California must assess and improve training for its nearly 700 law enforcement agencies and more than 87,000 full-time sworn and reserve peace officers. Such action would be an essential step toward meaningful law enforcement reform. In the wake of deadly police encounters involving Black Americans and excessive use of force, lawmakers have looked to police training as one means to implement reform. In Fall 2020, the Little Hoover Commission launched a study to examine the role of the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) in shaping law enforcement training standards for California’s peace officers. As part of its review, the Commission issued a series of Issue Briefs that provide critical context and insight into law enforcement training in California without making policy recommendations. The first, California Law Enforcement Survey, details findings from the Commission’s anonymous survey of active-duty California peace officers about the training they receive. The second, Comparing Law Enforcement Basic Training Academies, reviews various models for law enforcement basic training academies across the nation and within California. In this report, the Commission identifies ways in which the state can address current training deficiencies and enhance the training that officers receive.
Access the report HERE
Future of Policing 