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Enhanced Training offers a collection of innovative online enhanced training experiences for law enforcement professionals nationwide that focus on implementing organizational and operational improvements in short amounts of time (between three and six months). Enhanced training course topics are designed to maximize outcomes, result in the implementation of new concepts, meaningful participation, and sustainability. The key features of this online enhanced training experience include training in cohorts, flexible scheduling, blended learning, and access to expertise.
Training Features
Similar to online college courses with a duration of 3–6 months, enhanced training courses include the following hallmark features:
- Training in cohorts. Peer learning in action
- Flexible scheduling. Shift-friendly training
- Applied learning. Interactive training, practical results
- Access to expertise. Ongoing support from industry leaders
Courses Available
- Communicating Agency Successes
Description: This course provides participants with practical tools and strategies to improve both external and internal communication and media engagement. Participants will learn how to craft compelling narratives, understand media needs, engage with media outlets, and leverage social media platforms to highlight positive stories. The training emphasizes real world examples, interactive exercises, peer learning, and concrete steps that will allow participants to implement improvements within their own agencies. The purpose of this course is to encourage law enforcement agencies across the nation to proactively highlight their successes and strengthen public understanding of their work through effective communication, thereby helping to improve the image of the policing, uplift the profession and improve transparency and morale.
Target Audience: Employees (sworn or professional staff) responsible for external and internal communications in local, state, tribal, territorial, and campus law enforcement agencies. This course is geared toward small-to-medium-sized agencies that may not have a dedicated Public Information Officer or have a recently created PIO position. - Effective Partnerships Between Federal and Local Law Enforcement (in development)
- Enhancing Your Agency’s Image for Effective Recruitment (in development)
- Leading Well: Supervisor Essentials for Officer Wellness (in development)
- Crime Analysis Kickstart for Small and Rural Agencies (in development)
- Public Safety Problem Solving Workshops (in development)
Request Assistance
To submit a request under the COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services, please complete the following:
If you wish to contact the COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative team, please email [email protected] or call the COPS Office Response Center at 1-800-421-6770.
Resources
FAQs
Each Enhanced Training course will last between three and six months, with virtual class meeting sessions spread throughout the duration of the course. All courses follow slightly different schedules, depending on course content and learning objectives. Enhanced Training courses focus on implementing improvements within law enforcement agencies, so each course’s timeline reflects the time it takes to accomplish a capstone implementation project.
What time commitment will the trainings involve?
Participants can expect approximately 10-20 hours of live online “classroom” sessions, with additional instructor office hours twice each week and access to consulting with experts and trainers, as needed by participants (by phone or Zoom). Participants will also be required to complete homework assignments and complete a “hands-on” capstone project that results in an improvement to their agencies. An example course schedule is below:
| Course Weekk | Live Online Session | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Intro to ET | 1 hour |
| Week 2 | Module 1 | 2 hours |
| Week 6 | Module 2 | 2 hours |
| Week 10 | Module 3 | 2 hours |
| Week 14 | Module 4 | 3 hours |
There is no specific limit to the number of participants from one agency, however, generally no more than 2-3 participants from a single agency is preferred. Enhanced Training courses feature a cohort model – depending on the training topics and agencies, the size of the small cohort of participants will vary between approximately 6 – 15 participants.
Courses are open to both sworn and non-sworn personnel. We recognize that agency structures differ, so Enhanced Training is focused on engaging those responsible for specific functions. For example, courses on external communications and crime analysis may include a mix of sworn and non-sworn participants. Similarly, courses are open to both supervisory and non-management personnel, unless otherwise specified.
These courses are not yet certified, nor are they eligible for POST credits, though participants will receive certificates of completion that may be presented to their agency leadership and/or added to their personnel files.
Will technical assistance be available to help with implementation?
Yes! Course participants will receive technical assistance throughout the course as they work toward implementing a capstone project that addresses a specific challenge in their agency. Subject matter experts in topics relevant to each course will be available to training participants during weekly office hours and on an as-needed basis. For technical assistance outside of an Enhanced Training topic, you may submit a request here: https://portal.cops.usdoj.gov/critac/.
