Going above and beyond: assessing the characteristics of officers who complete additional in-service training

Abstract

ABSTRACT As a result of recent controversial police-citizen encounters, both practitioners and scholars have become increasingly interested in officer training. Despite prior research having identified various potential benefits of in-service training programs, little is known about factors that might impact the likelihood that an officer will participate in additional in-service training beyond what is mandated of them. Utilizing survey data from close to 600 patrol officers employed at a large metropolitan police department, the current inquiry examines the relationship between officer characteristics and additional training completion. Results indicate that officers’ promotional aspirations, role orientation, length of tenure, working in a high crime area, and education levels all had significant positive relationships with their likelihood of participating in additional in-service training. This study closes with a discussion of the findings and their implications towards future research and police practice.