Policy Text
FIELD TRAINING OFFICERS PROGRAM
EFFECTIVE DATE: 11/01/94 STANDARD NO. 022 REVISED: 11/05/18
REPLACES: SOP Field Training Officer Program 06-01.1-3 – Rev. 01/01/03; Rev. 01/06/16
OBJECTIVE: To establish guidelines for a comprehensive Field Training Officers Program
monitored and controlled by qualified trained personnel.
POLICY: It is the policy of the Homestead Police Department (HPD) to provide a
structured training program for the development of a police officer capable of
working as a solo officer in a safe, skillful, productive, and professional manner.
SCOPE: All employees of this Department shall be governed by the procedures listed
below.
I. DEFINITIONS:
A. Field Training Officers Program (FTOP) – a structured training program designed to train
and evaluate newly hired police officers. The Field Training Officers Program is herein
referred to as the FTOP.
B. Field Training Officer (FTO) – an experienced police officer responsible for the individual
training of a trainee in the FTOP. The Field Training Officer is herein referred to as FTO.
This program also provides training for newly hired police reserve officers structured by
six (6) four (4)-week phases.
C. Probationary Police Officer (PPO) – a full-time sworn police officer that is in a
probationary employment status for his/her initial 12 months of employment. The
Probationary Police Officer is herein referred to as PPO.
D. Field Training Supervisor (FTS) – an employee of the Uniform Patrol Division and is
responsible for administering the FTOP.
E. Police Officer Trainee (POT) – an employee assigned to the police academy to
participate in Basic Law Enforcement (BLE) training.
F. Police Reserve Officer (PRO) – an individual who possesses certification for a minimum
standards training and works a minimum of 16 hours per month as required by the PRO
Program.
G. Field Training Squad – a squad of assigned FTOs supervised by an FTS for effective
coordination in the training process.
II. PHILOSOPHY:
A. The FTOP is designed to develop PPO into competent, productive employees.
Field Training Officer Program – SOP# 022
B. The mission is to train and develop the employee into a proficient member of the
Department, capable of functioning as a single-officer unit, in the provision of services to
the community.
C. The FTOP is designed to ensure that each employee will attain a high level of skill and
conduct the business of HPD as a true professional.
D. The FTOP focuses on the reinforcement of basic skills learned in training and their
application to actual job situations. The integration of training and evaluation within the
FTOP results in a comprehensive assessment of the employee’s job performance by the
FTO and the FTS.
III. STRUCTURE:
A. The FTOP is administered by the Operations Section of the Police Department.
B. FTOs are responsible for the following:
1. Training a PPO Trainee.
a. A PPO trainee is any police officer receiving training through the FTOP,
including FTOs who may be given additional training as may be required
by the Operation Section of the Police Department or the Field Training
Officer Coordinator, through the FTOP. Any officer completing academy
training hired or rehired by the Department, will complete the FTOP as a
PPO Trainee.
C. The FTO is accountable to the shift supervisor for all operational functions.
D. The FTO is accountable to the FTO supervisor for instructional functions.
IV. FTOP OBJECTIVES:
A. To establish a valid appraisal system by providing a job-related, post-BLE evaluation of
PPO performance. The FTOP uses a standardized, systematic approach to document
and measure performance.
B. To validate the training process by providing on-the-job training.
C. To establish a program review procedure. The FTOP provides an appraisal system to
measure the effectiveness of the Department’s selection and training process. The
FTOP provides feedback on program strengths and weaknesses to all phases of the
process.