In-Service Training Schools and Seminars
On the surface of any in-service training school or seminar for law enforcement officers is the information that can be learned naturally. Presumably, a seminar on advanced communications techniques will provide a substantial body of new data that has to do with the world of law enforcement communications, but below the surface is something else that is just as important to learn.
It is easy for enforcement officers of all kinds to become stuck in the daily routine of their own division, department, or agency. Seeing the same faces and engaging in the same routine each day has a way of wearing down the sharpness that you may have had as a new agent. This erosion causes standard methods of operation that were once clear and in focus to become hazy. Because of this, sharing space with other officers from different divisions, agencies, or departments has a way of rejuvenating those senses. Learning of the trials and tribulations of fellow enforcers who have the same job somewhere else is a way of reminding yourself of why you are interested in your field, and why you chose to pursue a career in it in the first place. You will learn what has worked elsewhere and can bring the stories of these successes back to your agency. In so doing, you come to understand what is good about your agency. You also learn what is desirable about other agencies and can present that information to your department in the hopes that it will adopt similar polices.
Aside from initial training that is conducted at a law enforcement academy, agents can expect in-service training regularly throughout their careers. Some may attend only three or four schools in a career, while others are sent to dozens over the same period of time. Firearms training with almost all agencies is conducted at least semi-annually; more often with many agencies. But an in-service training school is usually one in which the attendee acquires a new and highly specialized certification. It could be a school that qualifies a police officer in conducting polygraph examinations, or one that certifies an agent to take charge of a major crime-scene search in a multijurisdictional situation, or one that gives officers advanced weapons training. Whatever the course of study, training schools and seminars are designed to heighten agent awareness in a particular area of the job.
Question
Aside from the training, are there any other advantages to attending in-service training schools?
Law enforcement can be a highly stressful occupation. Attending in-service training not only brings officers up to speed on current trends, it gives them a much-needed break from the action—an opportunity to recharge the batteries and regain perspective.
Some agencies assign personnel to training schools as a reward for good performance with the department. Some departments evaluate the abilities of various officers and assign them to schools accordingly. Others simply rotate the training so that everyone on the department becomes certified in something. Whichever method is used, in-service training schools are an excellent resume-builder for law enforcement officials. A high concentration of schools that are geared toward a specific discipline has a tendency to narrow the career path, but this offers solid job security as a result.
