Proposed Pre-Service Training Program Marks Significant Change for System

Vol. 36, Number 4—April 2004

Proposed Pre-Service Training Program Marks Significant Change for System

Every year new officers begin working as probation and pretrial services officersin the federal court system with very different levels of safety awareness, self-defensetraining, and overall street smarts. Under current plans, that will change. Asearly as the summer of 2004, new probation and pretrial services officers willbe offered a comprehensive, uniform training program in safety, firearms, defensivetactics—and even defensive driving. The intention is to provide every newofficer with the best training available to keep them safe.

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), with training facilities in Charleston, South Carolina, has been identified as the site for this new program.

At the request of Administrative Office Director Leonidas Ralph Mecham, FLETC granted "partner" status to the AO, paving the way for federal probation and pretrial services officers to receive training at FLETC. About 75 federal agencies nationwide train at the centers operated by FLETC, also located in Glynco, Georgia; Cheltenham, Maryland; and Artesia, New Mexico. The Center also provides services to state, local, and international law enforcement agencies and other federal agencies with related law-enforcement missions on a space-available basis.

"We want our officers out in the community conducting investigations, enforcing conditions imposed by the court, and monitoring the behavior of defendants and offenders where they live and work. This puts them at risk—daily," said John Hughes, Assistant Director for the AO's Office of Probation and Pretrial Services. "Currently, most officers do not receive safety training prior to assuming their responsibilities and going into the field. We want to get them properly trained right from the start to minimize the risk to their safety."

When the FLETC program for federal probation and pretrial services officers is fully operational, new officers will attend a training program at FLETC as soon after appointment as possible. Class size will be limited to 24 students because of the importance of having small classes on the firing range and in self-defense training. This may mean that the training program will need to operate continuously throughout the year. Existing Judiciary-wide training programs will continue in tandem with FLETC.

"Our partnership with FLETC and the training we can deliver there is only part of the package," says Hughes. "The Federal Judicial Center will continue to have a very active role in training our officers and meeting the educational needs of the federal probation and pretrial services system. This new training program is being offered at FLETC, with the understanding that the FJC will continue in its long-standing role as the primary trainer of court employees."

Most districts have offered some safety training to their officers but usually not until the officers have been on board for some time. And the type, duration, and quality of training has varied greatly from district to district.

"Many local training programs are good," said Gary Howard, Chief Probation Officer for the District of Kansas and chair of the Chief's Advisory Group. "But when it comes to safety, it's best that everyone get the same high quality training from a national perspective. With FLETC, everyone will be on the same page with the same foundational training."

Having a system-wide training base not only gives officers a national identity, but with FLETC they also get the best training possible.

"Safety and skill development go hand-in-hand," said Howard. "We can train people how to use a firearm, but they also need to know when to use a firearm."

That's where FLETC's ability to design a training environment that replicates the officer's work environment is invaluable.

"FLETC can create a realistic home-visit setting with "offenders" reacting aggressively or violently," said Howard. "In these scenarios, officers can be trained to respond to threats to their safety and remain within the Judiciary's use-of-force policies."

Howard points out that while training at FLETC will be cost-effective, it also meets the training needs of officers, which in turn, makes communities safer. "This is a very dynamic job," he said. "There is a lot to know, and a lot to know well. Expectations for officer performance are high. We send people to FLETC to build the right foundation."