The St. Joseph Police Department Training Unit is responsible for maintaining commissioned and civilian employees’ training, both mandatory and voluntary and the records thereof. The Training Unit falls under the Support Services Division, which is headed by Commander Charlie Robison. Sergeant Becky Caton is the Department Training officer. Besides mandatory department training, which occurs approximately 4 times a year, officers and civilian employees also attend numerous “outside” training events, usually in their fields of interest.

The Police Department recently began using the new “state-of-the-art” training room—to be used by both the Police and Sheriff’s departments—in April, 2007. It boasts an Eiki data video projector, 10 ceiling speakers, a power amplifier, a wireless microphone, 6’ X 8’ manual wall screen and a Sony VCR/DVD player. Everyone was quite excited to see it and be able to use it for future training events. We welcome most any outside training opportunities and hope that our facility can be used for many of those events in the future.

Besides department and outside training, the police department also conducts some type of Roll Call training every week. Roll Call training, which by its nature is given before officers actually go out on the streets to begin their shift, is typically used for updates in department policies and procedures, updates in State laws or city ordinances and generally anything else that would benefit the officers and their ability to do their job. Officer safety concerns are also a high priority with Roll Call training.

We are also required by Missouri’s Department of Public Safety to attain and maintain a certain number of training hours in certain areas every 3 years. The Missouri POST program, Police Officer Standards and Training, is a regulatory agency that is responsible for the licensure of peace officers, reserve peace officers, basic training instructors, curriculum and training centers. All licensed peace officers and reserve officers must successfully complete a minimum of forty-eight hours of continuing education in that 3-year period to maintain their peace officer license. Each officer shall complete a minimum of four hours in all four curricula areas; Legal, Interpersonal, Technical and Skill Development. Additionally, twenty-four of the 48 hours must come from a POST “Approved Provider” and the remaining twenty-four may come from either “In-Service” training or a POST “Approved Provider.”

The St. Joseph Police Department is dedicated to educating our officers with as much new information as we can give them to keep them knowledgeable, safe and professional in all situations. Training is taken very seriously here and we hope to give our officers as much of it as possible. If you have any questions regarding training issues or bringing training to the St. Joseph Police Department, please contact Sgt. Becky Caton at (816) 232-7276 or write to her at bcaton@ci.st-joseph.mo.us.