MEETING DATE
6/25/2015 |
BUREAU SUBMITTING THIS REPORT
Executive Office |
RESEARCHED BY (PRINT NAME)
Jan Bullard |
REVIEWED BY (PRINT NAME)
Bob Stresak |
REPORT DATE
04/21/2015 |
APPROVED BY
Robert A. Stresak |
DATE APPROVED
06/02/15 |
PURPOSE
Information Only |
FINANCIAL IMPACT
No
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| ISSUE: |
| This is an informational report responding to questions asked by Commissioner Joyce Dudley at the October 2014 meeting. |
| BACKGROUND: |
At the October 2014 meeting Commissioner Dudley posed several questions to the Commission and to POST staff. These questions were designed to provoke thought and consideration pertaining to POST’s purpose and future direction as it aligns with the needs of the agencies the Commission serves. The questions were as follows:
1. How does POST stay on top of issues and make predictions of trends?
2. With Body cameras coming into the forefront, what will POST’s place be in this very important issue?
3. Do we collaborate with California Universities to insure training is the highest quality and our instructors are the most relevant?
4. If we say we are on the “cutting edge” of training how do we know that? How to we make that judgment?
5. Are we looking at recruitment in the right way? Should we not be studying what makes successful officer and capturing those traits?
6. Are we keeping up with technology and using it wisely in training?
POST staff conducted an analysis of existing programs and procedures and prepared responses to these questions.
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| ANALYSIS: |
1. How does POST stay on top of issues and make predictions of trends?
As part of POST’s mission, staff stays alert to potential issues and trends that may have an effect on the law enforcement community and on POST as an organization.
- Regional consultants attend monthly training manager and chief and sheriff meetings that are held in their areas. During these meetings concerns, trends and training needs are identified and discussed and strategies are developed to collaboratively address these issues. The regional staff advises POST leadership when it is determined that POST has information, resources or an ability to assist in developing a regional or statewide solution.
- Executive staff attends association meetings such as California State Sheriff’s Association (CSSA), California Police Chiefs’ Association (CPCA), Peace Officer Research Association of California (PORAC), and California Peace Officers Association (CPOA) and offers input regarding trends, issues, needs and resources.
- Staff subscribes to several law enforcement news feeds that address state and national law enforcement issues. Many articles reflect potential areas that POST may see value in focusing attention such as: mental health, use of force, community perceptions and relations, etc. When trends are noted, staff reviews existing training and resources and provides information to the field. These sources of news give POST the impetus to make inquires by asking or surveying its stakeholders in order to assess the level of interest or assistance POST may provide.
POST also conducts focus group meetings on issues. For example POST held a focus group on managing crowds in response to the “Occupy” movement. Representatives from all levels of law enforcement, as well as subject matter experts, discussed the issues and any role that POST could play in assisting law enforcement (e.g., guidelines, curriculum etc,). From this focus group POST was asked to conduct a seminar to bring together statewide leaders to network and strategize regarding this issue. As a result of the seminar, POST updated the crowd management guidelines and produced and distributed a new training video on this topic to all POST agencies.
Other previous efforts have included the topics of recruitment and retention, AB 109 - Realignment, and the SAFE Driving Campaign.
- As a result of input from staff and stakeholders, a Futures Team was established within POST. The Futures Team was created to inform the strategic planning process. The Team consisted of a cross-section of staff that reviewed selected articles, research and studies in order to identify law enforcement and governmental trends that may influence the emerging needs of law enforcement. The Team met periodically and published an annual report. The most recent report was used in the current efforts to develop the 2015 POST Strategic Plan.
- POST legislative liaison interacts with legislative staffers and monitors and analyzes proposed bills that are reflective of emerging community issues that involve law enforcement training or hiring issues.
2. With Body cameras coming into the forefront, what will POST’s place be in this very important issue?
POST is currently working with a subject matter expert committee to develop best practices, lessons learned and current issues regarding the implementation of body cameras. POST will produce a training video to be available to all agencies that offers insight and information gleaned from agencies that have already established a body camera program.
POST does not have a role in the development of individual agency policy or make recommendations concerning the selection of law enforcement equipment. POST does not develop training specific to equipment used by individual agencies.
3. Do we collaborate with California Universities to insure training is the highest quality and our instructors are the most relevant?
POST works closely with several university and community college academics and groups pertaining to law enforcement training.
- POST uses academic subject matter experts where applicable to assist in the development of training. When developing the Instructor Development Institute (IDI) several college and university instructors participated and assisted in the design and presentation of the course.
- To ensure course and instructor quality, POST developed the Quality Assessment Program where Master Instructors randomly attend and review POST certified courses and provide presenters with feedback and assistance to help them to enhance their skills. This program was developed with the assistance of academics from several community colleges.
- POST established the Instructor Standards Advisory Committee (ISAC) that meets twice a year to discuss curriculum for instructors and development of instructional techniques and programs. This committee includes academics from universities and community colleges, law enforcement trainers and other stakeholders.
- POST executive staff is a member of the Chancellor’s Community College Public Safety Advisory Committee which is a collaborative partnership to provide contemporary methods of training and education for the public safety community.
- POST has collaborated with California State University Sacramento, California State University Fullerton, Colorado State University, UC Berkeley the University of South Carolina and Washington State University throughout the SAFE Driving Campaign and research study.
- Learning Technology Resources Bureau staff met with staff at University of Southern California’s virtual reality environment lab to exchange ideas pertaining to the potential of 3D immersive environments for the development of law enforcement training on the Learning Portal.
- POST participated in the graduate program at UC San Diego in which marketing students completed a marketing strategy for POST training products as credit toward their master’s thesis. This provided POST with quality analysis and contemporary solutions for getting POST material into the national market.
The Executive Director is currently co-chairing the Attorney General's sub-committee with members of Stanford University regarding training and its effectiveness in Procedural Justice and Police Legitimacy.
4. If we say we are on the “cutting edge” of training how do we know what? How to we make that judgment?
POST enjoys a remarkable network of law enforcement trainers comprised of peace officers, public safety dispatchers, medical, legal, community advocates, academics and technical and computer experts both in California and nationally. Through POST's contract training courses, POST project managers routinely meet and update curricula using instructors that are contemporary in the field. As a member of the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST), POST is aware of products and training offered throughout the nation. This national organization and Western Regional group meet to exchange ideas that assist POST to stay relevant and collaborative regarding law enforcement issues.
The POST Learning Portal is unique. While several states have POST websites and even provide access to online training courses, the instructional design of CA POST’s self-paced courses is far superior. The sophistication of these courses provides intricate functionality that can evaluate the success of the student as they work through the course. The design of these courses provides students with opportunities to continually apply the knowledge they acquire in different circumstances taking them to a higher level of learning.
In comparison, most online courses available on other websites and sold to law enforcement are defined as “click and read/watch”. They promote lower levels of learning, allow only limited, short term retention and offer no repeated application of learning for the student.
5. Are we looking at recruitment in the right way? Should we not be studying what makes successful officer and capturing those traits?
POST has supported agencies in their recruitment efforts for several years. In July 2001 POST published Recruitment & Retention Best Practices and updated that document in April 2006. Staff conducted two statewide recruitment and retention symposiums during those years. The symposium brought together experts and law enforcement recruiters to provide insight and best practices for recruiting and retaining people.
In November 2009 POST published the POST Recruitment Strategic Planning Guide: Finding and Keeping the Right People. This document helped agencies focus on the development of a strategic plan that emphasized organizational recruitment and retention.
In selecting the “Ideal Candidate” agencies were encouraged to select several of their top performers and develop profiles that recognize the characteristics they want assessed in their selection testing process.
In April 2010 POST utilized the expertise of Dr. John G. Berner, PhD. to complete an 18-month study entitled Pre-Offer Personality Testing in the Selection of Entry-Level California Peace Officers Technical Report. This study analyzed and documented the personality traits of successful law enforcement officers and identified testing that could identify these traits during the selection process.
In a related recruitment and hiring study it was determined that many candidates who seemed promising at the time of selection had made decisions in their life that caused them not to be successful during the background process. Statistics support that many of the disqualifying issues occur during early teenage years. Candidates actually have to think about the consequences of their actions/decisions that could affect their chosen employment as early as 5th and 6th grade.
POST developed the Career Pipeline program which is a partnership between law enforcement and charter schools to establish alternative public safety “academy” environments at the elementary grade level. This has been referred to as the “grow your own” concept that provides students as young as 9 and 10 with ethics, leadership, and a solid positive support system to help them make good decisions that will make them successful candidates for public safety careers.
6. Are we keeping up with technology and using it wisely in training?
POST has been developing self-paced training since 1991. First distributed on Interactive Video Disc (IVD) then in 2000 on CD-ROM and finally on-line with the launching of the POST Learning Portal in 2005. Since that time POST staff has worked with vendors to continuously update and improve the user experience and the quality and dynamics of the self-paced courses.
Learning Technology Resources (LTR) Bureau staff continually read journals and researches the advancements in training technology. Internally, staff has designed many job aid tools and developed apps that include a mental model investigations tool to guide the investigation process and software media tool that allows all POST videos to be viewed on mobile devices. Most recently LTR staff developed the Mandates Minder app that allows agencies immediate reference to all mandated training that can be cued by mandate or by personnel classification. LTR staff has won awards and been recognized for the projects they have developed, and has been asked to speak at technology conferences.POST training technology products have been purchased nationally and internationally.
In the design and presentation of distance learning, POST is leading the way.
Responding to these questions provided staff with an opportunity to look at what we do and how we do it. It would be prudent to periodically review these questions to ensure we are still in touch, still provide quality service to our stakeholders, and still maintain the level of excellence POST wants to always be known for.
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| RECOMMENDATION: |
| This item is for information only and requires no action by the Commission. |
| ATTACHMENT(S): |
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