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AGENDA ITEM REPORT

Title: Report on Request to Renew the Contracts for Driving and Force Option Simulators
REPORT PROFILE
MEETING DATE
2/20/2019		 BUREAU SUBMITTING THIS REPORT
RESEARCHED BY (PRINT NAME)
April Crume, LEC		 REVIEWED BY (PRINT NAME)
Larry Ellsworth, BC
REPORT DATE
02/04/2019		 APPROVED BY
Manuel Alvarez, Jr.		 DATE APPROVED
02/05/2019
PURPOSE
Decision Requested		 FINANCIAL IMPACT
Yes

ISSUE, BACKGROUND, ANALYSIS, & RECOMMENDATION
ISSUE:
Should the Commission authorize the Executive Director to enter into contracts with the POST Regional Skills Training Centers (RSTCs) and other qualified entities which provide Law Enforcement Driving Simulator (LEDS) and Force Options Simulator (FOS) training in an amount not to exceed $1,371,138?
BACKGROUND:

Since January 2002, Commission Regulation 1005 has required all peace officers (except reserve officers) below the middle management position and assigned to patrol, traffic, or investigation who routinely effect the physical arrest of criminal suspects to complete Perishable Skills training which includes driving ,and arrest and control.

In 2013, LEDS was approved by the Commission as a mandated requirement in the Regular Basic Course (RBC).

POST contracts with RSTCs and various law enforcement agencies throughout the state to present the LEDS and FOS training. The current contracts expire in June 2019.

POST staff have visited with and reviewed presentations by several companies creating and marketing force option simulators. There are many and varied force option simulators available to California law enforcement. These simulators have shown advancements in placing law enforcement in a 270 degree scenario and allow the ability to place the projecting system so close to the screen as to enhance law enforcements’ ability to move tactically within the room where the simulation is being presented.

However,there has been little progress in the area of improving the content and substance of the video scenarios themselves.
ANALYSIS:

Commission Regulation 1005 requires in-service peace officers to complete 24 hours of perishable skills training every 24 months.  These skills include training in arrest and control techniques, communication, driving, and tactical firearms.  These skills are high liability and managed risk areas for peace officers and law enforcement agencies, and it has been determined that certain psycho-motor skills need to be regularly refreshed.

Contracting for LEDS and FOS training assists officers in meeting the biennial perishable skills training requirement of driving and firearms and provides them with the highest level of training in these hands-on critical skills.

POST utilizes subject matter experts to identify trends and factors contributing to felonious and vehicle related officer deaths.  The critical training issues identified are published in the POST Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted Report (LEOKA), and the information is used to update the scenarios for both the LEDS and FOS.

The LEDS and FOS systems were made available by POST to law enforcement agencies at the Regional Skills Training Centers (RSTCs) and various law enforcement agencies.  A breakdown of the proposed presenters and course costs is contained in Attachment A.

This project is supported by POST Strategic Plan Objectives A.1 California law enforcement agencies are prepared to address emerging trends and challenges, A.1.3 Review and update Continuous Professional Training (CPT) and Perishable Skills Program (PSP) and A.1.4 Enhance and continue study of driver training methods and vehicle related high-risk activities to improve training and enhance safety.

There is clearly a need to create new force option simulator scenarios that provide emphasis on successful resolution of incidents through the use of de-escalation techniques, strategic communications, and dealing with persons in mental health crisis.  These scenarios can and should depict multiple branching possibilities to encourage officers’ successful resolution of the incident.  These scenarios will be provided to the RSTC centers as well as other California law enforcement agencies utilizing their own systems, for use in force options simulator training.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Commission authorize the Executive Director to enter into contracts with POST RSTCs and other qualified presenters that provide Driving Simulator and Force Options Simulator training as well as a qualified bidder to create force option simulator scenarios, in an amount not to exceed $1,371,138.
 
ATTACHMENT(S):
Name: Type:
Attachment_A_LEDS-FOS_19-20.pdf Cover Memo