POST enters into recurring annual contracts with specific training presenters for ICI Core and Foundation Specialty Courses. In March, 2012, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) Advanced Training Center was closed and many POST contract training courses were eliminated. The list of DOJ course offerings was scrutinized and the decision made to incorporate the following courses under contract into the ICI Program: Narcotic Investigations Course (NIC) and Officer-Involved Shooting Investigations Training Course (OISITC). These courses have been offered by DOJ to California law enforcement investigators for many years and, as evidenced by attendance rates, continue to remain in high demand.

The courses identified for continued presentation were selected based upon the need for detective training in California. The purpose of adopting these courses within the ICI Program is to allow agencies to continue to send investigators to this critical training with minimal impact to operating budgets. ICI courses are exempt from the 80-hour POST training reimbursement cap and, if approved, these courses will be included to this exemption.

In preparation for continued presentation of these courses, the final DOJ offerings of the NIC and OISITC were attended to evaluate course content, delivery, and instruction. The NIC will require an instructor training workshop prior to the first presentation to update content, develop learning activities, and provide instructor facilitation skills training. The proposed budget will increase approximately 10% per course to accommodate the need for additional facilitators, travel expenses, and materials. It will also require additional funding for the purchase of equipment. The course will remain 80 hours in length. SDRPSTI will present five courses each fiscal year in the southern California area and another ICI presenter will offer five courses in the central and northern California regions.

The OISITC will require a comprehensive curricula revision, instructor selection and training, and is expected to increase in length from 36 hours to approximately 64 hours. The course will be redesigned from its lecture-based format to a more advanced level of hands-on, scenario-driven training that is competency-based and has real life application. The course content will be developed by subject matter resources, experts and working detectives in the following areas: investigative procedures, legal matters, psychological perspectives, and criminalist/forensic issues. The target audience for this course is detectives or investigators assigned to respond to and investigate officer-involved shootings, members of officer-involved shooting investigative teams, and supervisors. It is expected that most students will have significant investigative experience, including prior or current assignments as a homicide detective. The proposed budget is higher due to the need for additional hours, instructors and supplies, and will also require additional funding for the purchase of equipment. SDRPSTC will present three courses each fiscal year in the southern California area and two other ICI presenters will each offer three courses in the central and northern California regions.

Staff recommends the Commission authorize the Executive Director to enter into a contract with San Diego Regional Public Safety Training Institute or another public entity to provide Institute of Criminal Investigation training as specified in an amount not to exceed $540,000.

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