5 Best Practices To Improve Evaluation of New Officers During Field Training

As a foundational element of a new officer’s career, the importance of field training cannot be overstated. It offers new officers their real first taste of in-field policing and allows agencies to evaluate whether new recruits have the aptitude for law enforcement. The lessons learned during this period will follow officers as they complete their field training, embark upon solo duties, earn their first promotion, and beyond. As a result, its imperative agencies provide the kind of quality, comprehensive field training that sets officers up for success.

Today, there are several well-established law enforcement FTO program models, including the San Jose FTO model and the Reno model. Regardless of what model an agency uses, a critical component of field training (or policing training) is the feedback from training officers, whether offered verbally or more formally through the use of daily observation reports (DOR), core competency logs (CCL), or other forms.

But, even with these tried and tested formats, the quality of the field training experience each new officer receives will, in large part, be determined by the commitment and dedication of the agency and the training officer. When agencies commit to providing new officers with the very best field training possible, new officers (and the agency) thrive. In fact, a well-supported field training program can even be a powerful tool to support recruitment and retention.

So, how can agencies and training officers provide the kind of quality field training that not only sets new officers up for success, but also attracts and retains them?

1. Train the Trainer and Evaluate the Program

The effectiveness of feedback hinges on clear, consistent criteria that defines “meets expectations,” “needs improvement,” and “exceeds expectations.” Establishing these benchmarks ensures that trainees are evaluated fairly and that the evaluation documentation (DORs, CCLs, etc.) can be used as reliable records of progress.

However, a form or grading criteria can only do so much to ensure feedback being given is consistent across each trainee and throughout their whole field training period. Depending on the model, trainees may be evaluated by the same training officer or by several different trainers. Without proper guidance and standardization, each training officer’s subjective perspective may differ.

Providing regular and consistent training to field training officers is one way to ensure that feedback given to new officers is consistent. Another way to ensure consistency is to regularly evaluate field training officers and the program as a whole.

These sorts of evaluations, which require a review of many data points over months or even years-worth of documentation, can be time-consuming, especially for agencies still managing training on paper or spreadsheets. However, the right technology can speed along these efforts, and the benefits are absolutely worth it.

2. Use Evaluations as an Opportunity for Growth

Over the course of their field training, it’s inevitable that new officers will make mistakes. These mistakes should be used to guide one-on-one discussions with trainees, identifying patterns of strengths and weaknesses and discussing how to build on or address these areas.

The use of a DOR or other evaluation tool should reflect this. Unfortunately, these evaluations are often used asonly a test to pass or fail and then move on from. Instead, a DOR or similar tool should be leveraged as a way guide training and growth. Something for trainees to reflect on and for trainers to use to gauge progress over time.

When used in this way, these documents help trainees better understand the “why” behind each evaluation and work proactively toward improvement.

3. Ensure Evaluations are Completed in a Timely Manner

Completing paperwork is an almost universally despised task. However, it should always be prioritized on a field training officer’s to-do list.

Timely completion of DORs, CCLs, and other evaluation forms is critical for maintaining accurate records and providing meaningful feedback. Ideally, observations should be captured while they are fresh in the training officer’s mind. This immediate documentation allows for a more accurate reflection of the trainee’s performance and enables quicker corrective action if needed.

Additionally, completing evaluations promptly also sends a message to trainees that their progress is taken seriously. When evaluations are delayed, feedback may be less accurate and potentially less useful for guiding development.

For training officers, it can be tricky to find time to fill out the required documentation, especially when agencies use paper forms or fillable PDFs. Agencies can help training officers save time by providing technology that streamlines the process and makes it easy to notate observations from anywhere.

4. Make Sure Leadership Is Engaged

Agency leadership plays a pivotal role in the effectiveness of a field training program, and their engagement with both the program and evaluation of trainees has a significant impact on training outcomes. Broadly speaking, engaged leaders reinforce the importance of the training process, ensuring that it aligns with the agency’s mission, values, and standards.

More specifically, when leadership is engaged in the field training process, it helps to maintain transparency, fairness, and consistency in training evaluations. This kind of involvement helps to hold both trainees and training officers accountable, helping to address any systemic issues within the training program and resolve issues quickly.

Additionally, leadership involvement allows for better alignment between field training and broader agency goals, such as community engagement, procedural justice, and officer wellness, ensuring these critical areas are emphasized and integrated into daily training.

5. Incorporate Technology and Automate Processes

Too often, agencies say, “this is how we’ve always done it.” However, the last several years have shown that the most successful law enforcement agencies are those that don’t wait until they are forced to incorporate change. Instead, they consistently look for ways to enhance and improve what already exists, either by refining processes or by incorporating new tools and technology to replace what is outdated.

Afterall, that spirit of innovation is what led to the creation of the most popular field training models in the first place. However, even with the guidance provided by these models, there are steps agencies can take to further improve their field training programs, the most significant of which is to incorporate the strategic use of technology.

Software designed to support field training provides powerful tools that can reduce reliance on manual processes and provide valuable insights. Functionality to support these efforts includes:

• 24/7 access via native mobile app
• Easy-to-use, customizable digital forms
• Photo/video capture and upload
• Form routing and multiple levels of eSignature approvals
• Comprehensive data analytics and reporting

Whether it be to ensure consistency, evaluate the program, streamline documentation, or make it easier for leadership to be engaged, software purpose-built to support field training programs can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the program, and in turn, ensure new officers receive quality training.

To learn more about the benefits of implementing field training software and how it can support these best practices, download our FAQ at the link below!

Vector Solutions’ suite of industry-leading software solutions includes training management systems, online training courses, FTO and live skill evaluations, academy automation, equipment and inventory management, shift scheduling, and an early intervention and conduct management system.