May 2000 Volume 81 Number 5 "serving the protectors"

Police Training

The importance of police officer training and education cannot be overstated. The Police Association both supports and welcomes SAPOL’s introduction of Incident Management and Operational Safety Training (IMOST) - it has not come before time.

SAPOL’s level of commitment to training and education continues to be a major concern to the association. Police officers have high levels of accountability, with an emphasis on their duty of care to all citizens with whom they interact. They are expected to be competent in the broadest range of areas, which include current law and use of firearms.

Training in use of force, dealing with emotionally disturbed persons, domestic violence, vehicle pursuits and emergency driving are just some police operations that require ongoing attention. Former police officer, Professor Jim Fyfe (Temple University - USA), says “we are too prone to condemn police officers for particular conduct when the way they have acted conforms to the training they have received”.

Just as police officers have a duty of care, so too does SAPOL. Appropriate training and education are essential to the delivery of that care. Further, writing and enforcing administrative policies is only one part of departmental obligation. Appropriate teaching models are fundamental in reaching recognized standards.

Professor Fyfe highlights the importance of methodology in making administrative policy with which to set standards: “They cannot be top-down documents. They must be developed with great or even primary input from the best and most competent of the line personnel who will be required to implement them.”

Surely the object is to achieve what is now termed “best practice”. This can only be achieved by proper investment in the training and education of any police department’s greatest resource: its people.


PETER ALEXANDER
President

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