a course that provides misleading information and an officer utilizes what was learned in the field, the agency and the officer can potentially face a lawsuit. Law enforcement agencies must ensure that their officers’ knowledge, skills, and abilities are at a level that provides the highest level of service to their community. In addition, agency personnel must be able to display an understanding of the most up-to-date and best practices of our profession. Although this is extremely important, many training budgets are cut, training schedules get pushed aside for “more important things”, and in-house, agency instructors sometimes lack the up-to-date knowledge to share with their groups. With all of this in mind, there are ways agencies and officers can protect themselves. First and foremost is the backing of union leadership. Collective bargaining organizations must de- mand that their officers get proper and up-to-date training. The primary function of the union is to protect their membership. The best way to ensure union members are protected is to make sure the agency sets aside time and resources to train depart- ment personnel. This instruction should include annual updates in the most common, problematic areas facing our officers today.

About the Author : Jim Harris retired from the Toms River Police Department as Deputy Chief after serv- ing in law enforcement for over twenty-seven years. While working with the agency he served in many capacities including Patrol, Traffic Safety, Special Operations, Administration, Professional Standards, undercover operations and Multi-Jurisdictional Task Forces. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration from Monmouth College. He is a graduate of FBINA 265.

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