In partnership with the COPS Office, NCPI developed and implemented the Contemporary Community Policing program to prepare law enforcement instructors throughout the nation to deliver training on the fundamentals of community policing within their agencies.
This program leveraged an existing NCPI curriculum, Community Policing: Improving Police Efficacy and Building Trust (CPIPEBT), which includes a 16-hour Core Curriculum, a 20-hour Instructor Development Program (IDP), and a 6-hour self-paced, online course.
NCPI delivered eight facilitator-led IDP workshops with law enforcement professionals representing 101 agencies from 28 states coming together to discuss contemporary community policing issues, share ideas and lessons learned, network as peers, and engage in train-the-trainer activities.
Applying fundamentals to contemporary policing issues
The CPIPEBT curriculum focuses on applying the principles of community policing to daily law enforcement operations to advance public safety with greater efficiency and with less risk to officers and the communities they serve.
Learners identify strategies for sustaining improvements and building a culture in which the significant challenges facing our nation’s public safety agencies are viewed as opportunities for effectiveness and change.
Preparing law enforcement instructors to deliver training
CPIPEBT features a flexible curriculum that allows participating instructors to take the core content back to their organizations, customize it according to their specific needs, and train law enforcement, local leaders, and other stakeholders to implement community policing in their communities.
The IDP structure offers trainers a complete and comprehensive package for use beyond the classroom, in whatever ways make the most sense for their agencies’ needs.
This course exceeded my expectations. I remained engaged and the information provided was useful. I look forward to incorporating the lessons into my community presentations as well as training for officers.
Continuity of instructor training, during a global pandemic
NCPI began this program at the start of the pandemic, when travel for in-person training was restricted due to public health concerns.
NCPI pivoted and redesigned the IDP workshops for virtual delivery, incorporating a hybrid approach using both synchronous and asynchronous learning components.
As with all of our programs, we were committed to providing an impactful, engaging experience for the participating public safety trainers. We adapted the course content and delivery methodology to suit a virtual classroom environment and collaborated with our SMEs to prepare for the instructional lessons, discussions, group and individual activities, and teach-back exercises.
The virtual delivery method allowed for a more diverse geographic representation of participants from all regions of the country, without the need for travel. This diversity offered unique perspectives on policing and engaging discussions of current challenges and opportunities among course participants, which is often not possible in an in-person event, due to cost prohibitive travel and time away from work to attend an out-of-town training.
I thoroughly enjoyed the hybrid format and hope to see this type of training method implemented elsewhere. Well done with not only engaging 25 people via a computer screen, but also allowing the students to work at their own pace.
Delivering an instructor-led training support package
As part of each IDP session, participants receive digital copies of all instructional materials and resources to utilize in their own local community policing training efforts.
At the end of the course, they complete a teach-back exercise during which they present a selection of course content to their peers. This exercise provides an opportunity to become familiar with using NCPI’s instructional materials, to practice delivering the new content in a safe training environment, and to receive peer feedback.
Outstanding Instructors who presented the materials effectively and efficiently. The learning environment was open and collaborative. Even as a seasoned instructor I had numerous takeaways to enhance my future lessons and presentations.
Sustaining the program impact
Although the funding to support this program has ended, NCPI continues to offer CPIPEBT training in a variety of formats to meet the unique needs of the organizations we serve.
Instructor development programs
For those looking to prepare their own instructional staff to deliver community policing training to the entire department, we offer a 16- to 20-hour, facilitator-led, Instructor Development Program (IDP). We can deliver this in a virtual or on-site classroom experience.
The focus on how to deliver the key concepts was very helpful and will help keep consistent message delivery. I have taken other instructor development courses which focus on learning concepts and not the key concepts. I think that can lead to variations in the overall message delivery.
Core curriculum delivery
For agencies that prefer to have training facilitated by an outside entity, our Core Curriculum delivery may be the best approach. This can be offered on-site or through a virtual classroom setting and is typically delivered over 2 days (16 hours).
Actually felt like this was one of the better online/virtual training sessions I’ve attended (since that became a thing last year). Mixing up guided lecture with self-paced offline instruction was much better than the anticipated 16 hrs of listening to someone drone over a PowerPoint. Would highly recommend NCPI programs.
Self-paced, online training
For individuals looking to fulfill a community policing in-service requirement, or those needing the convenience of a web-based solution, NCPI offers a 6-hour, self-paced, companion course at no cost. It can be completed anytime, anywhere, based on the demands of your day.
