June 2012

SACRAMENTO SUPERIOR COURT RULES FOR POST

In October 2011, the Los Angeles Times made a California Public Records Act (CPRA) request in which the Times asked that POST release peace officer information pursuant to the ruling in California POST v. Superior Court (2007) 42 Cal.4th 278. POST agreed to release information required by what ultimately became a California Supreme Court decision. However, POST declined to generate “unique identifiers” – requested by the Times but not required by the court - for each officer. Also at issue was the continuing jurisdiction of the Sacramento Superior Court. The Times’ position was that the 2011 filing was a continuation of the original Superior Court decision and that the court that ruled in its favor in 2002 should retain jurisdiction in 2012. POST believed that Sacramento Superior Court no longer had jurisdiction over a matter that was settled in 2008.

On June 1, 2012, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Lloyd Connelly ruled that POST was not required to develop and provide unique identifiers for peace officers in the POST program and his court no longer retained jurisdiction in the matter.

Questions about the Los Angeles Times CPRA request may be directed to Assistant Executive Director Dick Reed, Executive Office, at (916) 227-2809.

NEW POST LEARNING PORTAL COURSE: “SEXUAL ASSAULT: THE PATROL RESPONSE”

“Sexual Assault: The Patrol Response” is the latest course offered on the Learning Portal. Training scenarios are set up for officers to respond to three different sexual assault crime scenarios and investigate them without retraumatizing the victim. Responding officers must establish the victim’s trust, gather information, collect evidence, and determine appropriate charges. A series of skilled interactions with the victim will lead to a successful investigation.

The course had 274 completions during the first month and the overall feedback has been positive. The following comments were received via POST’s course evaluation instrument:

• “This course is thorough. I have completed numerous sexual assault investigations and still learned quite a bit from this course.”
• “Good content, relevant information.”
• “Great course! I enjoyed the interaction with the victim and the ability to guide my own investigation. I also enjoyed the clear debrief, which clearly outlined areas that needed improvement. Great Job.”
• “Excellent presentation.”

Six (6) hours of CPT credit are earned upon completion of the course.

Questions about the “Sexual Assault: The Patrol Response” course may be directed to Senior Instructional Designer Catherine Bacon, Learning Technology Resources Bureau, at (916) 227-4546.


POST HOSTS WORKSHOP TO UPDATE THE TERRORISM LIAISON OFFICER (TLO) COURSES

In June, POST hosted a three-day workshop to update the basic and intermediate Terrorism Liaison Officer (TLO) courses. Participation included representatives from the six intelligence centers in California, federal and state law enforcement agencies, key fire service entities, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and subject matter experts in homeland security training.

Participants evaluated the curriculum, the design and delivery methodology of existing courses, and relevant training experience for those assigned to perform the duties of a Terrorism Liaison Officer.

The revised courses should be available in the fall of 2012.

Questions about the TLO workshop may be directed to Special Consultant Dan Toomey, POST Homeland Security Training Program, Training Program Services Bureau, at (916) 227-6304.

POST HOSTS POLICE TRAINING OFFICER ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING

POST hosted a two-day meeting in June 2012 with the Police Training Officer Advisory Council. The Police Training Officer (PTO) Program was approved by the Commission as an optional field training program at its April 2007 meeting. The program was the result of a three-year development process and subsequent pilot testing. The program incorporates the regular duties of policing, but they are put into the context of a problem-solving model.

The PTO Advisory Council was formed to provide support for the Program. The council includes representatives from each of the agencies that participate in the program. The council and POST staff reviewed the content of the PTO Program Guide and related program forms for relevance, accuracy, and consistency. The meeting resulted in corrections and modifications to the PTO Program Guide.

The attendees represented Fresno Police Department, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Richmond Police Department, Capitola Police Department, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium.

Questions about the council meeting and/or the PTO Program may be directed to Senior Consultant Alexis Blaylock, Basic Training Bureau, at (916) 227-3935.

CERTIFICATES PROGRAM UPDATE

POST’s Professional Certificate Program was created to foster education, training, and professionalism in law enforcement and to raise the level of competence of law enforcement officers.

The Certificates Unit is responsible for determining eligibility for professional certificates for Peace Officers (Basic through Executive and Reserve), Public Safety Dispatchers, and Record Supervisors who work for over 600 agencies that participate in the POST program.

Over 10,000 certificates were issued during Fiscal Year 2011-12. Besides the issuance of certificates, other services provided by the Certificates Unit include fielding eligibility questions, archiving documents that are submitted for certificates, and replacing lost certificates.

Questions about the Professional Certificate Program may be directed to Program Analyst Mike McVean, Administrative Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4253.

PILOT SCHOOL-BASED PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM CONCEPTS REVIEWED AT JOINT MEETING OF POST AND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

POST, in partnership with the California Department of Education, is establishing four pilot programs to form regional public safety career pipelines pursuant to Strategic Plan Objective B.8.08, “Study the feasibility of a model school-based program that can be replicated statewide.” In June, POST convened representatives from the four pilot areas (San Bernardino, Fairfield, Fresno, and Watsonville) to review the career pipeline concept and expectations. Each pilot will be given a $10,000 grant, under the auspices of the California Department of Education, to produce a feasibility study for the development of a regional career pipeline. The feasibility reports are due in March 2013.

Pilot participation entails formation of an advisory council representing multiple educational components (elementary through grade 12, community colleges, and four-year colleges), public safety partners (law enforcement, fire), and representatives from the local business community (chambers of commerce, service organizations, and retailers). Staffing of the advisory council was discussed at the meeting, as was development of memoranda of understanding to enhance career pipeline collaboration and program operation.

Questions about the school-based public safety program may be directed to Senior Consultant Greg Kyritsis, Center for Leadership Development Bureau, at (916) 227-2822.

BASIC TRAINING BUREAU FACILITATES LEARNING DOMAIN UPDATE WORKSHOP FOR FIRST AID/CPR

The Basic Training Bureau hosted a three-day workshop in June 2012 to revise and update the Learning Domain 34 (First Aid and CPR) student workbook. The committee included personnel from POST as well as subject matter experts from emergency medical and law enforcement disciplines. Participants reviewed recent changes in emergency medical care as it applies to law enforcement officers, and the training needs for students in the basic courses.

Representatives from the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) assisted with the workshop. Their participation ensured the content of the workbook will meet the required First Aid Standards for Law Enforcement as mandated by Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, as well as the latest guidelines provided by the American Heart Association. This collaboration between EMSA and POST will ensure future law enforcement academy graduates will benefit from a level of training that will meet the needs of officers entering service.

The LD 34 workbook will be completed in a follow-up meeting scheduled for later this summer.

Questions about the basic courses and/or student workbooks may be directed to Senior Consultant Bob Ziglar, Basic Training Bureau, at (916) 227-4259; or Senior Consultant Scott Loggins, Basic Training Bureau, at (916) 227-3467.

RIO HONDO COLLEGE DEDICATES NEW ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE BUILDING

During June 2012, Rio Hondo College dedicated its $10.9 million Administration of Justice Building in Whitter, California. The new 32,000-square-foot building is multi-story and will be home to the Rio Hondo Police Academy and campus Administration of Justice courses.

Construction for the building began in October 2009 and was completed two years later. The entrance of the building is adorned by an impressive wall with “We Will Never Forget” in bold letters at the top. Individual plaques honoring the name of fallen officers who attended the Rio Hondo Academy are attached to the wall. A bronze life-sized statue of a police officer is kneeling before the Memorial.

The building is equipped with the latest technology in the classrooms, office space, and large locker rooms; showers, a mat room, and a weight room are also included.

Several dignitaries attended the event, including the College President, Board of Trustee President, Dean of Public Safety, POST personnel, and Police Academy staff. The United States Marshal of the Central Division of California and Former Police Chief of Whittier, David M. Singer, addressed the audience on the significance of the building for law enforcement training for the greater Los Angeles area. A ribbon-cutting ceremony, tours, and refreshments rounded out the event.

Questions about the dedication or the new Administration of Justice Building may be directed to Senior Consultant Charles Sandoval, Training Delivery and Compliance Bureau, at (916) 227-4414.

POST CONDUCTS MEETING TO DEVELOP A CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION (CPE) REQUIREMENT FOR PEACE OFFICER SCREENING PSYCHOLOGISTS

At their February 2012 meeting, the Commission approved the creation of a continuing professional education (CPE) requirement for peace officer screening psychologists. The CPE requirement will be incorporated in Commission Regulation 1955 and will serve to implement California Government Code section 1031(f), which stipulates that screening psychologists must meet “any applicable education and training procedures set forth by (POST) designed for the conduct of pre-employment screening of peace officers.”

In June, a meeting was held in Sacramento to draft POST CPE requirements. Meeting participants included recognized experts in public safety pre-employment psychological assessment and key members of the California Psychological Association. Specific course content criteria were created, as were administrative procedures for both psychologists and course presenters.

Based on the decisions reached and products generated during this meeting, a draft requirement and associated procedures will be created for review by a panel of subject matter experts. The subsequent iteration will be distributed to a sample of peace officer screening psychologists throughout California for review and comment prior to submittal of the regulation to the Office of Administrative Law as part of the regulatory process.

Questions about the CPE requirements or requests for further information may be directed to Supervising Personnel Selection Consultant Shelley Spilberg, Standards and Evaluation Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4824; or Personnel Selection Consultant Melani Singley, Standard and Evaluation Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4258.

LEARNING PORTAL REACHES RECORD CPT TOTALS

The Learning Portal continues to gain in popularity with the field. The Portal was launched in December 2005. As of June 30, 2012, over 376,000 CPT training hours had been awarded.

Notably, nearly 30% of the total CPT hours were earned during the last fiscal year (July 2011 - June 2012). This recent surge of use is thought to be related to current economic conditions and constraints on agency training budgets. Learning Portal courses are available at no cost, so agencies may be making more use of this form of training to stretch limited training dollars. As one user recently put it:

“I think the Portal is a great place to get these trainings that are required. We can do it at our own pace and on our own time. Working for a department that is struggling with its budget (like most) they have cut back on training and it can be difficult to stay within compliance.”

Likewise, this form of training is cost-effective for POST because the cost per awarded CPT hour ranges from $4.32 - $7.93 -- significantly less than other forms of training. These figures will continue to go down as more courses are completed and CPT hours are awarded.

Questions about the Learning Portal may be directed to Supervisor Jan Myyra, Learning Technology Resources Bureau, at (916) 227-4550.

POST HOSTS DELEGATION OF POLICE OFFICIALS FROM SOUTH KOREA

In June, POST hosted a visit by a delegation of ten officials from the Korean National Police. The visit was the result of a request from the South Korean Consulate in Los Angeles for a presentation to the police officials on the POST program in California. POST has previously hosted visits by police delegations from Indonesia and Mexico, which were coordinated through the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP), which is part of the United States Department of Justice.

Executive Director Paul Cappitelli welcomed the delegation. An overview of the roles and organization of POST was provided by staff. Bureau Chiefs Frank Decker, Stephanie Scofield, and Mike Hooper provided a presentation on peace officer selection; the content and instructional delivery system for basic training; instructor training; certification of academies; the Field Training Program; Continuing Professional Training; the Public Safety Dispatcher Program; as well as supervisory, management, and executive training. The delegation was provided with a comprehensive selection of resource material on POST programs.

Questions about the visit by the Korean National Police officials may be directed to Bureau Chief Frank Decker, Basic Training Bureau, at (916) 227-4261.

POST STAFF VISITS SAN DIEGO PORT HARBOR POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING FACILITY

The San Diego Port Harbor Police Department has begun an effort to enhance training and to expand the training topics to other port law enforcement agencies throughout the state. San Diego Port Police showed their POST Regional Representative a newly acquired harbor patrol vessel, and explained its law enforcement and firefighting capabilities.

Port Police personnel have been working to construct training courses that meet the training needs unique to their jurisdiction and duties. San Diego Port officers patrol port district property on land, provide security and enforcement at the airport, and patrol the harbor and marinas with a diverse fleet of emergency-equipped watercraft. The Port officers must have all necessary equipment with them and be trained in its use. Additionally, officers working at the harbor engage in many rescue activities, which requires a broad spectrum of tactical preparedness.

To maintain an adequate level of readiness, Port Police training staff reached out to POST several months ago to identify unmet training needs and to subsequently develop training to meet these needs. The training staff has developed specific arrest methods and communication training that meet the standard training content as well as content that is unique to their environment.

Questions about the San Diego Port Harbor Police Department training may be directed to Senior Consultant Greg Murphy, Training Delivery and Compliance Bureau, at (916) 227-4873.

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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