The rise of the online classroom has served both as a boon to learners and a disruptive force in higher education. Digital learning has the power to reduce costs and greatly increase efficiency, but in a field as human-centric as law enforcement, the issue can sometimes be made more complex by a need to include a person-to-person interaction component, which runs the risk of being lost in the online education space.

For this reason, in law enforcement training and continuing education, the “how” can be almost as important as the “what.” In a constantly changing profession, education is critical—but so is the manner in which it is provided.

Fortunately, a range of options exist for just about every function and budget. Police department professionals can take online as well as offline courses in a wide range of subjects, and for-profit and non-profit institutions alike are growing more adept at blending the convenience of online with the hard-to-replace hands-on component of a traditional learning experience. And, as it turns out, the long-distance classroom is only one way that technology is shaping the face of training for law enforcement agencies.

The Rise of Online Education

There is no question that online education is booming. Both for-profit startups and traditional colleges and universities are continuing to build-out this virtual space, with opportunities like massive open online courses (MOOCs) gaining popularity as a low-cost alternative to regular learning. Because there are less overhead expenses to worry about in a digital environment, the cost of running and, by extension, taking online courses is very appealing, particularly for working adults looking to fit coursework around full-time employment. Factor in the time and money saved in reduced travel, and the appeal of online courses becomes self-evident.

According to statistics released in June 2014, by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, in fall 2012, 2.8 million students enrolled in at least one distance education course, while 2.6 million students enrolled exclusively in
such courses. Taken together, these individuals represent 25 percent of the student population in the United States.¹

For law enforcement, a wide breadth of different continuing education and training programs are available. For instance, California Southern University, a private company based in Irvine, California, which provides online education to students around the world, offers a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice available entirely online. Additionally, according to Thomas Dellner, a spokesperson for the university, the school’s new Master of Science in Law Enforcement Executive Leadership degree is breaking new ground in the online space. The course is designed to prepare criminal justice professionals for leadership in 21st century law enforcement environments, including police departments, courts, and corrections systems.

“I am not aware of anything else like it,” Dellner said. “The curriculum was designed with the help of an advisory board comprised of police chiefs and other law enforcement executive leaders.”²

American Military University (AMU), a branch of the Manassas, Virginia-based American Public University System, provides undergraduate and graduate level degrees and certificates for law enforcement professionals and prospective leaders, all of which are 100 percent digital. Coursework ranges from strategic planning and grant writing to forensics to labor relations. According to AMU, curricula are developed through partnerships with state law enforcement agencies, and courses are taught by instructors with extensive field experience.

Traditional universities also are moving into online education for law enforcement professionals. For example, the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety, based in Evanston, Illinois, recently made its entire School of Police Staff and Command certificate program available online.

Notre Dame College, a small liberal arts college situated in the Cleveland suburb of Euclid, Ohio, offers a Master of Arts in National Security and Intelligence Studies program in a mix of online and on-site spaces, combining virtual classes and interaction with three “immersion” weekends that include guest speakers, presentations, and networking. The full program takes about 18 months to complete, according to the college.

Simulating Experiences

Technology is also facilitating law enforcement training outside of the web. One of the most popular methods involves simulators, which are increasingly able to mimic real-world scenarios—and, as a result, provide highly effective training opportunities in a fully digitized setting.

The downside to such training, however, is the high cost of the machines. Fortunately, training companies often make them available for rent as part of special training sessions that take place on department grounds for a fraction of what a new simulator might cost out of pocket.

Castellum Development, a public safety training and consulting firm based in Jacksonville, Florida, includes on its menu of training options a use-of-force simulator, which police agencies can rent for between one and six weeks. The simulator itself contains a video screen and projector and specialized training weapons. Trainees can then go through as many as 500 different scenarios, making use-of-force decisions in up to 50 different firearms exercises. As part of the rental cost, Castellum experts handle the delivery, set-up, “train-the-trainer” exercises, breakdown, and removal of the system.

“Smaller police departments with 100 or less people, they have no budget to buy a simulator,” said Al Uy, Castellum’s owner and principal. “This is a cost-efficient way to train a small department.”³

Ti Training Corporation, a company based in Golden, Colorado, sells simulators preloaded with hundreds of public safety scenarios. According to Ti Training Vice President Todd Brown, new scenarios are available for free each quarter, and hardware and software are easy to assemble and install.

The newest Ti Training model is one designed to re-create an active school shooting and was created in conjunction with officials in the Jefferson County, Colorado, Public School System. The simulator is designed for teachers and school administrators, as well as law enforcement professionals.

“These scenarios are fully interactive and are designed to provide a safe but realistic environment for our teachers and administrators so they can learn how to deal with the rapidly evolving and often violent nature of active shooters in our schools, as well as how [law enforcement] officers will respond and act,” Brown said. “This includes the opportunity for both teachers and cops to learn the other’s communication styles and to learn what each other will do in such an encounter.”⁴

MILO Range Training Systems, headquartered in Michigan, also has use-of-force simulators designed to accurately imitate reality. MILO simulators use three separate screens to create a 180-degree training environment or five screens for a 300-degree training environment.

The Personal Touch

Like many other areas of society, training and education are quickly moving into the future. But one aspect will remain as true today as it always has been: it’s hard to rival the lessons one can learn from the past.

That’s the idea behind Gettysburg Leadership, a new program being created by Castellum Development. With the goal of applying lessons from the Civil War’s famous Battle of Gettysburg to the management of modern-day police departments, it’s an innovative new spin for on-site learning.

“Lots of leadership decisions were made at that time in Gettysburg,” Uy said. “Some happened with planning, some happened without the benefit of planning. There is a real nexus between what happened there and what happens today in law enforcement. There are lots of personalities, lots of situations … a lot of character traits.”⁵

Scheduled to launch later this year, Gettysburg Leadership will take registrants to the actual battle site in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for hands-on history lessons with modern contexts.

Of course, if 25 percent of U.S. students have some interaction with distance learning, that means 75 percent are students following the traditional education route. Advocates for brick-and-mortar learning facilities point to the inimitable personal interaction between students and instructors as a key reason why this model will never become obsolete.

One prime example in the law enforcement community can be found at University of Louisville’s Southern Police Institute (SPI) in Louisville, Kentucky. Since 1951, SPI has offered critical training programs for prospective law enforcement leaders. According to SPI program assistant Angela Gray, the institute’s Administrative Officers Course—a 12-week in-residence course designed for aspiring police chiefs—is one of only two programs of its kind in the United States and is required as a prerequisite for appointment to the position of police chief by many jurisdictions.

“Online can be great, but you’re missing out on an integral part of education,” Gray said. “Other agencies have different stories and things they bring to the table. The people you meet in a classroom … bring perspectives and personalities to the course that are really important.”⁶

But even great brick-and-mortar traditions like this one are not immune to the attractions of modern technology. “We keep in touch with alumni through emails, and they keep in touch with each other that way,” Gray said. “And our Facebook page is really active. Throughout their lives they stay in touch. We try to have SPI be like a family.”⁷

However law enforcement officers choose to continue their education and expand their knowledge, online or in a classroom, they have more options available than ever. ♦

Notes:
¹Scott Ginder, Enrollment in Distance Education Courses, by State: Fall 2012 (National Center for Education Statistics, June 2014), table 1, Number and percentage of students enrolled at Title IV institutions, by distance education enrollment status, student level, control and level of institution, and other selected characteristics: United States, fall 2012, http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014023.pdf (accessed February 19, 2015).
²Thomas Dellner (spokesperson, California Southern University), email, January 28, 2015.
<aname=”3″>³Al Uy (owner, principal, Castellum Development), telephone interview, January 26, 2015.
⁴Todd Brown (vice president, Ti Training Corporation), email interview, January 26, 2015.
⁵Al Uy, telephone interview, January 26, 2015.
⁶Angela Gray (program assistant, University of Louisville, Southern Police Institute), telephone interview, January 28, 2015.
⁷Ibid.