December 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR GREETING
FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PAUL CAPPITELLI

As we conclude another busy year at POST, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincerest thanks to the Commission and to all POST staff for their ongoing dedication and individual contributions directed to the members of the professional law enforcement agencies of California.

As most are aware, three-days-per-month furloughs continued through October 2010. Once the furloughs lifted, all POST employees saw their retirement contributions increase by 3% and there will continue to be one unpaid workday per month through 2011. Nonetheless, as you’ll see in my synopsis titled “2010: The Year in Review,” the staff at POST remained committed to the mission “… to continually enhance the professionalism of California law enforcement in serving its communities.” While fiscal woes trouble all sectors of the state’s economy, I am proud that our staff maintained their commitment and optimism.

As I finalize this report to all Commissioners, Advisory Committee members, and law enforcement professionals throughout the state on this last working day of 2010, none of us can know with certainty what challenges await us in 2011. We do know that Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will inherit an unprecedented budget deficit, in a depressed economy, at a time when social, medical, public safety, and educational services are all in distress. If it’s true that “problems are just opportunities in work clothes,” I suspect that we will all have our sleeves rolled up in the New Year.

In closing, let me restate how proud I am of this organization and assure you that whatever the future holds, my staff and I will remain true to our mission and work as hard as we can to assist you in keeping California a safe and enjoyable place in which to live.

Happy New Year,

PAUL A. CAPPITELLI
Executive Director

2010: THE YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY

• On January 9, 2010, staff joined many law enforcement professionals in honoring the memory of POST’s first Executive Director, Gene Muehleisen. Gene was honored, in absentia, at POST’s 50th Anniversary celebration in July 2009. He passed away peacefully, at the age of 93, in Sacramento on November 26, 2009. Gene is generally regarded as the father of POST and a pillar of law enforcement professionalism in California and throughout the United States. He worked tirelessly with the Legislature, Attorney General’s office, and PORAC in the 1950’s to create POST.

• On January 22, all state agencies received Budget Letter 10-03 establishing the “Workforce Cap Plan,” which required all state agencies to recover an additional 5% salary savings over and above the traditional 5% captured annually by the Department of Finance. The order required POST to reduce employee personnel costs by $524,000 per year.

FEBRUARY

• The Commission approved the development of a new Vehicle Pursuit Policy On-line Course, which will allow each agency to customize the course to incorporate its own policy into the training. The course is projected for completion and release in late 2011.

• POST announced a new, nationwide SAFE (Situation-Appropriate, Focused and Educated) Driving Campaign as a part of the ongoing effort to reduce the incidence of fatal or career-ending collisions among law enforcement officers. The SAFE Driving Campaign Advisory Board includes representatives from the National Office of Traffic Safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF).

• Staff received approval from Department of Finance to use unexpended reimbursement funds to pay off Law Enforcement Driving Simulators (LEDS) two years early, thereby saving approximately $400,000 in interest payments. At the February meeting the Commission approved the early pay-off and directed staff to begin developing a plan to replace all Force Option Simulators (FOS).

MARCH

• SAFE Driving Campaign members and the Vehicle Operations and Training Advisory Council (VOTAC) met in San Diego to develop a data management plan to organize and process the ongoing accumulation of collision and training-related information that is being collected from a SAFE Driving Survey. The survey was distributed to all police and sheriffs’ departments in California.

• The Public Safety Dispatcher Advisory Council was created. The council consists of 14 members representing five professional associations, three major population agencies, and two law enforcement executive groups.

APRIL

• To assist agencies in identifying the costs and benefits of personality testing, staff completed the project to evaluate personality tests in the pre-offer phase of the selection process for entry-level peace officers. The resulting guide, "Pre-Offer Personality Testing in the Selection of Entry-Level California Peace Officers: Resource Guide," and a companion document, "Pre-Offer Personality Testing in the Selection of Entry–Level California Peace Officers: Technical Report," are now available on the POST Website.
• The Robert Presley Institute for Criminal Investigation held the 6th Annual Detective Symposium in San Diego. Over 250 detectives from throughout the state attended. Topics covered during the 4-day event included Trends in Commercial Crimes, a demonstration of the POST-developed Search Warrant Tool, Cross-Border Kidnapping, Forensic Case Studies, GPS Tracking, Blood Splatter Analysis, and Social Networking Investigations.
• POST staff attended the 116th California State Sheriffs’ Conference in Sonoma County. At the conclusion of the conference, Governor Schwarzenegger administered the Oath of Office to the incoming President, San Benito County Sheriff Curtis Hill.

MAY

• The SAFE Driving Campaign joined with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) to produce a training video titled “Is Today Your Day?” The video focuses on seatbelt use and was released at the IACP Conference in Orlando, Florida.

JUNE

• Executive Director Paul Cappitelli attended the annual conference of the National Institute of Justice in Arlington, Virginia. Paul participated in a panel discussion, “How Police Fatigue Affects Performance.” POST’s SAFE Driving Campaign and the need for greater emphasis on driver safety in law enforcement were central themes in the discussion.

• The Commission approved reinstatement of Backfill Reimbursement, Commuter Lunch, and Basic Course Subsistence reimbursement.

• Staff encumbered $3 million in unexpended reimbursement funds to pay off LEDS two years early (see February Commission action - above).

JULY

• POST’s Executive Director received the Office of the State Controller (OSC) “Certificate for Achieving Excellence in Financial Reporting.” To achieve this award, POST met all criteria set by the OSC for the submission of financial reports required by OSC and the Department of Finance (DOF).

• POST, along with all state agencies, suspended all reimbursements due to lack of a State Budget.

AUGUST

• The Governor ordered a statewide hiring freeze. POST’s request for an exemption to the freeze was denied.

• POST staff presented training at the Annual Reserve Peace Officers Conference (ARPOC) conference in San Diego. Over 400 reserve peace officers were in attendance.

• “Officer Safety: Make the Right Choice,” a new, interactive officer safety course, was released on the Learning Portal. After one month on the Portal, over 1,000 peace officers had completed the course. The content for the course was derived from case studies in the Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) study.

• The POST Website was redesigned. Besides the new look, the site is easier to navigate and locate material. The new site supports blogs, email newsletters, discussion forums, and private webpages.

SEPTEMBER

• POST added the “Email Alerts and Newsletters” feature to the website. Users can subscribe to POST Administrative Progress Reports, Law Enforcement Employment Opportunities, Bulletins, Regulatory Actions, and the What’s New section of the website.

• Beginning in September, law enforcement personnel are able to check on their own CPT compliance through the POST homepage. From the homepage, officers can click the “sign in” button at the upper right side of the screen. After providing some verifying information, officers are able to view their individual compliance information to confirm that all recently completed training has been credited to their training profile and the number of CPT and/or perishable skill training hours completed within the evaluation cycle.

• Over 40,600 peace officers and dispatchers have signed onto the Learning Portal, 60,000 course completions have been logged, and over 350,000 hours of CPT credit have been recorded.

OCTOBER

• On October 8, the Governor signed the 2010/11 budget and reimbursement resumed. Payments were made retroactive to July 1, 2010.

• The Course Catalog on the POST Website was redesigned and now includes: linkage to the EDI system for instant updates to the catalog, advanced search and categorized information capabilities.

• "Identity Theft for Patrol” course was posted on the Learning Portal. By the end of the first month of activation, 480 officers had completed the course.

• On October 5, 2010, POST’s sixth Executive Director, Kenneth O’Brien, passed away at his home in Rocklin, California at the age of 76. Ken was a retired Deputy Chief with the San Diego Police Department and served as POST’s Executive Director for ten years.

NOVEMBER

• The Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute curriculum was redesigned to include an adaptive leadership component, field trips that align with specific learning outcomes, increased accountability for final projects, and closer alignment with instructional media.

• The Learning Technology Resource Center completed the “Gangs: P.C. 186.22 for Patrol.” The course is accessible on the Learning Portal. The course was awarded a “Silver Davey Award” for Interactive Multimedia Training.

• POST has partnered with The Ken Blanchard Companies to offer Situational Leadership II training to Supervisory Course facilitators. The content of the Situational Leadership curriculum will be included in the 80-hour Supervisory Course.

  **** DECEMBER

THE “POST GREEN INITIATIVE”

POST introduced the “POST Green Initiative” to maximize energy efficiency and to conserve renewable and nonrenewable resources.  View the Initiative at http://www.post.ca.gov/post-green-initiative.

POST is committed to these efforts through the following goals:

• POST is decreasing use of resources (e.g., fuel, paper, energy, etc.) associated with legally required mailings by replacing paper-based mail with web-based electronic distribution methods. This effort will reduce mailing expenses by approximately $8,000 per year.

• POST is transitioning from paper-based processes such as:

1. Peace officer appointments
2. Course rosters
3. Course certifications
4. Progress reports
5. Field Bulletins and other announcements

• POST is decreasing travel for law enforcement training by increasing Internet-based training courses and education.

Annually, these efforts are saving over 160,000 pieces of paper and have significantly reduced travel-related expenses.

Questions or comments about the POST Green Initiative may be directed to our POST Website Feedback.

POST STAFF PRESENTS TRAINING AT THE FORUM OF THE PERSONNEL TESTING COUNCIL OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

POST Senior Personnel Selection Consultant Bill Groome was the featured speaker at the Personnel Testing Council of Northern California (PTC/NC) December Training Forum. The PTC/NC is a non-profit professional organization dedicated to the advancement of assessment in human resources.

The presentation, “Job Analysis: Must We Re-invent the Wheel Every Time?” focused on the POST Public Safety Dispatcher Job Analysis conducted in the 1990s, the job analysis update completed in 2010, and the lessons learned that might apply to others.

Questions about the PTC/NC December Training Forum may be directed to Bureau Chief Bob Stresak, Standards and Evaluation Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4832.

POST WEBSITE LAUNCHES NEW COMMAND COLLEGE NETWORK

POST’s new Command College Network, based in a secure area of the POST Website, is a course management system designed specifically for the Command College program. Resources are provided for current Command College students to stay on top of current and upcoming sessions, submit work, participate in peer discussions, and retrieve documents. Graduates of the program may also use the system to stay in contact with other alumni and to keep informed of program developments.

Specific resources provided on the new Command College Network include:

• Electronic copies of course materials (handouts, readings, etc.)
• Web-based and email-based delivery of completed student assignments
• Secure web forums for students and instructors to interact
• Email notification to students and instructors when new materials are available for review on the Command College forums
• Applications to the program
• Course handbooks and rosters

Questions about the Command College Network may be directed to Senior Consultant Mike Davies, Center for Leadership Development, at (916) 227-4892.

PRE-OFFER PERSONALITY TEST INFORMATION DATABASE IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE POST WEBSITE

The Pre-Offer Personality Test Information database is now available on the POST Website. The database was developed in conjunction with the POST Pre-Offer Personality Testing in the Selection of California Peace Officers: Resource Guide (pdf) and is designed to provide test-specific information for agencies that wish to use pre-offer personality testing as part of the hiring process.

Information in the database was provided by test publishers whose tests are suitable for use prior to a conditional job offer, are supported by empirical evidence of job-relatedness, and measure the types of personality attributes that are important for law enforcement performance, as described in the Resource Guide. In addition to providing individual test information, the database allows for comparisons of tests on practical considerations (e.g., test costs, test-taking options), competencies measured, and scoring procedures.

The database contains information on nine tests. The database is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all tests that may be appropriate for pre-offer personality testing. POST does not independently verify or evaluate the information provided by the test publishers. Test publisher contact information allows prospective users to make specific inquiries directly to the test publishers.

Questions about the test information database may be directed to Associate Governmental Program Analyst Melani Singley, Standards and Evaluation Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4258; or Supervising Personnel Selection Consultant Shelley Spilberg, Ph.D., Standards and Evaluation Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4824.

CALIFORNIA ANIMAL RESPONSE EMERGENCY SYSTEM

POST staff met with representatives of the California Emergency Management Agency, the State Fire Marshal, and the International Animal Welfare Training Institute (IAWTI) at UC Davis Veterinary Hospital to discuss the development of specific training relating to the care of large animals during statewide disasters. The IAWTI has been awarded a federal grant to develop the California Animal Response Emergency System (CARES) and eight training courses over the next two years.

High-risk, low-frequency incidents, such as those involving animals in emergency and disaster situations, are the types of incidents that could result in death or injury to the public or first responders. The first training course to be developed will improve the awareness, preparedness, management, and resolution of incidents involving mass numbers and/or single-equine incidents.

The courses will focus on four primary target areas: 1) Incident Command System, 2) Equine behavior, 3) Equine safe handling and capture techniques, and 4) Basic moving and vertical lifts of the recumbent equine. The intended audience includes law enforcement, fire service, emergency planners, veterinarians, animal control officers, citizen emergency response teams, and other volunteer equine rescue groups. The first course, Managing Animals in Disasters: Helping Owners and Responders Survive Equine Emergencies (MAD HORSE), will be ready for pilot testing in early 2011.

Questions about the CARES project may be directed to Special Consultant Ken Whitman, Information Services/Homeland Security, at (916) 227-5561.

INSTALLATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT DRIVING SIMULATORS

The installation of state-of-the-art law enforcement driving simulators (LEDS) that enhance driver training for California’s peace officers is nearly completed.

Installation of the LEDS systems began in March of 2010 and proceeded throughout the year. As of October 2010, all but one site received the new simulators and began training. The final installation is projected to occur in February 2011 with the completion of the new Ventura County Sheriff’s Department facility.

Once finalized, there will be driving simulators at 21 fixed sites and seven mobile trailers capable of traveling to remote locations throughout the state. A map of the Regional Skills Training Centers can be found on the POST Website.

Questions about simulator training may be directed to Senior Consultant Cliff Peppers, Training Program Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4887.

REPORT WRITING PROJECT PILOT TESTING COMPLETED

At the conclusion of research which established standardized Basic Course skills tests for Arrest Methods, Firearms, and Vehicle Operations (Strategic Plan Objective A.4.02), staff extended the study to create similar tests for the PC 832 course and the Basic Course Report Writing.

In April 2009, staff and subject matter resources identified report writing performance dimensions and observable behaviors, and used those results to develop evaluation forms and scoring methodologies. The pilot testing was an effort to validate the performance dimensions, observable behaviors, evaluation forms, and the two scoring methodologies of pass/fail and numerical point deduction.

The first pilot test took place in August 2010; the second was in November. A total of 33 independent report writing instructors and evaluators throughout the state participated in the pilot. All participants spent two-and-a-half days grading the sample reports using the pass/fail and the point deduction methods. The collected data was statistically analyzed and the results met the requirement for the validation process of the two scoring methods. The results further validated the performance dimensions and observable characteristics used on the LD 18 scoring forms. The next step is to fine tune the presentation methods and develop a train-the-trainer session.

Questions about the results of the pilot study may be directed to Senior Test Validation and Development Specialist Chau Nguyen Chan, Standards and Evaluation Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4836.

Questions about the Report Writing Project may be directed to Senior Test Validation and Development Specialist Chau Nguyen Chan, Standards and Evaluation Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4836; or POST Special Consultant Jon Von Brauch.

ICI SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATION TRAINING WORKSHOP

The Robert Presley Institute for Criminal Investigation (ICI) Sexual Assault Investigation training course is being redesigned. In December, ICI presenters, course administrators, instructors, and subject matter resources participated in a two-part workshop in San Jose to begin the project.

During the first phase, individuals reviewed the existing ICI sexual assault training to determine what training needs were missing or outdated, and prepared a plan to create contemporary course content using adult learning methods. As a result, several new ideas were generated and are a work-in-progress, such as the creation of a surveillance video for use in a scenario, a team-teaching approach involving technology as a part of investigation, and a renewed focus on sexual assault victims.

A POST master instructor has been involved in the process from its inception and will create a total training package for POST and all ICI Sexual Assault Investigation training course presenters upon conclusion of the project.

Questions about the redesign project may be directed to Senior Consultant Anne Brewer, Training Program Services Bureau, at (916) 227-4895.

POST FUTURE VISION TEAM CONVENES WITH THE LEADERSHIP TEAM TO DRAFT A PREFERRED FUTURE “ROAD MAP”

The POST Future Vision Team (FVT) met with the Leadership Team in December. The focus was a discussion of alternative futures for POST in 2020. Members of the FVT presented four scenarios, which were based on the two primary trends the FVT identified in the course of comprehensive scanning: 1) acceptance of technology advancements in web-based training and other training delivery models, and 2) government funding. The four scenarios reflected four possible futures: low technology acceptance and low funding, low technology acceptance and high funding, high technology acceptance and low funding, and high technology acceptance and high funding.

After the scenarios were presented, the Leadership Team offered feedback for the next phase of the futuring process -- drafting a preferred future. Feedback included the following comments:

• Use of technology is important to the future of POST and its constituency.
• Blended learning and greater use of technology should be considered in POST’s preferred future.
• Alternative funding streams should continue to be explored.
• The preferred future should reflect aspects of all four scenarios considering a high level of technology acceptance, but a low level of government funding (even though the opposite would be an ideal state).
• Elements of the preferred future should be supported by trend data.
• Provide recommendations as to what steps POST should take to realize the ideal future.
• Identify the obstacles that could impact POST’s ability to attain the ideal future and suggest steps to neutralize or minimize the potential impact.

In January, the FVT will begin drafting an outline of a preferred future state, employing the Strategic Foresight methodology.

Questions about the FVT may be directed to Bureau Chief Mike Hooper, Center for Leadership Development Bureau, at (916) 227-4805.

LEARNING PORTAL PROVIDES AGENCIES WITH LAST-MINUTE CPT SHOPPING OPPORTUNITIES

December was a high volume month on the Learning Portal (LP). A total of 15,850 hours of Continuous Professional Training (CPT) hours were credited to officers throughout the state. This brought the total for calendar year 2010 to 111,560 hours. One possible reason for such a high volume in the month is the December 31, 2010 deadline for officers to complete the biennial 24-hour CPT requirement.

Another reason for the boost in numbers may be the release of four new courses this year: "Gangs: PC 186.22 for Patrol," "Officer Safety: Make the Right Choice," "Student Learning Outcomes," and "Identity Theft for Patrol." In addition, staff released a new product, a performance support aid, the Search Warrant Writing Tool.

The number of officers using the LP increased by 30% in 2010. As of December 31, there were 43,195 registered users. Distance learning has long been regarded as a cost-efficient means of delivering training to the student. This increase in LP use is thought to be driven by officers’ and agencies’ recognition of the need to continue training in spite of dwindling training funds.

Questions about the Learning Portal may be directed to Manager Jan Myyra, Learning Technology Resources Bureau, at (916) 227-4550.  Subscribe to the Administrative Progress Reports Newsletter The Administrative Progress Report is a monthly status report that informs POST Commissioners and the California law enforcement community of recent progress on POST projects and instructional programs under development, and other information of importance to our mission to continually enhance the professionalism of California law enforcement.

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