June 2015
POST’S DID YOU KNOW - SCHOOL VIOLENCE WINS EMMY AWARD
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Pacific Southwest Chapter, awarded an Emmy for Did You Know - School Violence in the category of Community/Public Service (PSAs) - Single Spot/Campaign at the 41st Annual Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards© in Palm Springs. Assistant Executive Director Jan Bullard attended and accepted the Emmy Award on behalf of POST.
The video presents the topic of school shootings in a dramatic manner and includes a link at the end to a national website for information on Threat Assessment: Predicting and Preventing School Violence. Two other Did You Knows, “Night Driving” and “Domestic Violence” were nominated.
The Did You Know series was created by POST in 2010 to feature important informational messages in a quick and dynamic way. This is the second Emmy awarded for a POST Did You Know. All Did You Know videos can be seen on the Learning Portal.
Questions about the Did You Know series may be directed to Senior Consultant Larry Ellsworth, Learning Technology Resources Bureau, at (916) 227-4895.
POST PROFILES NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOADING
POST Profiles are now available online for immediate download by law enforcement personnel and those who have attended POST-certified training courses throughout California. The download is secure and encrypted, allowing access only by authorized users.
A Profile download requires a PASS account which may be created on the POST Website by clicking Sign In, then Create Account. Refer to Bulletin 2014-21 (pdf) for PASS information.
Once a PASS account has been established, the Profile will be available for download.
Questions about the POST Profiles may be directed to Associate Governmental Program Analyst Anita DeYoung, Administrative Services Bureau, at (916) 227-3891.
Technical questions regarding downloading a POST Profile may be directed to POST Support Staff, at 1 (877) 275-5872.
POST PSYCHOLOGICAL SCREENING WORKSHOP DRAWS RAVE REVIEWS
The first POST Psychological Screening Workshop was held in early June at POST in West Sacramento to a capacity crowd of over 60 psychologists. The three-day, fee-based workshop provided 22 hours of continuing education that counted toward both California Board of Psychology and POST continuing professional education (CPE) requirements. The highly-interactive workshop sessions included training on POST regulations and guidelines, best practices in the implementation and interpretation of information from written assessments, personal history information, and interviews, data integration, and reporting practices.
Attendees gave the workshop high praise, including such comments as, “You created an event where POST came to feel much more a source of learning and professional development than an organization that is just giving me one more thing to do” and “I can say without hesitation that it was the best law enforcement psychology training I’ve attended.”
A second, Southern California workshop will be held on July 16-18 at the Embassy Suites Anaheim-Orange. Registration for this workshop has reached capacity, but interested parties can request to be put on a waiting list.
These workshops are part of a larger effort to ensure the competence of psychological selection evaluators. Related efforts have included the establishment of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) requirements [Commission (Regulation 1955(b)], the publication of the POST Peace Officer Psychological Screening Manual, and the identification of psychologists who conduct pre-employment evaluations statewide. With assistance from California chiefs and sheriffs, the list of POST Peace Officer Psychological Evaluators has grown to over 160 members.
Questions about the workshop or POST CPE requirements may be directed to Senior Research Specialist Shelley Spilberg, Ph.D., Standards, Evaluation and Research Bureau, at (916) 227-4824; or Personnel Selection Consultant Melani Singley, Standards, Evaluation and Research Bureau, at (916) 227-4258.
BASIC TRAINING BUREAU PROVIDES GUIDANCE WITH SPECIALTY INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATION MANDATES
During the course of conversation with presenters throughout the state and during formalized academy inspections, Basic Training Bureau staff has been apprised of an apparent misinterpretation of POST regulation with respect to training mandates for certain instructor disciplines. These are areas that are designated as having a higher level of liability attached, or which may require a higher degree of skill to instruct. Although these issues are most commonly identified during Basic Academy inspections, the regulation also applies to specified in-service courses as well.
POST Administrative Manual (PAM), Regulation 1070 requires that all instructors of the subject areas identified in regulation meet a minimum training standard prior to instructing. Instructors of these specified specialty areas must have attended and passed the required POST-certified instructor course. The regulation allows for an equivalency process; however, very specific steps must be taken to properly ensure the identified instructor’s credentials satisfy all mandates. Presenters who utilize instructors of specialized subjects must attest, via the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Course Instructor Resume, that the instructor(s) meets the applicable minimum training standard.
Presenters are reminded that Regulation 1070 must be strictly followed; otherwise, the presentation is technically out-of-compliance, which may jeopardize the instruction as well as the defensibility of the course in litigation. Presenters should conduct an internal review of their respective courses to ensure Regulation 1070 compliance, and direct questions or concerns to POST staff for clarification and guidance. Presenters, training managers, and instructors may access PAM, Regulation 1070 via the POST Website.
Questions about the Basic Training Bureau or PAM, Section 1070 may be directed to Senior Consultant Mike Barnes, Basic Training Bureau, at (916) 227-3454; or Bureau Chief Scott Loggins, Basic Training Bureau, at (916) 227-4261.
POST STAFF PRESENT AT ANNUAL CALIFORNIA CRISIS INTERVENTION ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE
Senior consultants Janna Munk, Ralph Brown, and Assistant Executive Director Jan Bullard were invited to speak at the Annual California Crisis Intervention Association conference in San Diego on June 26. The conference was attended by over 200 law enforcement, legal, and mental health professionals who came to learn about and discuss the challenges of the mental health system in California.
Staff presented an overview of POST and the history of POST’s involvement in the development and certification of mental health training, the development of curriculum for the Regular Basic Course, and resources and trends in mental health training in the law enforcement community. Janna also introduced the group to the new POST Mental Health Website that she developed. This site is a remarkable resource for information on courses, existing crisis intervention teams throughout the state, links to mental health organizations and associations, and an extensive FAQ section. The presentation was well received, and POST is committed to assisting agencies with this very important training need.
Questions about the POST Mental Health Website may be directed to Senior Consultant Janna Munk, Training Program Services Bureau, at (916) 227-0473.
Questions about the Mental Health Curriculum in the Regular Basic Course may be directed to Senior Consultant Ralph Brown, Basic Training Bureau, at (916) 227-3467.
UPDATED MEDICAL SCREENING MANUAL CHAPTERS ON VISION, HEMATOLOGY, AND LEGAL ISSUES
The POST Medical Screening Manual for California Law Enforcement contains medical screening examination and evaluation protocols to assist agencies and screening physicians in the conduct of these evaluations in accordance with California Government Code 1031(f) and Commission Regulation 1954. It is organized into separate body system sections to allow for easy updates as necessitated by medical advances and legal developments. In late June, three newly-revised chapters were issued, including Vision (pdf), Hematology (pdf), and Preemployment Medical Screening and the Law (pdf).
The revised Vision chapter updates the protocols and screening criteria for far acuity, including recommended standards for each eye vs. both eyes and the use of glasses, soft and rigid gas permeable contact lenses, and refractive surgical procedures (e.g., LASIK). It also provides updated protocols for the evaluation of color vision as well as visual fields, binocular fusion, and contrast sensitivity.
The new guidelines in the Hematology chapter are based on recent developments on bleeding disorders and the use of anticoagulants. The revised legal section incorporates recent updates on both legal statues (e.g., the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act) as well as recent case law related to the medical screening of applicants.
Questions about the Medical Screening Manual may be directed to Senior Research Specialist Shelley Spilberg, Ph.D., Standards, Evaluation, and Research Bureau, at (916) 227-4824; or Personnel Selection Consultant Melani Singley, Standards, Evaluation, and Research Bureau, at (916) 227-4258.
POST RELEASES NEW HOMELESSNESS TRAINING VIDEO
In early June, POST released its newest training video called “Homelessness and Policing: A Collaborative Approach” (POST multimedia program #264). The goal for this training is to raise awareness among law enforcement personnel regarding homelessness and how to effectively handle these calls for service. The program includes several scenarios to demonstrate key points and provides in-depth interviews with subject matter experts and law enforcement personnel from throughout the state who cover different aspects of homelessness and offer best practices to incorporate on the job. Segments include: Stages of Homelessness, Approach and Contact, Enforcement and Collaboration, Leveraging Available Resources, and Legal Considerations and Potential Liabilities. The training video offers two viewing modes and printable documents for either group-facilitated or individual instruction.
The DVD was mass-mailed statewide to training managers or training departments at law enforcement agencies in the POST Program. Additional DVD copies may be ordered online using the POST Video Catalog. The videos are available on DVD format only.
Questions about the new homelessness training video may be directed to Senior Consultant Larry Ellsworth, Learning Technology Resources Bureau, at (916) 227-4895.
NEW DID YOU KNOW ON MENTAL HEALTH
The latest Did You Know – Mental Health premiered at the Annual California Crisis Intervention Association conference in San Diego this month. The new video spot features thought-provoking vignettes and statistics on the law enforcement challenge of interacting safely and effectively with those experiencing a mental illness and the developmentally disabled.
In addition, a link provided at the end of the video leads to information on:
- Mental health training in the Regular Basic Course (academy)
- Mental health training resources for sworn officers
- Crisis Intervention Teams
To view Did You Know – Mental Health, go to the POST Website. To view any of the Did You Know videos, log onto the POST Learning Portal. The Did You Know’s are 60–90 second video spots that deliver a strong training message in a quick and dynamic way.
Questions about the POST’s mental health training resources may be directed to Senior Consultant Janna Munk, Training Program Services Bureau, at (916) 227-0473.
Questions about the Did You Know program may be directed to Senior Consultant Larry Ellsworth, Learning Technology Resources Bureau, at (916) 227-4895.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE – STATUS OF CURRENT LEGISLATIONS
The following are bills in Legislative Session 2014-15. Each bill is analyzed to determine its affect on law enforcement training.
| Bill # and Author |
Title, Summary, and Commission Positions |
Status of Bill |
|
AB 546 (Gonzalez)
|
Peace officers: basic training requirements.
Existing law provides that a probation department that is a certified provider of the PC 832 course shall not be required to offer the course to the general public.
This bill would require the Commission to deem there to be an identifiable and unmet training need for the PC 832 course when evaluating a certification request from a probation department for that training course.
|
Last Amended Date: 06/29/15
|
|
AB 953 (Weber)
|
Law enforcement: racial profiling.
This bill would revise the definition of racial profiling to instead refer to racial or identity profiling, and would make a conforming change to the prohibition against peace officers engaging in that practice.
This bill would require a peace officer who is the subject of a sustained complaint of racial or identity profiling to participate in training to correct racial and identity profiling at least every 6 months for 2 years.
This bill would also require the Attorney General to establish the Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board.
|
Last Amended Date: 06/30/15
Re-referred to Com. on Pub. S.
|
|
AB 1168 (Salas)
|
Peace officers: basic training requirements.
This bill would exempt a deputy sheriff assigned as a PC 830.1(c) custodial peace officer from the 3-year requalification requirement when being reassigned from custodial assignments to PC 830.1(a) general law enforcement duties with the responsibility for the prevention and detection of crime, provided that the following are satisfied:
- The deputy sheriff remains continuously employed by the same department in which the deputy sheriff is a custodial officer, and
- The deputy sheriff maintains the perishable skills training required by the Commission for peace officers assigned to duties with the responsibility for the prevention and detection of crime and the general enforcement of the criminal laws of this state.
This exemption would end on January 1, 2019.
|
Last Amended Date: 06/16/15
Senate - Ordered to special consent calendar 07/01/15
|
|
SB 11 (Beall)
|
Peace officer training: mental health.
This bill would require POST to include 20 hours of “promising or evidence-based behavioral health classroom training” and “instructor-led active learning, such as scenario-based training,” in the regular basic course (RBC) to train officers how to recognize, deescalate, and refer persons who are in crisis due to a mental illness or an intellectual disability. This training would be in addition to the RBC’s current hourly requirement.
The bill would also require POST to establish and keep updated a “promising or evidence-based behavioral health continuing training course” that is four consecutive hours. Each law enforcement officer the rank of supervisor or below who is assigned to patrol duties, or who supervises officers assigned to patrol duties, shall complete the course every four years.
|
Last Amended Date: 06/01/15
Assembly Public Safety
|
|
SB 29 (Beall)
|
Peace officer training: mental health.
This bill would require field training officers who provide instruction in the field training program to have 20 hours of “promising or evidence-based behavioral health training” to deescalate situations where officers confront persons with mental illness or intellectual disability.
The bill would also mandate that POST require, “as part of its field training program 20 hours of field training relating to law enforcement interaction with persons with mental illness or intellectual disability to be completed during the employing department’s field training and probationary period.”
|
Last Amended Date: 06/02/15
Assembly Public Safety
|
The POST Monthly 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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