1st Edition

Dynamic Police Training

By Ann R. Bumbak Copyright 2010
    182 Pages 26 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    182 Pages
    by Routledge

    As police work has become increasingly professionalized, classrooms have become a preferred environment for training. However, the best preparation for police work has traditionally been conducted on the job. Dynamic Police Training partners the experienced law enforcement officer’s "street-smart" perspective of what makes training work with a professional educator’s "book-smart" approach to writing curriculum to achieve the best results in police training programs.

    A results-oriented handbook for police trainers seeking clear and definitive information on curriculum development, the book facilitates training designed to develop students’ critical thinking skills, physical competencies, and in-depth understanding of concepts such as use of force, consequences of failure, and value-based judgment. Authored by a former police officer and trainer with over 14 years of experience in the field and the classroom, this volume:

     

    • Examines the typical strengths and limitations of police trainers and describes how to build on existing skills
    • Explains how to go beyond the lecture and slide show format to make police training an interactive and thought-provoking experience for students
    • Translates the theoretical basis of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills training into police-oriented language
    • Outlines the methods for developing high-quality law enforcement instructional content
    • Provides a step-by-step construction guide for law enforcement lesson plan development with versatile templates included for the reader’s use

    Understanding how to write an interactive curriculum that allows police officers to achieve mastery of skills in the classroom is what differentiates outstanding training from the mediocre. Dynamic Police Training helps police trainers who deliver, revise, or develop training programs in the academy and beyond, enabling them to achieve top-notch training results within the confines of the classroom setting that translate into real results on the street.

    The Current State of Police Training Programs
    The Historical Approach to Training
    Changing Demographics of Police Populations
    Knowing Our Limitations
    A Downward Spiral
    The Challenges Ahead
    A Starting Point
    Historical Perspectives on Police Training
    Training Soldiers and Police: Parallels and Contrasts
    The Traditional Approach
    The Role of the Media
    Evolving Approaches to Police Training
    The Challenge of Diversity
    The Educated Recruit
    Surviving Field Training
    Four Steps to Initiating Change in Instructional Programs
    Skinning the Cat
    Choice A: You Will Tell Them
    Choice B: Some Will Tell You
    Choice C: All Will Show and Tell You
    Stop Lecturing
    An Accurate Mirror
    Trusting in Trainer Ingenuity
    A Training Experiment
    Addressing Adult Learning Styles
    Visual Learners
    Auditory Learners
    Kinesthetic Learners
    A Study in Techniques
    Beyond the Slide Show: Visual Techniques
    Hearing What Is Said: Auditory Techniques
    Feeling the Gist: Kinesthetic Techniques
    Bringing It All Together
    A Revision Challenge
    Law Enforcement Curriculum Development Overview
    Qualities of Police Performance Objectives
    Objectives Are Student Focused
    Objectives Are Unbiased and Measurable
    Police Training Lesson Plans: Basics
    Lesson 1: The "Four Corners" Rule
    Lesson 2: Portability
    Lesson 3: Anonymity
    Six Levels of Understanding: Police Cognitive Skills Training
    Applying Bloom’s Taxonomy
    Cognitive Level One: Knowledge
    Cognitive Level Two: Comprehension
    Cognitive Level Three: Application
    Cognitive Level Four: Analysis
    Cognitive Level Five: Evaluation
    Cognitive Level Six: Synthesis
    Final Commentary on Cognitive Skills Training
    Five Levels of Internal Change: Police Affective Skills Training
    Affective Level One: Receiving Data
    Affective Level Two: Responding to Data
    Affective Level Three: Valuing Data
    Affective Level Four: Organizing Data
    Affective Level Five: Characterizing Data or Values
    Final Commentary on Affective Skills Training
    Five Levels of Ability: Police Psychomotor Skills Training
    Psychomotor Level One: Perception of Need for Action
    Psychomotor Level Two: Ready for Action
    Psychomotor Level Three: Guided Action
    Psychomotor Level Four: Habit of Action
    Psychomotor Level Five: Independent Action
    Final Commentary on Psychomotor Skills
    Basic Instructional Methodology for Law Enforcement Training
    Ice-Breakers
    Brainstorming
    Case Study/Critical Incident
    Case Study: Hope v. Pelzer
    Final Commentary on Basic Instructional Methods
    Intermediate Instructional Techniques
    Demonstration
    Skits
    Role-Playing
    Final Commentary on Dramatic Methods
    Construction of Law Enforcement Lesson Plans: Preliminary Development
    Developing Anticipatory Sets
    Writing Valid Objectives for Law Enforcement
    Developing Quality Content
    Chemistry versus Control
    Writing Quality Content
    Research-Based Content
    Documenting Research and Sources
    Developing Teaching Points
    Conclusion
    Enhancing Instruction: Approaches to Ancillary Development
    A Dual Purpose
    Using Exploratory Tasks
    Developing Insightful Exercises
    Right and Wrong Examples
    Current and Future Trends in Police Training
    Scenario-Based Learning
    Writing SBL Objectives
    A Model of Excellence: Howard County, Maryland
    Virtual Reality
    E-Learning and Computer-Based Training
    Gaming
    Appendix
    Selected Bibliography
    Index

    Biography

    Ann R. Bumbak