Complete Annual Report 2020 - English - Flipbook - Page 59
HARTFORD POLICE ACADEMY
Police Academy & Training Division
The goal of the Hartford Police Academy and Training Division is to improve the overall effectiveness of the Department by conducting quality training for all officers. Training is the foundation of an effective
police agency and enables our officers to provide a high level of service
to the community. The Hartford Police Academy is a Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POSTC) certified satellite academy. New recruits are immersed in an in-depth 30-week basic
training academy followed by a 12-week Field Training program. By
operating a satellite academy, the Hartford Police Department is able to
tailor our training of new recruits to best meet the needs of our community. A class of thirteen (13) new police recruits graduated in December of 2020 and a new class is anticipated to begin training at the Hartford Police Academy in spring 2021.
The Hartford Police Academy and Training Division is also responsible for maintaining the certification of all
current Hartford police officers. The minimum training standards set forth by POSTC are observed as a baseline for the Hartford Police Academy’s in-service training program. Academy staff continuously work to improve
the training level of our officers with a focus on alternative methods to better prepare our officers for whatever
they encounter. Some areas of focus for in-service training are Diversity and Cultural Competency, De-escalation techniques, and Fair and Impartial Policing. All sworn members of the Hartford Police Department were
required to complete the new cultural competency and diversity program by March 31, 2021. The Training Division was able to continue the Law Enforcement Active De-escalation Strategies (L.E.A.D.S.) program in 2020.
The L.E.A.D.S. program teaches officers communications skills, evidence based active de-escalation strategies,
conflict resolution methods, and distraction techniques. The Training Division also continued its Fair and Impartial Policing program, which has been a training component at HPD since 2014. Additionally, all officer-involved use of force incidents are reviewed by an Academy sergeant who is a subject matter expert. The Hartford
Police Academy and Training Division is currently staffed by one lieutenant, four sergeants, and five officers.
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