The influence of a state law enforcement training academy on future performance of law enforcement officers in a Southeastern state of the United States

This dissertation examines the influence of the state police law enforcement academy on the performance of commissioned officers in the field training officer (FTO) program in a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The law enforcement training academy is paramount in preparing cadets for the roles, responsibilities, and activities that graduates assume independently in the field. As such, it is important to understand the value added to future performance in the field through adequate preparation in the training academy. This dissertation analyzes a sample of officers in the Southeastern region of the United States and explores the relationship between their performance as cadets in the academy and their performance as commissioned officers in the field training officer program. Further, this study examines the existence of differences in performance among the various troops of the selected state law enforcement agency. Through stepwise regression, the researcher concluded that the law enforcement training academy accounts for between 2.3% and 17.6% of the performance variance of newly commissioned officers in the field officer training program. Further, through an analysis of variance, the researcher concluded that there are significant differences in at least one of the performance variables selected throughout the troops of the agency. The researcher recommended further analysis of the law enforcement curriculum and of the field training officer program. This research should focus on the specific goals and objectives of the FTO program to ensure that the curriculum taught in the academy is properly aligned with the performance measures of the FTO program. Further, it was recommended that a systematic training methodology be implemented to ensure that all field training mentors are fully educated on the program’s goals, objectives, and evaluation system. Finally, it was recommended that a structural equation model be developed to allow the agency to understand the unique contribution of their current recruiting, selection, and training programs to the performance of their officers in the field.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Human Resources Management

Grantor

Human Resource Education and Workforce Development

Year dc:date.available

2010

Author dc:creator

• Caro, Cary Allen

• law enforcement training
• law enforcement training academy
• corporate university
• measuring performance
• learning transfer system
• field training officer program
• San Jose Model
• police performance
• law enforcement

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Identifier

etd-11152010-085801
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/836

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.lsu.edu:gradschool_dissertations-1835