Fresh and interesting research out of the US shows that of the average 633 hours police recruits spend completing the basic academy, on average only 3.21% are dedicated to knowledge and skills that are not law enforcement-specific.
Police recruits receive:
- 5.5 hours of ethics and boundaries training
- 7.3 hours of human relations and interpersonal communications training
- 6.1 hours of cultural competency training
- 5.6 hours of procedural justice training and
- 4.3 hours of training on other public service core values, such as effective problem solving and the use of discretionary powers
The study shows 'police recruits leave the academy armed with plenty of tactical skills but relatively few communications and cultural competency skills – the skills, veterans of the force know, officers most need to use throughout their day'.
What is the right balance?
Read more here: Police academies dedicate 3.21% of training hours to ethics and other public service topics – new research (theconversation.com) (External link)