Police departments represent the primary source of law enforcement, and hence it is vital to provide sufficient police training in diverse dimensions. Training requirements may differ in various states, yet, in most cases, there are general regulations. Such standards include legislation knowledge or learning about law enforcement standards, firearms proficiency, regular physical training, and, in some states, de-escalation training. It may also be required to train officers in civil rights, treatment of victims of crime, and racial profiling.
As the primary function of the police is the maintenance of law and order, it may be critical to minimize possible threats such as police misconduct, corruption, or police shootings. According to some sources, the use of reasonable force may represent a significant controversial issue (Mckee, 2021b). Therefore, it may be necessary to provide comprehensive legal education to police in order to ensure the lawfulness of their actions. In some cases, police misconduct may be closely linked with the wrongful interpretation of laws and rights.
Another area is related to developing community-oriented policing. Police bias and police misconduct may significantly correlate with insufficient community-oriented training. Even though some states provide such training, it may be essential to address the issue within all departments (Mckee, 2021a). There is a considerable number of police functions, which are directly related to helping people (Mckee, 2021c). Consequently, it may be vital to maintain communication skills and knowledge regarding not only criminal actions but also emergencies, accidents, and various social service tasks. Furthermore, police shootings became one of the most controversial and important police-related problems (Burke et al., 2019). In order to address the issue, it may be critical to introduce the use of force, legislature, and safety standards training. It may be beneficial as such training may provide standard operating procedures for most emergencies, minimizing assessment uncertainty and improving police efficiency.
References
Burke, A. S., Carter, D. E., Fedorek, B., Morey, T. L., Rutz-Burri, L., & Sanchez, S. (2019). Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System. Open Textbook Library.
McKee, A. J. (2021a). Police Methods. Professor McKee’s Things and Stuff. Web.
McKee, A. J. (2021b). The Criminal Justice Process. Professor McKee’s Things and Stuff. Web.
McKee, A. J. (2021c). The Structure and Nature of Policing. Professor McKee’s Things and Stuff. Web.