February 2013
CALIFORNIA COMMISSION ON PEACE OFFICER STANDARDS AND TRAINING APPOINTS AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
On February 28, 2013, the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) unanimously approved the appointment of Robert “Bob” A. Stresak as the Executive Director of POST. Bob is the seventh Executive Director since POST was established in 1959.
Bob Stresak was appointed as Interim Executive Director in December 2012. He brings 42 years of California Law Enforcement experience to the position.
Previously, Bob served with the Los Angeles Police Department for 27 years. After retiring in 1997, he was appointed by Governor Wilson to serve as an Assistant Director for the California Youth Authority (CYA). He subsequently conducted administrative investigations for the Office of Inspector General.
Bob joined POST in 1999 where he distinguished himself in a wide variety of increasing leadership responsibilities.
Bob holds a Bachelors' Degree from California State University, Los Angeles. He resides in Sacramento.
For additional information please visit the POST Website.
CRITICAL INCIDENT COMMAND WORKSHOP
A critical incident steering committee convened in February to address operational issues faced by first-responding incident commanders who arrive at the scene of a major event – often characterized as the initial, chaotic phase. Experienced mid and executive level peace officers from California, Maryland, and Washington met in a workshop with a representative from the Naval Postgraduate School and POST staff to assess training needs, synthesize data from personal experiences, discuss lessons learned, and share knowledge of independent research.
Over two days, the committee established initial oversight direction and preliminary recommendations to guide the design, development and delivery of a program of instruction and training. Because of the wide variations in officer reactions and event characteristics of a critical incident, a key goal will be to incorporate the most appropriate teaching methodology including facilitated learning, web-based simulations, immersive scenarios, and virtual reality platforms.
A follow-up workshop is scheduled for April to focus on functioning as an effective incident commander, assessment of a situation, and decision-making strategies. The committee will also identify long range goals for content and curriculum working groups.
Questions about the Critical Incident Command project may be directed to Special Consultant Dan Toomey, Training Program Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4828.
POST STAFF ATTEND 2013 CALIFORNIA POLICE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION TRAINING SYMPOSIUM
The Executive Development Course (EDC) Program Manager attended the 2013 California Police Chiefs’ Association Training Symposium. The symposium, which was held in Palm Springs from February 24 through 28, afforded the EDC Program Manager a two-fold benefit: an opportunity to learn firsthand the issues of most concern to chief executives and an opportunity to potential new instructors for EDC and other courses. Symposium topics included:
- How to Function on the Edge of Chaos
- Regionalization of SWAT Operations
- What Every Chief Needs to Know About Pension Reform
- AB 109 and Police Funding Strategies
- Psychological Body Armor for Law Enforcement Leaders
- Emerging Technologies and Innovative Practices
- Lessons from Aurora’s Century 16 Theater Shooting
- What New Chiefs Need to Know—Insights for the First Two Years
The knowledge gained through attendance at the symposium will be incorporated into the current EDC redesign process.
Questions about the updating of the EDC or have general questions about the EDC program may be directed to Senior Consultant Michael Davies, Center for Leadership Development Bureau, at (916) 227-4892.
BASIC COURSE WAIVER PROCESS
Completion of the Basic Course Waiver (BCW) process is an option for meeting California's Regular Basic Course (RBC) training requirement. The RBC is the entry-level training requirement for municipal police officers, sheriff’s deputies, marshals, highway patrol officers, district attorney investigators, school police officers, and Level I reserve peace officers. A BCW is a waiver of attendance of the RBC in California, not a waiver of training. It is primarily intended for individuals who have completed general law enforcement training and service in other states and want to become peace officers in California. The BCW is a four-step process which includes a self-assessment and evaluation of prior law enforcement training and service as well as testing of knowledge and skill levels. An individual must successfully complete the entire BCW process to obtain a waiver. Agency sponsorship is not required to participate in the BCW process.
The application/self-assessment must include verification of successful completion of each of the following:
- At least a 200-hour general law enforcement basic course,
- At least 664 hours of general law enforcement training (including the basic course),
- The legislatively mandated training subjects included in the Regular Basic Course, and
- At least one year of general law enforcement experience.
The applicant's self-assessment and supporting documents are evaluated by POST staff to determine if the general law enforcement training and experience requirements have been met. If the applicant’s training and experience meet the requirements, he or she is eligible to take the Basic Course Waiver Examination (BCWE) which includes both written and skill components. The written component consists of a multiple-choice examination that measures knowledge of the Regular Basic Course curriculum. The skills component consists of an assessment of critical skills, such as firearms and defensive tactics. Both components can be satisfied by completing either the 136-hour minimum Requalification Course or by testing. Following successful completion of the BCWE the applicant receives a letter of waiver for completion of the RBC.
Acceptance of a waiver as meeting the RBC training standard is at the discretion of the employing agency.
Questions about the BCW process may be directed to Staff Services Analyst Luanne Vasquez, Basic Training Bureau, at (916) 227-4254.
WORK BEGINS ON POST MEDICAL SCREENING MANUAL REVISIONS
A project to revise the POST Medical Screening Manual for California Law Enforcement commenced with a kick-off meeting held on February 27, in Anaheim. Earlier in the month, MED-TOX was awarded the contract to revise five Manual chapters: Musculoskeletal, Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Hematology, and Vision.
Meeting participants included POST contract management staff Shelley Weiss Spilberg, Ph.D. and Melani Singley; MED-TOX project director Gene Carmean and Dr. Leslie Israel; and Dr. Robert Goldberg, Director of Occupational Health for Los Angeles County, who will provide medical oversight. Also in attendance was Marta Sneddon, an exercise physiologist and member of the POST Basic Academy’s Physical Training Committee and the Physical Training Instructor Course Certification Committee. Marta, along with members of the POST Basic Training Bureau, will provide expertise in the physical demands facing peace officers during training and on the job.
Questions about the project should be directed to Dr. Shelley Spilberg, Standards, Evaluation, and Research Bureau, at (916) 227-4824 or; Personnel Selection Consultant I Melani Singley, Standards, Evaluation, and Research Bureau, at (916) 227-4258.
POST PRESENTS AT PARMA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The Public Agency Risk Managers Association (PARMA) annual conference was held this February in Rancho Mirage.
Senior Consultant Robert “R.C.” Smith was invited by PARMA to attend and give a presentation on the SAFE Driving Campaign initiative to reduce fatal and serious injury law enforcement traffic collisions nationwide. His presentation emphasized that vehicle-related incidents are the leading cause of law enforcement line-of-duty deaths. More officers are killed or suffer career ending injuries from traffic collisions than from firearms or assaults. He described the on-going efforts of the SAFE Driving Campaign to reduce this toll by changing attitudes, improving training, increasing accountability and mobilizing leadership.
Senior Consultant Smith outlined the three primary components of the SAFE Driving Campaign; an Advisory Board concerned with national awareness efforts, a Research Team tasked with identifying causes and interventions associated with officer-involved collisions, and a Vehicle Operations and Training Advisory Council (VOTAC) focused on the advancement of best policy and training practices.
The SAFE Driving “Did You Know?” series of videos were discussed and all three were shown. Attendees were encouraged to sign up for the SAFE Driving News Alert. The News Alert is sent to recipients via email and provides links to new training materials, articles, research studies, videos, and other information.
More information on SAFE Driving Campaign and related resources.
Questions about the campaign may be directed to Senior Consultant Robert "R.C." Smith, Training Program Services Bureau, at (916) 227-3902.
POST TEST PANEL MEETS
The Test Panel met in February for their first meeting in 2013. With several new volunteers present, the panel discussed the proposed plan to discontinue the current testing format of 24 individual domain tests and 8 end-of-course tests in favor of multi-dimensional educational objective tests; the actual number of tests is yet to be determined. With assistance from POST staff, the panel refined the item development process, established a style format, reviewed new test items, and created additional items.
Due to the extent of changes required for the new testing process, the proposed pilot testing period is currently targeted for mid-2014, with the final implementation projected for 2015 to allow sufficient time to gather data and pilot test new software. The next test panel meeting is scheduled for April 23-25, 2013, in Sacramento.
Please direct questions to Personnel Selection Consultant Supervisor Diane Hrepich, Standards, Evaluation, and Research Bureau, at (916) 227-4831; or Staff Services Analyst Windy Kaiser, Standards, Evaluation, and Research Bureau, at (916) 227-4537.
PLANNING COMPLETED FOR “CREATING AN EXEMPLARY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY” SEMINAR
During February, POST staff met with Michael Josephson, founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics, and completed details for Mr. Josephson’s presentation of a special seminar for law enforcement executives. The one-day seminar, which will be conducted in Los Angeles on March 20, 2013, is designed to enable law enforcement executives to review new leadership strategies that can create, or strengthen, an exemplary ethical culture in agencies. Consideration is being given to development of the seminar’s topic as an executive companion document to the existing POST resources on “Becoming an Exemplary Peace Officer,” currently in use in basic academy programs. Beyond the benefit that will accrue to California law enforcement through the seminar, the input of the executives in attendance will assist Mr. Josephson in the development of a project on the ethical culture of agencies that he has been commissioned to prepare for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
Questions about the “Creating an Exemplary Law Enforcement Agency” seminar may be directed to Senior Consultant Greg Kyritsis, Center for Leadership Development Bureau, at (916) 227-2822.
PEACE OFFICER JOB ANALYSIS PROJECT BEGINS
POST has begun a project to update the entry-level peace officer job analysis. The job analysis completed during this project will identify the tasks, skills, abilities, knowledge requirements, and traits that are critical to successful job performance as a peace officer. The first phase of the project was completed in February. The second phase of the analysis will commence in March. POST staff will conduct site visits to various law enforcement agencies to “shadow” and interview peace officers as they perform their daily duties.
Questions about the Peace Officer Job Analysis Project may be directed to Senior Personnel Selection Consultant Irene Wong-Chi, Standards, Evaluation, and Research Bureau, at (916) 227-4835; or Senior Personnel Selection Consultant Tammura Hawthorne-Brown, Standards, Evaluation, and Research Bureau, at (916) 227-2810.
The Administrative Progress Report is a monthly status report that informs POST Commissioners and the California law enforcement community of recent progress on POST projects and instructional programs under development, and other information of importance to our mission to continually enhance the professionalism of California law enforcement.
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