Police Training
Officer (PTO) Program
In 2009, the
Elkhorn Police Department made a commitment to train existing
and new officers using the Police Training Officer Program
(PTO). The PTO program emphasizes critical thinking and
problem solving.
The PTO model recognizes the importance of problem-solving
skills in training a successful police officer.
The training model focuses on adult learning methods and problem
based learning to create a positive
experience for the trainee and trainer.
The PTO Program
exists in conjunction with a Community-Oriented Policing and
Problem Solving (COPPS) philosophy. While it is not mandatory
for an agency to be a community-policing organization to use
this model,
that was the impetus for its creation.
What is Community-Oriented Policing?
There are two
components to community policing: community partnership and
problem-solving.
Community Partnership: Practiced in varying degrees by many law enforcement
agencies in the U.S., this
value-driven approach to providing police services functions at
the neighborhood level and its success is tied to changes in
police organizational culture. Community values must be
determined and jurisdictions delineated by social boundaries
rather than statistical areas. Law enforcement agencies must
support their basic social institutions such as schools,
recreation centers, and other groups providing valuable
community services.
Problem-Solving:
This component centers on a belief that crime and disorder can be
analyzed as problems
that are the result of underlying conditions, and that if these
conditions are changed, the problems may be solved.
Traditionally, police are seen as "crime fighters" as opposed to
"problem solvers." Community-Oriented Policing and Problem
Solving strategies try to fix the source of criminal activity
rather than just try to preserve the peace
by arresting and prosecuting offenders.
This sounds like such a great concept--how come everybody doesn't
do this?
Community Oriented
Policing and Problem Solving strategies (COPPS) require a basic
shift from traditional policing methods. For one thing,
supervisors and managers must change their perspective as it
pertains to leadership, and give street officers more authority.
The inherent flexibility of the COPPS philosophy will not
work for certain agencies, which demand a military-style
structure and strong documentation in their training programs.
Briefly, how does the PTO Program work?
The trainers assign
"street" problems to trainees and have them learn about policing
in the context of solving
those problems. Trainees work through responses with the help of
their Police Training Officer.
The model uses a
number of tools, including a learning matrix and problem-based
learning exercises. Below is a sample of a learning matrix,
showing "core competencies," which are specific skills,
knowledge, and abilities that have been identified as essential
for good policing.
For instance, Phase
A refers to Non-Emergency Incident Responses, and Cell A8 next
to the Core Competency for "Community-Specific Problems" lists
the following skills:
-
Trainee will identify
different community-specific problems.
-
Trainee will demonstrate
proficiency in creating partnership and solving problems
specific to
the community or their geographic assignment.
Each cell (A1
through D15) has a corresponding list of skills required to
achieve competency in the areas listed. Additionally, there are
a series of learning activities tied to each phase of study.
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