National Association of Field Training Officers

Intelligence Based Training

FTO’s Tag Archive

November 22, 2017• Trainers Blog

Intelligence Based Training

Intelligence-Based Training has a place in training Student Officers.  Do you use Intelligence-Based Training in your agency?

Field Training Officers are integral to the future and success of not only each individual student officer they mentor but to the overall success and legitimacy of the agency as a whole. We know the face of any agency is the patrol officer. How these patrol officers present that face to the public falls squarely on the shoulders of the Field Training Program collectively, and each FTO individually. (more…)

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March 30, 2015• Trainers Blog

Texting vs Talking

After attending the NAFTO Conference in Washington State and attending the class “Generational Differences” I not only found out how old I was, but there was a significant generational gap between me and my trainee’s.  In an effort to close the gap, not in age, but in knowledge I found myself looking up Twitter, Facebook and Instagram just to see how they worked.  In my futile effort to understand it all, I found a lot of people freely expressing themselves.  I thought if they were willing to be that expressive on a computer then they would have no problem talking with other human beings; boy was I wrong. (more…)

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April 1, 2014• Trainers Blog

FTO Burnout – Article

Being a Field Training Officer is one of the most important assignments in each and every agency. Field Training Officers volunteer their services to their departments in order to share their knowledge and skills with the youth of law enforcement.

The Field Training Officer has first crack at developing the culture, attitude and work ethic of a young police officer.  A role that must not be taken lightly!  And most FTOs do not take it lightly.  In fact, most FTOs take their responsibilities very seriously.  In the year 2000 the National Institute of Ethics completed what was at the time the nation’s largest study of ethical standards inside law enforcement.  They found that the Field Training Officer was the most frustrated officer in the department. (more…)

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March 17, 2014• Trainers Blog

Believe – Encourage – Challenge – Correct

Believe – Encourage – Challenge – Correct

I’ve had the amazing opportunity to meet, greet and teach over 200 newly appointed Field Training Officers over the last three years.  In that same time I’ve had the chance to meet, greet and train over 100 Field Training Supervisors and Program Administrators.  I am a wiser man today after befriending all these people.  I’ve gained insight and knowledge from each of them.  Opening my eyes to the many ways law enforcement is so similar and the many ways our wonderful profession is so different between agencies and jurisdictions. (more…)

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