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Police Training Officer (PTO) Program
In 1999, the COPS Office funded the Reno (Nevada) Police Department and the
Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) to develop an alternative national model
for field training that would incorporate community policing and problem solving
principles. The result of their collaboration is a new training program called
the Police Training Officer (PTO) Program. It incorporates contemporary methods
of adult education and a version of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method of
teaching adapted for police. Most importantly, it serves to ensure that academy
graduates' first experience as law enforcement officers is one that reflects
policing in the 21st century.
The PTO program is the first new post-academy field-training program for law
enforcement agencies in more than 30 years. Its original design makes it one of
the strongest training innovations in decades. This new approach to training is
the foundation for life-long learning that prepares new officers for the
complexities of policing today and in the future.
The program can be tailored to each agency's unique needs. Its flexibility
allows future changes in policing to be easily incorporated. An important
long-term benefit to the agency is the further institutionalization of community
policing and problem solving. First tested in the Reno Police Department and
subsequently tested by five other agencies, the PTO program has produced
outstanding results. New officers enter the field with problem-solving skills
that are rarely seen at that career level. New officers also display remarkable
leadership and willingness to work as partners with the local community to fight
crime and disorder problems. The PTO program is producing officers who have the
necessary knowledge, skills, and attitude for today's law enforcement
environment.
Currently, agencies can use the PTO Program outlines to develop their own
in-house programs adapted to their particular training needs. And in 2005, the
PTO Program will be available through local RCPIs.
The resources that support the implementation of this program include:
- The PTO Overview and Introduction: This document provides an introduction
to the PTO program, and summarizes the valuable experiences and lessons
learned from the six agencies selected to participate in the PTO pilot
project
- The PTO Manual: This manual guides agencies implementing the program and
the PTO Officers who train academy graduates
- A Trainee Manual: This manual is used by the
academy graduate (recruit) undergoing PTO training
- Training Standards: This guide is for use in training PTOs.
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