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Let's not relive the past. Listen to the recruits' questions and help them. I can recall several questions that were fired at me from the old dinosaurs of my youth. Let's go over a few.
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My Field Training Officer (FTO) often compared police work to playing on a football team. He would say, "The team with the least amount of penalties wins." The analogy always stuck with me and after 10 years as an officer, it still rings true.
Read More →This blog often focuses on tactics, off-duty survival, surviving the FTO program, or making it though the academy. However, what can often get overlooked is making it through those first few years as a parent. A single-parent recruit has been given the most difficult assignment of all.
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The Field Training Officer (FTO) stands as the guardian at the gates leading to Copland. The FTO is the link from the academy to the realities and harshness of real-life applications. They oversee how you apply all of the principles you've been taught and determine whether you're worthy of carrying on the burden of these to the next generation.
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Feedback can come from the officer watching himself on a dashcam or a sergeant telling him he turns his back on a violator every time he keys his mic. This is a lot better than spitting teeth out in the back of an ambulance or worse.
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After realizing his partner Officer Jarred Slocum was down, Officer McFarland relied on the "dummy drag," a technique he learned at the police academy. Officer McFarland holstered his sidearm, moved into the line of fire, hooked his arms around his partner, and dragged him to safety.
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A recruit may wonder if he or she will ever get some down time. My job is to drive you to develop a fine knowledgeable officer, rather than someone wanting an easy pass. Training is hard work, even if it's a game.
Read More →I've always believed that the FTO should be the first one registered for training. If they are to pass on the knowledge, they have to be the sharpest. They need to be the ones leading way to embrace and implement change for the good.
Read More →A federal jury is now deliberating on the case of a former Portland Police recruit who accused a fellow officer of using excessive force and sued the department for lost wages and benefits.
Read More →If you find yourself in the role of Field Training Officer (FTO) or occasional trainer, please make an effort to understand the background of your recruits. For the one-on-one trainer, try to grasp the knowledge, skills, and abilities of your trainee. If both of you do this, you'll save yourself wasted time, aggravation, ruffled student, egos and probably maximize valuable training time.
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