June 2011

POST HOLDS MEETING TO BUILD A MAJOR CASE INVESTIGATIONS FOR EXECUTIVES

Strategic Plan Objective B.7 calls for the development of two courses, one for supervisors of detective units and one was for complex investigations for executives. The course for supervisors was certified in 2010 as part of a Master Instructor course development project.

POST assembled subject matter resources in Burbank to begin the development of the course for executives. The team identified issues that should be considered in any such course and a model was developed to guide executives in these complex cases. A survey instrument is being developed that will be sent to agency executives to validate the assumptions made and to identify issues not considered.

Future meetings will review the survey data and create an outline course and the total training package.

Questions about this program may be directed to Bureau Chief Ed Pecinovsky, Training Program Services Bureau, at (916) 227-2820.

SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS MADE IN UPDATING THE SUPERVISORY COURSE

POST Strategic Plan Objective C.10 directs staff to conduct a comprehensive review of the POST Supervisory Course. This is the 80-hour mandated course for newly promoted sergeants.

Staff and a committee of Supervisory Course instructors prepared an on-line survey to gather input regarding the effectiveness of the existing course objectives, content, and instructional methodology. The survey was distributed statewide to individuals who completed the Supervisory Course within the past two years (247 sergeants responded to the survey). Staff is incorporating the survey findings into the redesign course. “Leadership Styles and Behavior” emerged as the most desired instructional topic. A refreshed version of “Situational Leadership” theory is being woven throughout the Supervisory Course, including accompanying video scenarios. Filming of the new scenarios was completed in June at the CHP Academy.

Questions about the Supervisory Course revision project may be directed to Senior Consultant Tricia Chisum, Center for Leadership Development Bureau, at (916) 227-3916.

CONTROLLER’S CERTIFICATE FOR ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL REPORTING

In June, POST received the State Controller’s Office (SCO) “Certificate for Achieving Excellence in Financial Reporting” for submitting accurate and timely year-end financial reports for the year ending June 30, 2010. The certificate states that the award is presented to POST “… for achieving the highest quality in California government accounting and financial reporting...” and specifically for the preparation of the Antiterrorism Fund Financial Report. The POST Accounting Office has also received this certificate for Fiscal Year 2007-08 and 2008-09.

To qualify for this certificate, state agencies must follow specific criteria outlined in the Year-End Financial Reports Procedure Manual. The criteria include timely submission of financial reports and the use of proper account titles and codes. Additionally, “… the financial information in the reports must be comparable with the expenditure and revenue budgetary … schedules submitted to the Department of Finance for the 2009-2010 fiscal year.” POST successfully met all of the program requirements.

Accounting Supervisor Francis Dugyon, Accounting Officer Teresa Keller, and Accountant I Lou Ybarra are commended for their conscientious attention to detail and accuracy in reporting fiscal transactions at POST. It is through their diligence that POST enjoys a harmonious working relationship with two of the state’s control agencies: the State Controller’s Office and the Department of Finance.

Questions about the Controller’s certificate may be directed to Bureau Chief Darla Engler, Administrative Services Bureau, at (916) 227-3907.

PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCHERS’ BASIC COURSE PRESENTERS MEET TO REVIEW COURSE CONTENT AND DELIVERY

The Public Safety Dispatchers’ (PSD) Basic Course presenters met with POST staff in Sacramento in May to discuss the 120-hour POST Dispatchers’ Basic Course curriculum and presentation. The workshop will be scheduled annually to bring together the PSD presenters to exchange information on best practices, address concerns, and evaluate the effectiveness of the course. The course underwent major revisions in July 2010, and the new curriculum has now been in effect for approximately one year. The consensus among the presenters was that the course is meeting their needs, and the changes to date are appropriate and effective. The representatives and POST staff discussed slight revisions for July 2011, presenter-developed learning activities, number of presentations being offered, and availability of the POST Dispatcher entry-level selection test.

Questions about the POST 120-hour PSD Basic Course may be directed to POST Senior Consultant Don Shingara, Basic Training Bureau, at (916) 227-3935.

SHERMAN BLOCK SUPERVISORY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE ATTAINS MILESTONE: 300TH CLASS

In June, the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute (SBSLI) celebrated the start of its 300th class. The class consists of 24 sworn supervisors, representing 21 law enforcement agencies. Following its initial three-day session, Class 300 will convene for seven additional three-day sessions each month, graduating in December 2011. Since the formation of the SBSLI in 1988, a total of 6,864 students have graduated.

Contributing significantly to the success of the SBSLI program is the synergy created by the active participation of a multi-disciplinary faculty and a diverse student population. Beginning the first hour of day one, attendees are immersed in a collaborative learning environment and acquire knowledge enabling them to approach a variety of issues from the perspectives of logical inquiry, critical thinking, and systematic problem solving.

Recognizing that workplace challenges change constantly, SBSLI continuously revises curriculum content and delivery to remain contemporary. SBSLI curriculum has been recently revised to integrate the following:

• Alignment with the Bloom's Taxonomy Learning Model
• Correlation of curriculum content to specific session learning outcomes
• Facilitator and student rubrics
• Administration of a Student Leadership Assessment 360 Instrument
• Integration of Adaptive Leadership concepts
• Facilitator cognitive coaching training
• Paralanguage skill-set development
• Case study application, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis
• Creation of a lesson plan on "Politics of Policing"
• Independent SBSLI class Webpage
• Stronger collaboration with the Museum of Tolerance
• Session-specific curriculum examinations
• Visiting lecturer presentations via video conference
• Social capability and strengths-based leadership

View the SBSLI application information. The next filing period for SBSLI enrollment is anticipated to be August 29 through September 28, 2011.

Questions about the SBSLI may be directed to Senior Consultant Charles Evans, Center for Leadership Development Bureau, at (916) 227-2824.

POST AD HOC BASIC COURSE TEST TASK FORCE

The Basic Course Test Task Force, which convened as an ad hoc committee to address testing issues affecting basic course presenters, has met several times since its initial meeting in February. In March, the Task Force reviewed and modified several documents for submission to the Basic Course Consortium. The Task Force also began revising the POST Test Administration and Security Guidelines document. The Task Force met again in May prior to the Consortium to review and approve the documents to be presented for approval.

At the most recent meeting in June, the Task Force completed the revision of the POST Test Administration and Security Guidelines document; made the final edits to the Code of Conduct Contract for staff, instructors, trainees and students; approved the proposed language for amendments to the Business and Professional Code Section 123; and revised several definitions in POST Administration Manual, Section D-1. With the assistance of POST staff, the Task Force intends to have all the edits and revisions completed and ready for presentation to the Consortium in September and the Commission in October. The panel will meet again in July and August.

Questions about this Task Force may be directed to Personnel Selection Consultant Supervisor Diane Hrepich, Standards and Evaluation Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4831.

POST BEGINS PLANNING PROCESS FOR 2012 DETECTIVE SYMPOSIUM

The Detective Training Symposium Committee met for a debriefing of the Seventh Annual Symposium held in Universal City in April 2011. This meeting also served to begin planning for the 2012 Symposium which will be hosted by the Los Angeles Police Department in Southern California. Preliminary identification of plenary session and break-out session presenters has been made, and sub-committees will research additional training topics and contact potential presenters.

Two of the 15 Committee members retired from the Committee. They are San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Captain Todd Frank, and San Francisco Police Department Inspector Dan Dougherty. San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Lieutenant Larry Nesbit and San Francisco Police Department Sergeant John Cagney were welcomed as new members. Sub-Committee members will reconvene August 2011 in Northern California.

Questions about the Symposium may be directed to Senior Consultant Anne Brewer, Institute of Criminal Investigation Program Manager in Training Program Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4895.

POST PILOTS LAW ENFORCEMENT CHAPLAIN BASIC TRAINING COURSES

POST staff, in cooperation with a team of law enforcement chaplains, has developed a 40-hour basic training program for members of the clergy seeking to serve as a chaplain for a law enforcement organization. The course focuses on the secular roles and responsibilities of a law enforcement chaplain and how they differ from those of clergy serving within a house of worship. The course is designed as a learner-centered, problem-based, and interactive experience which focuses upon the types of incidents and interventions a chaplain may face while providing support services within an organization. Program content addresses a variety of specific topics including the philosophy of chaplaincy, the law enforcement culture, legal and ethical responsibilities, suicide cases, death notifications, grief and bereavement support, active listening, and fundamental crisis intervention concepts.

A pilot session of the course was conducted in Orange County in the Fall of 2010, followed by a second pilot session in Folsom in June. A final pilot session will be presented in Burbank in July, at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department. At the conclusion of the pilots nearly 100 individuals will have completed the course. In the future, localized offerings will be made available through a consortium of chaplains who will utilize the standardized course materials.

Questions about the Chaplain training program may be directed to Special Consultant Lou Madeira, Standards and Evaluation Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4871 the Training Delivery and Compliance Bureau at (916) 227-4863 (Updated: April 19, 2013).

REGULAR BASIC COURSE STUDENT WORKBOOK ON WEAPONS VIOLATIONS UPDATED TO COMPLY WITH JANUARY 1, 2012 PENAL CODE REVISION

In 2006, the Legislature enacted Assembly Concurrent Resolution 73 (McCarthy) which directed the Law Revision Commission to “study, report on, and prepare recommended legislation by July 1, 2009, concerning the revision of the portions of the Penal Code relating to the control of deadly weapons. The report is referred to as the “Nonsubstantive Reorganization of Deadly Weapon Statutes.”

The general purpose of the legislative action is to simplify and improve the organization and accessibility of the deadly weapons statutes, without making substantive changes to these statutes.

As a result, subsequent legislation [SB 1080, Committee on Public Safety (2010)] will renumber all Penal Code sections that relate to weapons laws, effective January 1, 2012. In order to update the Student Workbook for Learning Domain 40 “Weapons Violations” a group of subject matter resources worked with POST staff to revise the workbook to coincide with the renumbered statutes.

Questions about the student workbook update may be directed to Senior Consultant Robert Ziglar, Basic Training Bureau, at (916) 227-4259.

COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING OFFICER (CTO) BASIC COURSE REVISIONS

The content and delivery methodology of the POST Communications Training Officer (CTO) basic course has been updated to standardize course content. The course incorporates standardized CTO program materials and behaviorally-anchored rating forms developed for voluntary use by agencies throughout the state. The facilitated approach to the 40-hour course pairs students with a mythical trainee manifesting a variety of real-world performance problems and learning challenges. The students develop and present pragmatic strategies for addressing these situations.

The initial pilot session of the revised course was presented in Ontario in June 2011. A second pilot session will be presented in Dublin in August. There is no cost for attending the pilot session and travel and per diem reimbursement will be available under Plan IV. Following the August pilot, the course materials package will be distributed to certified presenters.

Questions regarding the CTO Basic Course revision may be directed to Special Consultant Lou Madeira, Standards and Evaluation Services Bureau at (916) 227-4871.

POST PERSONAL HISTORY STATEMENT UPDATE MEETING

In June, a one-day meeting was held with background investigation subject matter resources to review and update the POST Personal History Statement (PHS) Peace Officer (2-251) and Public Safety Dispatcher (2-255) forms. Since the current versions of the PHS were published in 2006, the forms have undergone limited updates; however, a thorough evaluation of the forms has not been conducted. The goal of the meeting was therefore to identify changes (revisions, additions, etc.) to the forms to ensure that they serve the current needs of background investigators and comply with the regulatory requirements outlined in Commission Regulations 1953 and 1959.

Meeting participants reviewed both forms and provided recommendation for modifications. They also reviewed suggestions solicited from members of the California Law Enforcement Background Investigators (CALEBI) association and the California Background Investigators’ Association (CBIA). The PHS forms will be revised to include the appropriate recommendations and will be available to agencies in the fall.

Questions about the POST Personal History Statement Update meeting may be directed to Associate Governmental Program Analyst Melani Singley, Standards and Evaluation Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4258.

POST BEGINS DEVELOPMENT OF A TRAINING COURSE INVOLVING POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

In September 2010, SB 1296 (Correa) added Penal Code Section 13515.36, which requires POST to assess the need for training for peace officers on how to recognize and interact with persons suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). POST formed a workgroup comprised of subject matter resources that included the California Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Veterans Administration, UC San Francisco General Hospital Department of Neurology, appropriate community, local and state organizations, and peace officers that have expertise in the area of PTSD and TBI.

The workgroup met for the first of several meetings in June 2011. The project began with a review of existing training courses that currently contain this information in the curriculum, including Crisis Intervention Training (CIT). Based on the review, workgroup members determined a training need exists. In addition, the committee reviewed the legislative requirements and began development of a training course outline. The workgroup agreed on the value of scenario-based training for the course and will incorporate it as a component in the curriculum. The course is tentatively scheduled for release by June 2012. POST will submit a report to the Legislature and to the Commission in June 2012.

Questions about development of the training curriculum may be directed to Senior Consultant Tami Evans, Training Program Services Bureau, at (916) 227-0473; or Senior Consultant Gabe Harp, Training Delivery and Compliance Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4867.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - STATUS OF CURRENT LEGISLATION

The following are bills in Legislative Session 2011/12 on which the Commission has taken, or will consider taking, a position.

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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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