POLICE
DEPARTMENT
TrainingCenter
APD’s Training Center is the first spot that our new recruit officers will
experience as they embark on their career. It’s also a place that offers
continued employee development throughout the year.
In 2014, the Training Center was home to 37 police recruits. Renewed
focus on supervisor development and offering training that coincides
with an employee’s exact job function was rolled out. The department
partnered with Fairness Fort Worth to provide instruction to employees
on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) awareness training.
This comprehensive training program reinforces an officer’s oath of office
and reaffirms APD’s commitment to equal protection under the law for
all persons. Procedural Justice training was further integrated into the
organization by providing training in foundational concepts of fairness,
voice, transparency, and impartiality for supervisory staff and police
department volunteers.
The Training Center hosted several community forums that included static
equipment displays. The purpose was to inform community members on
the types of equipment that the department utilizes and what the decision
making processes are related to ensuring a measured response to a
critical incident and that the department is using de-escalation techniques
to reduce use of force encounters.
The Training Center is committed to providing the most updated training
curriculum for employees and other law enforcement agencies who
may attend courses in our facility. This year, Training Center staff further
implemented a Reality Based Training Program to train and test recruits
and incumbent officers in a controlled environment. Training Center Staff
redesigned the format of the training allowing for multiple scenarios
to be conducted at one time using various rooms and different styles
of exercises. With help from various sections of the department and
participants, the training staff provided up to 10 exercises per participant
each day. The training was observed by multiple law enforcement
agencies in the DFW area and was looked upon as exceeding the normal
training standard.
Officers also received training on military veteran reintegration into the
organization. As a result of increased and lengthy deployments, the
department provides support to employees and their family members
during deployment and ensures an effective reintegration to civilian law
enforcement duties once a military tour of duty ends.
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