An Analysis of Selected Aspects of Police Training

Abstract

The present study attempts to determine if the retention of police in-service training information is affected by the type of content presented in the training session. A group of mid-level police managers (e.g., mostly lieutenants) attended two in-service training sessions on the same day that were devoted to Personnel Management and Multicultural Police Strategies. The police managers were given three objective tests related to the content of the two training sessions. Through the use of an experimental design the police managers were administered a pre-test immediately before each training session; a posttest immediately following each training session; and a second posttest three months after the completion of the training sessions. These objective tests focused on both perceptions of information retained as well as the ability to demonstrate actual knowledge in the two training areas. The results show that there were significant differences in the perceptions of police information retention across the two contents, but there were no differences in demonstrated knowledge. Recommendations for future research on police training involve improving the panel design and broadening the training content focus.