COPS Training Portal

An Introduction to SRO Programs is a training program that directly supports the mission of the National Association of School Resource Officers to provide the “highest quality of training to school-based law enforcement officers.” This program provides an overview of school-based law enforcement programs and illuminates the critical need for further SRO training.

An Introduction to SRO Programs highlights the unique roles and responsibilities of School Resource Officers (SROs), explores the benefits and challenges of SRO programs, including stakeholder concerns, and provides practical guidance on best practices that support effective use of SROs in our nation’s schools.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Association of School Resource Officers and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2018CWXK003 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

In the United States, schools provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 55 million children . Schools are expected to keep children safe every day, but during traumatic events, this objective becomes the primary focus of teachers, administrators, and school staff members. 

Reunification is the process of reuniting children with their parents or guardians after an emergency or disastrous event at their school. In these situations, a traditional student release process is unsafe and often lacks the necessary organization. According to the National Association of School Psychologists, the reunification of students with their primary caregivers is crucial for the reestablishment of social support after a traumatic event, and is often the only mental health crisis intervention needed . A reunification plan is part of a comprehensive emergency plan to ensure the safety of the whole school community. 

This training is designed to help educational stakeholders develop and implement a school reunification plan. Upon completion of this training, learners will be able to: 

• Identify emergency situations that require a reunification plan

• Define terminology associated with a reunification plan

• Define the purpose and components of a reunification plan

• Determine the purpose and components of a response map, and

• Identify the roles required in a reunification plan

Participants should expect to spend approximately 1 hour reviewing the content and resources in this course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WX-K007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Comprised of four modules, the course explores partnerships, problem solving and organizational transformation as they relate to specific issues and challenges facing today's law enforcement professionals and the communities they serve.  As such it is a valuable and appropriate training opportunity for a wide variety of law enforcement and public-safety professionals, ranging from new hires to experienced personnel, as well as community leaders, business owners and other community stakeholders.

Utilizing a blended learning approach, Community Policing Defined prompts users to actively navigate through the course's comprehensive content which includes on-screen text, graphics and narration. This design feature allows adult learners the flexibility to determine their own pace and sequence for completing the course.  Although Community Policing Defined requires a minimum of 4 hours of uninterrupted run-time, participants should expect to spend between 8 and 12 hours to complete the course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2009-RM-WX-K001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Related COPS Resources
Building Relationships of Trust: Moving to Implementation
Community Policing in the New Economy
Kalamazoo, Michigan: Using Community Policing to Create a "Wow" Department
Law Enforcement Spotlight: Mitakuye Oyasin (We are all related) - The Intersection of Cultural Beliefs and Community Policing with the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety
Rank and File: Leaders in Building Trust and Community
State Police and Community Policing
The COPS Office: 20 Years of Community Oriented Policing

Crime Reduction: Enforcement and Prevention Strategies is an interactive online course designed to provide participants with an overview of best practices for crime reduction, including guidelines for implementing an organizational model for crime reduction at all levels within a police department. The course offers useful strategies for problem solving in order to develop immediate, short-term, and long-term responses to crime within a community. The guidance provided in this course is not intended to be prescriptive; rather, it is designed to be adaptable and generally applicable to law enforcement practitioners.

Drug Identification: Depressants, Antidepressants and Inhalants is an interactive course in a series of Drug Identification training modules. This course discusses the current trends, side effects, and physiological conditions of commonly abused depressants, inhalants, sedatives, and anti-depressants. Key topics include: muscle relaxers, GHB, solvents, interactions with alcohol, and the growing use among younger populations.

Participants should expect to spend approximately 1 hour reviewing the content and resources in this course. This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WX-K007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

The Opioid Crisis in America is an interactive two-part course in a series of Drug Identification training modules. This course provides an overview of the chemical and legal classification of opioids and examines the national epidemic of opioid abuse. It provides key information and safety measures law enforcement and criminal justice providers should know when responding to opioid related events. Community response and other evidence-based practices are also discussed.

Participants should expect to spend approximately 2 hours reviewing the content and resources in this course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WX-K007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Ethical Decision Making: Policing with Principled Insight is a thought-provoking eLearn course that explores the practice of decision making and the ethical principles that support effective policing. In one of its most impactful and rewarding endeavors to date, VCPI partnered with the USDOJ, COPS Office to create the Ethical Decision Making: Policing with Principled Insight program. As part of this larger initiative, this course stresses that police ethics are not just an after-thought or a means of discouraging bad behavior. Instead, ethics are a controlling insight that inform and guide police practitioners from an internal, personal capacity.This innovative eLearn course invites participants to join a 2500 year-old conversation on ethical decision making while exploring realistic, modern day challenges faced by policing professionals.

Recognizing that for policing professionals, public trust, integrity, and liability hinge on each and every decision, this is crafted as a concise and relevant course addressing the realities of policing in the 21st century.  Designed with the practitioner in mind, Ethical Decision Making: Policing with Principled Insight includes on-screen text, videos, and narration in a user-friendly eLearn environment that allows participants to start, stop, and resume the training based on their schedules.  Although it requires a minimum of 2 hours of uninterrupted run-time, participants should expect to spend approximately 4 hours completing this dynamic and timely course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported Cooperative Agreement 2012-Ck-WX-K011 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

COPS Evaluation Brief No. 3: Creating a Culture of Integrity
Crime Prevention Research Review No. 10: Legitimacy in Policing
Racial Reconciliation, Truth-Telling, and Police Legitimacy
"That's Not Fair!" Policing and Perceptions of Fairness
The Case for Procedural Justice: Fairness as a Crime Prevention Tool
The State of Policing in the United States, Volume 1

New Perspectives on Community Policing is a free, web-based training course that provides an overview of the dramatic shifts and challenges faced by law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. It offers problem-solving tools, examples of successful police and community partnerships, and numerous community-policing resources.

New Perspectives on Community Policing has been developed as a modular online training that will require an absolute minimum of 4 hours to complete. However its technology-enhanced design allows participants to start, stop, and resume the training based on their schedules and the demands of the day. Flexible, interactive, and relevant, the course offers participants an outstanding opportunity to gain new insights on community policing and its role in today's complex world.  It is ideal for all law enforcement and criminal justice professionals, as well as any community-policing stakeholders.

This tuition-free online training was a joint partnership between the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and the Western Community Policing Institute (WCPI), and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2008-CK-WX-K003 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Related COPS Resources

Answering the Call to Mentor: 21st Century Policing through Youth Engagement
Engaging Police in Immigrant Communities
Police Perspectives: Building Trust in a Diverse Nation - No. 1. How to Increase Cultural Understanding
Police Perspectives: Building Trust in a Diverse Nation - No. 2. How to Serve Diverse Communities
Recommendations on Advancing Community Policing in the Pasco Police Department

Course Time: Approximately 30 to 45 minutes including the pre and post tests.

Course Description: This course describes how postnatal exposure to an environment where there is substance use and drug activity affects Drug Endangered Children (DEC) throughout their childhood and entire life. You will be able to recognize when a child is impacted and intervene as early as possible to maximize the child’s potential outcomes. This course also explains how to use promising practices and DEC Protocols to sustain ongoing change and improve DEC outcomes.

Target Audience: Law enforcement, child welfare, medical, legal, education and first responders.

For more information on Drug Endangered Children, please contact National DEC

Problem-Oriented Policing: The SARA Model delivers a comprehensive, blended-learning training program designed to provide participants with an overview and broad familiarization with key concepts and principles of one approach to problem-oriented policing in the 21^st century.

Participants should expect to spend approximately 2-4 hours exploring the content and resources in this course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

This course is ideal for all law enforcement and criminal justice professionals, as well as any community-policing stakeholders.

Crime Analysis for Problem Solvers in 60 Small Steps
Enhancing the Problem-Solving Capacity of Crime Analysis Units
Implementing Responses to Problems
Rank and File: Reflections on Emerging Issues in Law Enforcement
Using Analysis for Problem-Solving: A Guide Book for Law Enforcement
Using Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design in Problem Solving

Course Time: Approximately 30 to 45 minutes including the pre and post tests.

Course Description: This course describes the long-term impact and needs of Drug Endangered Children (DEC) throughout their childhood and into their adulthood.  You will learn how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) such as growing up in households where substance use and drug activity are present impacts children long-term including cognitive deficits, emotional risks, high-risk behavior, and health problems.  The course also addresses the importance of early intervention and building resilience that can change the trajectory of a child’s life and help to break the multigenerational cycle of substance abuse.

Target Audience: Law enforcement, child welfare, medical, legal, education and first responders.

For more information on Drug Endangered Children, please contact National DEC

Course Overview: Campus Safety Training Program: Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS) for School Personnel, an eLearning course, provides an overview of the ICS as it relates to campus safety. While identifying the specific roles within an ICS and related terminology, the course also explores how the ICS roles work together during a critical incident.

The ICS operates as a response method that determines the role of everyone responding to a crisis and defines a shared vocabulary and shared expectations of behavior. Agencies and first responders that provide assistance during a school emergency all use ICS during a crisis. School staff and safety teams must understand and be comfortable using the ICS shared vocabulary when interacting with first responders during a crisis. Additionally, utilizing the shared vocabulary during the planning phases of critical incident response assists in building trust and collaboration between diverse organizations.

In the United States, schools provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 55 million children. To protect these school communities in the event of an emergency, school districts and administrators need to work with local government, law enforcement, and community emergency response agencies in advance of any potential emergencies.

This interactive course assists educational stakeholders in understanding the roles within an ICS and how to develop an ICS for their school.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify specific roles within the Incident Command System (ICS)
• Define terminology associated with the ICS
• Explain how the ICS roles work together during a critical incident event

Target Audience: School personnel, law enforcement, school resource officers, and campus safety professionals.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 30 minutes including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-344
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: P5 - Preventing Problems by Promoting Positive Practices, an eLearning course, advances community policing by further enhancing positive police interactions with students and school personnel in school environments. Learners utilize the SARA model, a problem-solving method of community policing, to improve the elements of a positive school climate: physical and learning environments, relationships, engagement, safety, and discipline. Topics cover implicit biases, adolescent behavior, effective discipline, and much more.

School Resource Officers (SROs) are essential to achieving safer schools. The P5 course provides professional development for school-based law enforcement officers (school resource officers, school police officers, school safety directors, and school security officers) and their education counterparts. The course creates a shared language of concepts to improve communication, role clarity, and realign expectations.

Research-based and practice-informed strategies are explored throughout the course. These topics include how to manage implicit biases, respond to youth behavior, and address the physical environment to target crime and wellness.  Learners focus on steps to implement fair and equitable discipline, restore relationships after conflict, and solve school problems collaboratively, all with the goal to create a safer school using community policing.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the benefits of creating a positive school climate
• Explain the four basic elements of a positive school climate
• Explain the Preventing Problems by Promoting Positive Practices (P5) framework

Target Audience: School-based law enforcement officers (school resource officers, school police officers, school safety directors, and school security officers) and their education counterparts.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by Xero Associates Inc. and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2015-CK-WXK-015 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-340
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: An Introduction to SRO Programs, an eLearning course, directly supports the mission of the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) to provide the “highest quality of training to school-based law enforcement officers.” This course provides an overview of school-based law enforcement programs and illuminates the critical need for further SRO training.

Highlighting the unique roles and responsibilities of School Resource Officers (SROs), the training explores the benefits and challenges of SRO programs, including stakeholder concerns, and provides practical guidance on best practices that support effective use of SROs in our nation’s schools. Learners examine the three essential components of an effective SRO program, as well as discover the importance of training as a key aspect of a successful school-based law enforcement program. A diverse audience of community stakeholders involved in or seeking to be a part of school safety efforts may benefit from this course.

Learning Objectives:

• Define school resource officer
• Differentiate a School Resource Officer from a school security guard
• Review the history of school-based law enforcement programs
• Examine data related to crime in schools
• Describe the mission and goals of NASRO
• Define the triad concept of school-based policing
• Identify four different roles of a School Resource Officer in an educational setting
• Describe the responsibilities associated with each School Resource Officer role in a school-based policing program
• Apply knowledge of School Resource Officer roles and responsibilities to a scenario-based assessment
• Describe positive outcomes of partnerships between public safety organizations and schools
• Explore stakeholder concerns surrounding the presence of law enforcement in schools
• Identify recommendations for addressing concerns about law enforcement in schools
• Reflect on complex issues and how they impact the role of a School Resource Officer
• Explore collaborative best practices
• Apply knowledge of School Resource Officer roles and responsibilities to a scenario-based assessment.
• Identify the three essential components of an effective School Resource Officer program, as stated by NASRO
• Describe the purpose and importance of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
• Explain the importance of training as a key aspect of a successful school-based law enforcement program
• Explore key recommendations for the selection and training of School Resource Officers
• Apply knowledge of best practices to a scenario-based assessment
• Describe the purpose of the NASRO Standards and Best Practices
• Summarize the benefits of adopting the NASRO Standards and Best Practices
• Summarize the training offerings of the NASRO

Target Audience: School resource officers, school resource officer supervisors, school administrators, parents, and community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2018-CK-WXK-003 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 3 hours including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-331
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Community Policing Defined, an eLearning course, provides learners with a basic awareness and understanding of the fundamental principles and best practices of community policing. This course examines practical problem-solving methodologies and applies best practices of community policing.

Comprised of four modules, the topics explore partnerships, problem solving, and organizational transformation as they relate to specific issues and challenges facing today's law enforcement professionals and the communities they serve. Based on the Department of Justice, COPS Office publication of the same name, Community Policing Defined not only describes the practice of community policing, but also examines how it can be effectively applied.

Through this course, learners examine the interconnectedness of Problem-Oriented Policing, the SARA model, and the Crime Triangle.

Learning Objectives:

• Define community policing
• Describe the fundamental principles of community policing
• Examine practical problem-solving methodologies, including the SARA model
• Interpret best practices of community policing
• Identify examples of ways in which a law enforcement agency can interact, partner, and work closely with members of the community in order to achieve a high level of community satisfaction and agency success
• Examine the tangible means by which to build or improve the relationship between their law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve
• Define collaborative partnerships utilized in community policing
• Examine the importance of developing and maintaining long-term positive relationships with the community
• Identify examples of effective collaborative partnerships
• Define the organizational transformation component of community policing
• Demonstrate relevance of organizational transformation to building partnerships and practicing problem solving
• Examine organizational transformation in terms of culture, structures, and function
• Consider the value of leadership and training as a catalyst for organizational transformation
• Define the problem solving component of community policing
• Explore Problem-Oriented Policing and its role in effective problem solving
• Consider the problem solving processes and methodologies of the SARA model
• Consider the role of the Crime Triangle (Problem Analysis Triangle) as a complementary tool to the SARA model

Target Audience: Law enforcement, public safety professionals, community leaders, business owners, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2009-RM-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 4 hours including the pre-test and post-test. 

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-322
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

NOTE: This is a free resource, NOT an eLearning course. There is no pretest or posttest, and you will not receive a certificate of completion for reviewing this resource.

Resource Overview: Evaluation of the Homeless Outreach Service Team (HOST) Program, an interactive publication, provides a summary of an evaluation that was conducted on the Salt Lake City (Utah) Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Service Team (HOST) program. The report, which evaluates the three primary components of the HOST program—donations to homeless service providers, the homeless support group, and collaborative street outreach, is a valuable resource for anyone interested in homeless outreach efforts.

The Homeless Outreach Service Team (HOST) program was developed to bring Salt Lake City (Utah) police and community outreach workers together to identify homeless individuals and connect them to community resources. The objectives were to encourage police to make referrals to services rather than issue citations and to decrease panhandling by encouraging the public to give money to homeless service providers instead.

In 2012, the Salt Lake City Police Department received an award from the COPS Office to expand the HOST program to fund a public awareness campaign, coordinate strategic planning efforts, and train homeless individuals to assist with outreach efforts. Salt Lake City contracted with the Utah Criminal Justice Center to examine the impact of the award on the program's services and personnel. This report evaluates three primary components of the program: donations to homeless service providers, the homeless support group, and collaborative street outreach.

Target Audience: All community stakeholders interested in homeless outreach efforts

Authors: Erin B. Worwood, MCJ; Jessica Seawright, BSW; Robert P. Butters, PhD

Original Publication: October 5, 2016

Cooperative Partners: This interactive report is based on the 2016 written publication of the same name, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). This online version was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was supported by cooperative agreement 2018-CK-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

NOTE: This is a free resource, NOT an eLearning course. There is no pretest or posttest, and you will not receive a certificate of completion for reviewing this resource.

Resource Overview: Police & Dog Encounters: Tactical Strategies and Effective Tools to Keep Our Communities Safe and Humane, a 5-part video series, is the product of a collaborative partnership between the National Canine Research Council, Safe Humane Chicago and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). These roll call videos, along with the companion publication The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and Encounters, examine tools, practices, and procedures that contribute to effective responses to dog-related incidents and encounters where dogs are present.

The video series helps develop skills for law enforcement in effective strategies in assessing a dog’s environment; what dog posture, vocalization, and facial expressions mean; options for distracting and escaping from a dog; defensive options in dealing with a dog; asking the right questions in dog investigations; and effective gathering of dog evidence and report writing. The primary goals include ensuring public and officer safety and considering community needs and demands. 

Each video in the series is available in English and Spanish and may be accessed via the COPS Training Portal in two ways: played directly through your logged-in COPS Training Portal user account; and/or downloaded, saved and played offline, directly from your device. 

Target Audience: Sworn law enforcement officers of all ranks and positions.

NOTE: This is a free resource, NOT an eLearning course. There is no pretest or posttest, and you will not receive a certificate of completion for reviewing this resource.

Resource Overview: Procedural Justice: Roll Call Training for Law Enforcement, a 5-part video series and accompanying Presenter’s Guide, was developed to reinforce internal and external procedural justice concepts. The series engages learners in the following concepts: Police Legitimacy and the Community Bank Account, Building Police Legitimacy in the Eyes of the Community, Dangerous Foot Pursuit: Officer Safety, Community Complaint: Demonstrating Respect, and Day Off Request: Internal Policy Implementation.

This roll call series should – over a period of time – reinforce the broader awareness of procedural justice and its core principles and affirm the importance of utilizing procedural justice as a means of increasing police legitimacy with the public as well as organizational legitimacy with employees. The videos reinforce how enhancing the public’s perception of police legitimacy increases voluntary community compliance and community support, which may as a result, improve officer and community safety. While impactful, the roll call training should not be a substitute for in-depth internal or external, front-line, supervisor, executive level, civilian staff or community procedural justice training.

Each scenario/video in the series may be accessed via the COPS Training Portal in two ways: played directly through your logged-in COPS Training Portal user account, and/or downloaded, saved and played offline, directly from your device. Each scenario is meant to be used in a separate roll call training; each roll call training is designed to be approximately 20 minutes in duration. The material is relevant to sworn law enforcement personnel at all organizational levels and could be creatively used as prompts for community dialogues.

Target Audience: Sworn law enforcement personnel at all organizational levels and front-line officers who have participated in procedural justice training; preferably the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services approved Procedural Justice for Law Enforcement: Organizational Change through Decision Making and Policy and Procedural Justice for Law Enforcement Front-line Officers.

Cooperative Partners: This 5-part video series was developed by the Center for Public Safety and Justice (CPSJ) at the University of Illinois - Chicago and was supported by cooperative agreement 2012-CK-WXK-005 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Overview: The Call: Serving Those with Behavioral and Cognitive Disabilities, an eLearning course designed as a video-based simulation, provides learners with an opportunity to assume the roles of three different law enforcement officers in an interactive movie, make decisions for these officers, and experience the consequences of their choices. The course trains officers on best practices for the recognition and response to incidents involving civilians with mental illness. Topics include properly assessing the situation, effective communication techniques, active listening, de-escalation, and crisis intervention.

This course continues the advancement of community policing by further enhancing mental illness training for law enforcement professionals through eLearning. The choose-your-own-journey approach of this course allows learners to assume the role of playable characters in an interactive simulation. Playing as three different officers in three different scenarios, learners experience in real time the feeling of responding to calls involving individuals with cognitive or behavioral conditions that may cause impairment. Each module (Introduction, Knowing the Signs, and Crisis Intervention) challenges learners to make quick decisions in response to the situations unfolding in front of them. Learners then experience the consequences of their choices. This course provides all law enforcement professionals, from new officers to seasoned veterans, best practice recommendations from leading experts in the field of mental health awareness and response.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain considerations that officers make when responding to individuals with mental health or cognitive and emotional impairments
• Identify on-scene responses when an individual in crisis does not have a support system
• Identify basic principles that apply to any call, including those involving mental illness or I/DDs
• Identify if mental health is a driver of a call - taking the extra moment to gain any insight into the subject's mental state could be critical
• Explain how communication with a subject may be the best tactical tool to increase safety
• Apply crisis intervention strategies with active listening skills

Target Audience: Law enforcement personnel.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by WILL Interactive and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2018-CK-WXK-011 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-347
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov .

Course Overview: Crime Reduction: Enforcement and Prevention Strategies, an eLearning course, offers current guidance on effective enforcement and policing strategies aimed at crime reduction. The course also explores the application of crime prevention as a means of actively interdicting and preventing crime in our nation’s communities.

To help connect principles to practice, this course highlights crime reduction initiatives undertaken by law enforcement agencies around the country, demonstrating how policing strategies can be applied in varying contexts. Through video interviews and case studies, each module presents real-world examples to illustrate the strategies presented in the course. The course benefits law enforcement personnel of all assignments, representing agencies of all sizes and demographics, who play a role in crime reduction. Non-law enforcement community stakeholders may use this content to enhance their awareness of crime reduction efforts.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify challenges associated with crime reduction
• Identify ways in which police organizational structures contribute to crime reduction efforts
• Distinguish between immediate, short-term, and long-term strategies to reduce crime
• Recognize the stages of the SARA model
• Distinguish between types of crime patterns
• Apply the problem analysis triangle to an authentic crime scenario
• Analyze responses to crime patterns
• Identify situational crime prevention techniques to address a long-term crime problem scenario
• Analyze offender-focused strategies used as part of a focused-deterrence approach to crime reduction
• Identify community-oriented strategies to reduce crime through a proactive, preventive approach

Target Audience: Law enforcement personnel and non-law enforcement community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Course Length: 4 hours including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-335
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Drug Identification and Recognition: Depressants, Antidepressants and Inhalants, an eLearning course in a series of Drug Identification modules, explores commonly abused depressants, sedatives, antidepressants, and inhalants. The other courses in this series include Stimulants, The Opioid Crisis in America, Hallucinogens, and Dissociative Anesthetics.

As reported by the US Surgeon General in 2015, 1.5 million Americans aged 12 or older reported misusing sedatives in the past year. Furthermore, 6.1 million individuals reported misusing tranquilizers such as Xanax®. Especially concerning, many of these individuals mix sedatives and/or tranquilizers with alcohol, a depressant in its own right. This risky behavior increases the potential for overdose which can occur when critical areas in the brain that control breathing, heart rate, and body temperature stop functioning.

The learning modules explore current trends relating to these substances, examine side effects and symptoms of abuse, discuss the synergistic effects of depressants mixed with alcohol, and review common and household items used for inhalant properties. Key topics in this course include muscle relaxers, GHB, solvents, interactions with alcohol, and the growing use among younger populations.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify commonly abused depressants, sedatives, antidepressants, and inhalants
• Discuss the current trends relating to these substances
• Summarize the side effects and/or symptoms of abuse for depressants, antidepressants, sedatives, and inhalants
• Describe the synergistic effect that occurs when depressants are mixed with alcohol
• Identify the household and other common items that are used for their inhalant properties

Target Audience: Law enforcement, criminal justice professionals, service providers, corrections professionals, court system personnel, social workers, behavioral health/treatment providers, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-332
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Drug Identification and Recognition: The Opioid Crisis in America, a two-part eLearning course in a series of Drug Identification modules, provides an overview of the chemical and legal classification of opioids and examines the national epidemic of opioid abuse. The other courses in this series include Depressants, Antidepressants, and Inhalants, Stimulants, Hallucinogens, and Dissociative Anesthetics.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, every day in America, 116 people die from an opioid overdose. Part one of this course, “The Opioid Crisis in America: Overview”, discusses the differences between opiates and opioids; identifies uses of opioids, examines the overall national opioid epidemic, and describes the societal impacts of opioid abuse. Part two, “The Opioid Crisis in America: Opioid Drugs and Responses” reviews the most commonly abused prescription opioid drugs, differentiates between physical manifestations of synthetic opioids in comparison to other opioids, examines common methods of opioid injection and common paraphernalia used for ingestion, and reviews medications to reduce opioid dependence.

The modules provide key information and safety measures law enforcement and criminal justice providers should know when responding to opioid related events and examine community response and other evidence-based practices.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the difference between opiates and opioids
• Identify uses of opioids
• Examine the overall national opioid epidemic
• Describe the societal impacts of opioid abuse
• Identify the most commonly abused prescription opioid drugs
• Differentiate between physical manifestations of synthetic opioids in comparison to other opioids
• Examine common methods of opioid injection and common paraphernalia used for ingestion
• Identify medications to reduce opioid dependence

Target Audience: Law enforcement, criminal justice professionals, service providers, corrections professionals, court system personnel, social workers, behavioral health/treatment providers, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-333
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Drug Identification and Recognition: Hallucinogens, an eLearning course in a series of Drug Identification modules, examines various types of commonly abused hallucinogens and current trends relating to these substances. The other courses in this series include The Opioid Crisis in America; Stimulants, Depressants, Antidepressants and Inhalants, and Dissociative Anesthetics.

In 2018, 5.2 million Americans aged 12 or older acknowledged misusing hallucinogens the previous year. While the number of total Americans misusing hallucinogens since that time has remained relatively flat, disturbing new trends are developing - increased use by high-school aged students and young adults and the emergence of designer drugs.

This module helps law enforcement officers and other criminal justice professionals employ the appropriate actions and safety measures when responding to illicit drug-related events. This course focuses on how a user’s emotional state can influence the hallucinogen’s effects.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify commonly abused hallucinogens
• Summarize current trends related to hallucinogens
• Describe common effects of hallucinogens on the body
• Explain how a user’s current emotional state can influence the hallucinogen’s effects

Target Audience: Law enforcement, criminal justice professionals, service providers, corrections professionals, court system personnel, social workers, behavioral health/treatment providers, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Course Length: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-343
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Prenatal Substance Exposure - Why Should I Care, an eLearning course, demonstrates the dangers of prenatal substance exposure for drug endangered children (DEC) throughout their lives and provides action steps that stakeholders can take to respond to the needs of drug endangered children. Additional courses provided by DEC include, Drug Endangered Children Overview, Postnatal Risks - How You Can Make a Difference, and You Can Change the Long-Term Outcomes of Drug Endangered Children.

Prenatal substance exposure has the potential to cause a variety of physical and developmental challenges for drug endangered children throughout their lives. The content outlines the part individuals play in identifying children who are at risk, how to begin the earliest possible intervention while in utero, and understanding one’s ability to change the trajectory of the child's life. Intervention begins by starting a conversation using interviewing techniques and providing resources and sharing information with community partners. For more information on drug endangered children, please contact National DEC National DEC at https://nationaldec.org.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the effects of maternal substance use or exposure to drug activity during pregnancy
• Recognize the importance of early identification and intervention in changing the trajectory of a child’s life and breaking the intergenerational cycle of abuse
• Select appropriate techniques to engage in conversation with prenatal subjects
• Provide prenatal subjects with information about resources available to them in their community
• Recognize the essential elements required for a multidisciplinary collaborative response to meet the needs of drug endangered children
• Choose appropriate next steps to take after completing this module

Target Audience: Law enforcement, first responders, and child welfare, medical, legal, and education professionals.

Course Length: 45 minutes including the pre-test and post-test.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (National DEC) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-008 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-338
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Ethical Considerations for Asset Forfeiture, an eLearning course, outlines best practices concerning asset forfeiture, an important and vital law enforcement tool.  In addition to outlining the three criticisms of forfeiture: corruption, fairness, and a lack of accountability, the course explores the numerous ways that asset forfeiture fulfills the mission of law enforcement. State and local law enforcement survey best practices to cooperate with their federal law enforcement counterparts to ensure a successful and proper seizure and forfeiture of assets.

Asset forfeiture helps strengthen cases, weaken or dismantle criminal enterprises, and return assets to victims of crimes. Like all tools, law enforcement and prosecuting authorities must use asset forfeiture appropriately. Misusing asset forfeiture laws and ignoring asset forfeiture policies can have serious implications. The modules focus on ensuring a command of when and how to properly seize assets for federal forfeiture to protect the rights of the public while also protecting the case and the officer.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify some of the numerous ways that asset forfeiture fulfills the mission of law enforcement
• Discuss three criticisms of forfeiture: corruption, fairness, and a lack of accountability
• Identify best practices when considering the seizure of assets
• Explain how state and local law enforcement can cooperate with their federal law enforcement counterparts to ensure a successful and proper seizure and forfeiture of assets

Target Audience: Federal, state, and local law enforcement.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Program Management and Training Unit of the Department of Justice, Money Laundering Asset Recovery Section (MLARS).

Course Length: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-342
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Introduction to Public Safety De-escalation Tactics for Military Veterans in Crisis, an eLearning course, provides law enforcement with key signs that a veteran faces significant mental health challenges connected to military service and demonstrates proven tactics that can be used when responding to affected veterans.

The prevalence of “invisible wounds” grows among the veteran population. One in five veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depression, but only half of those who need treatment seek medical help. Serious mental health challenges connected to military service such as depression, PTSD, and anxiety have direct ties to substance abuse and homelessness, taking a heavy toll on those who have served. Often, law enforcement responds to calls for veterans in crisis as they face significant challenges of reintegration into civilian society.

This course enhances the skills and capabilities of law enforcement officers and relevant first responders when encountering critical incidents involving veterans who may be in crisis. It intends to improve officer safety by providing learners with an understanding of PTSD and other challenging factors for veterans, proven verbal de-escalation techniques, and references to resources available to veterans to cope.

The main topics include recognizable signs that a person is a veteran, the multitude of factors that may be impacting a veteran’s ability to reintegrate into their communities, and multiple verbal de-escalation tactics to be used in crisis encounters with veterans to defuse potentially violent situations.

Warning: This course contains images, videos, and sounds that may be disturbing. Learner discretion is advised.

Learning Objectives:

• Define veterans
• Identify wartime stressors that active military experience
• Describe the effect of multiple deployments on veterans
• Identify how exposure to wartime conditions may result in long-term psychological problems
• Explain the impact of sustained operations overseas and how veterans may react with heightened tension to domestic situations
• Recognize the need for proper public safety/law enforcement intervention
• Define Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Identify common mental health manifestations of PTSD
• Recognize the stigma attached to EDPs and those diagnosed with PTSD
• Identify safety issues associated with PTSD and EDPs
• Identify ways to assess the behavior of veterans in crisis when responding to a call
• Describe de-escalation tactics when encountering veterans in crisis situations
• Describe EDP response principles
• Identify response principles that have proven to be successful for veterans in crisis
• Utilize activities and demonstrate successful response strategies
• Identify how to access resources available to veterans and their families
• Identify types of technologies that may assist returning veterans with reintegration

Target Audience: Law enforcement practitioners and first responders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC), an agency of the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2018-CK-WXK-010 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 2 hours including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-337
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov .

Course Overview: Supporting Your Mission: An Introduction to the Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Near Miss Reporting System, an eLearning course, provides learners with a basic awareness and understanding of the LEO Near Miss reporting system funded by the United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and managed by the National Policing Institute. This web-based reporting system allows law enforcement officers a means to anonymously share their personal experiences surviving near miss events so that other officers may apply the lessons learned when facing similar situations.

In this introductory course, learners explore the impact and importance of near miss reporting and discover ways in which both individual law enforcement officers and entire organizations can use the system to help ensure their safety, and the safety of fellow officers. The course features video interviews with law enforcement practitioners currently engaged in near miss reporting, as well as examples of the types of near miss reports published by the National Policing Institute. The modules provide an overview of the purpose, features and benefits of using the system, accessible via the website LEOnearmiss.org.

Learning Objectives:

• Define the concept of a near miss in law enforcement
• Identify at least two benefits of near miss reporting in law enforcement
• Identify at least one way to become involved with LEO Near Miss
• Explore officer safety resources available at LEOnearmiss.org
• Explain the purpose of LEO Near Miss
• Identify at least two features of LEO Near Miss
• Identify how information is processed by the National Police Foundation once a near miss experience/event is submitted to LEOnearmiss.org 

Target Audience: Law enforcement personnel.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2018-CK-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-348
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Although the past several decades have seen a steady decrease in violent crime statistics, homicides and violent crimes continue to have a devastating impact on many of our nation's communities. With long-term social implications and staggering economic consequences, even minimal levels of violent crime diminish the quality of life in affected communities. In response, homicide and violent crime reduction (HVR) remains a top priority for police agencies throughout the nation. The challenge is addressing violent crime with effective interventions and countermeasures. Instead of guessing or speculating on which HVR strategies work best, many agencies are turning to evidence-based policing practices (EBPP) to address the unique needs of the communities they serve.

Applied Evidence-Based Policing Practices: Homicide and Violent Crime Reduction is designed as a rapid eLearn course that provides an overview of the concept of evidence-based policing and examples of practices that have been shown to reduce homicides and violent crime. Crafted with all levels of police practitioners in mind, this course bridges the gap between research and practice. 

On-screen text, videos and narration in a user-friendly eLearn environment allows participants to start, stop and resume the training based on their schedules. Participants should expect to spend approximately 2 - 4 hours exploring the resources provided in this dynamic and timely course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2015-CK-WX-K022 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Audience:

This course is ideal for law enforcement managers and decision makers, including but not limited to agency heads, directors, command staff, managers, and supervisors in agencies of all sizes. However, the content is also applicable to all law enforcement and criminal justice professionals, as well as any community-policing stakeholders.

How Tribes can "TAP" into Critical Crime Data: COPS Funding in Action
Intelligence-Led Community Policing, Community Prosecution, and Community Partnerships
Las Vegas After-Action Assessment: Lessons Learned from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Ambush Incident
Managing the Group Violence Intervention: Using Shooting Scorecards to Track Group Violence
The Integration of Crime Analysis into Patrol Work: A Guidebook
U.S. Attorney General's Summit on Violent Crime: Summary of Key Factors, Promising Strategies and Additional Steps

Changing Perceptions is a video-based simulation in which learners assume the roles of three different law enforcement officers in an interactive movie, make decisions for these officers and experience the consequences of their choices.  The program trains officers on the effect of implicit bias and gives them the information and skills they need to reduce and manage their biases. Additionally, by allowing officers to experience the same encounter from two perspectives (officer and possible suspect) simultaneously, this program provides officers an insight into the biases that some members of the community may harbor toward police and why those biases exist.

The primary aim of this simulation-based program is to define implicit bias, and to dramatize through interactive scenarios that policing based on bias can be unsafe, ineffective, and unjust. The opening video will serve as an introduction to the concept of implicit bias, while the three modules will focus separately on safe, effective, and just policing decisions and behavior.

The learning objectives are:

• Recognize that bias is a normal human attribute—even well-intentioned people have bias
• Articulate the fundamental concepts of the science of human bias
• Describe how unconscious or implicit bias works in the human mind
• Describe the potential impact of bias on officers’ perceptions and behavior
• Articulate the impact biased policing has on community members
• Articulate the impact of biased policing on their law enforcement organizations
• Apply skills for reducing their biases
• Analyze their options with a fair and impartial policing lens

This 3 module course takes an average of 1 hour to complete and the intended audience is law enforcement personnel.

This tuition-free online training was developed by WILL Interactive and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2016-CK-WX-K015 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Related COPS Resources

Fair and Impartial Policing

Course Time: Approximately 30 to 45 minutes including the pre and post tests.

Course Description: In the United states, an estimated 9 million children are at risk because they live in homes where a parent or other adult misuses drugs or alcohol. This course is designed to help law enforcement officers and other professionals develop awareness of the potential impact of using a multidisciplinary approach to meet the needs of Drug Endangered Children. Explore how we can all work together to improve the lives of drug-endangered children.

Target Audience: Law enforcement, child welfare, medical, legal, education and first responders.

For more information on Drug Endangered Children, please contact National DEC

Ethical Decision Making: Policing with Principled Insight is a thought-provoking eLearn course that explores the practice of decision making and the ethical principles that support effective policing. In one of its most impactful and rewarding endeavors to date, VCPI partnered with the USDOJ, COPS Office to create the Ethical Decision Making: Policing with Principled Insight program. As part of this larger initiative, this course stresses that police ethics are not just an after-thought or a means of discouraging bad behavior. Instead, ethics are a controlling insight that inform and guide police practitioners from an internal, personal capacity.This innovative eLearn course invites participants to join a 2500 year-old conversation on ethical decision making while exploring realistic, modern day challenges faced by policing professionals.

Recognizing that for policing professionals, public trust, integrity, and liability hinge on each and every decision, this is crafted as a concise and relevant course addressing the realities of policing in the 21st century.  Designed with the practitioner in mind, Ethical Decision Making: Policing with Principled Insight includes on-screen text, videos, and narration in a user-friendly eLearn environment that allows participants to start, stop, and resume the training based on their schedules.  Although it requires a minimum of 2 hours of uninterrupted run-time, participants should expect to spend approximately 4 hours completing this dynamic and timely course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported Cooperative Agreement 2012-Ck-WX-K011 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

COPS Evaluation Brief No. 3: Creating a Culture of Integrity
Crime Prevention Research Review No. 10: Legitimacy in Policing
Racial Reconciliation, Truth-Telling, and Police Legitimacy
"That's Not Fair!" Policing and Perceptions of Fairness
The Case for Procedural Justice: Fairness as a Crime Prevention Tool
The State of Policing in the United States, Volume 1

School Resource Officers (SROs) are essential to achieve safer schools.  SROs and school administrators need training on school climate: school physical and learning environments, relationships, engagement, and safety.  

Preventing Problems by Promoting Positive Practices (P5) is an interactive online course designed to provide participants with an innovative school climate model and school climate enhancement practices.  The course covers hot topics on:

• Environmental design, focused on crime prevention and wellness promotion
• Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) 
• Adolescent brain and behavioral development 
• Implicit bias and microaggressions
• Differentiated responding to discipline for SROs vs. school administrators 

 The course uses interactive quizzes, matching activities, and an action plan process to actualize school climate change.  

Related Resources

Community Oriented Policing Services. "Community Partnerships."

Center for Problem-Oriented Policing

Course Time: Approximately 30 to 45 minutes including the pre and post tests.

Course Description: This course describes how postnatal exposure to an environment where there is substance use and drug activity affects Drug Endangered Children (DEC) throughout their childhood and entire life. You will be able to recognize when a child is impacted and intervene as early as possible to maximize the child’s potential outcomes. This course also explains how to use promising practices and DEC Protocols to sustain ongoing change and improve DEC outcomes.

Target Audience: Law enforcement, child welfare, medical, legal, education and first responders.

For more information on Drug Endangered Children, please contact National DEC

Problem-Oriented Policing: The SARA Model delivers a comprehensive, blended-learning training program designed to provide participants with an overview and broad familiarization with key concepts and principles of one approach to problem-oriented policing in the 21^st century.

Participants should expect to spend approximately 2-4 hours exploring the content and resources in this course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

This course is ideal for all law enforcement and criminal justice professionals, as well as any community-policing stakeholders.

Crime Analysis for Problem Solvers in 60 Small Steps
Enhancing the Problem-Solving Capacity of Crime Analysis Units
Implementing Responses to Problems
Rank and File: Reflections on Emerging Issues in Law Enforcement
Using Analysis for Problem-Solving: A Guide Book for Law Enforcement
Using Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design in Problem Solving

Important Notice: This course will be removed from our system at midnight on June 30, 2020. In order to receive a certificate of completion, all course modules and activities must be completed before this deadline. A new training opportunity on this subject matter is in development and will be available soon. Register for an account and sign up for email updates in order to receive a notification when this new content is available. 

Tactical Community Policing for Homeland Security focuses on strengthening the capacity of law enforcement agencies to implement an all-crimes approach, based on community policing principles. The fundamental premise is that terrorism and community policing are both philosophical approaches aimed at influencing civilian populations. Whereas terrorism seeks to inspire fear and coerce civilian populations into submission, community policing aims to preserve order, diminish fear, and build resilience.

Throughout this eLearn course, participants explore the following topics:

• Community Partnerships
• Practical Problem Solving Strategies
• Proactive Prevention, Intervention and Interdiction Strategies
• Values Based Policing in the Climate of Terrorism
• The Process of Intelligence Development

This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2013-CK-WX-K010 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Audience: 

This course is ideal for all law enforcement and criminal justice professionals, as well as any community-policing stakeholders.

Building Interdisciplinary Partnerships to Prevent Violent Extremism
Building Stronger, Safer Communities
Engaging Police in Immigrant Communities
Enhancing Community Policing with Immigrant Populations
Innovators 2013: Reducing Crime by Increasing Trust in an Immigrant Community
Uniting Communities Post-9/11: Tactics for Cultivating Community Policing Partnerships with Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslin, and South Asian Communities
Waking in Oak Creek: A Guide for Law Enforcement

Course Overview: Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) Refresher, an eLearning course, reinforces key concepts that law enforcement officers apply to observe, identify, and articulate the signs of impairment related to drugs, alcohol, or a combination of both to reduce the number of impaired driving incidents, serious injury, and fatal crashes. The guidance provided in this course is not intended to be prescriptive; rather, it is designed to be adaptable and generally applicable to law enforcement practitioners who serve in varied communities. 

This course supports law enforcement practitioners in their efforts to effectively assess impaired drivers at roadside. As a refresher, the course reinforces the key concepts presented in the full, 16-hour, instructor-led ARIDE course. The design of course content supports officers in the enforcement of DWI (Driving While Impaired) offenses, especially those that may involve drug impairment. This training enhances learners' understanding of the role of the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) and facilitates better utilization of DREs in the field. For those communities with no DREs or limited access to their services, this course helps officers make informed decisions related to testing and documentation of drug-impaired driving cases. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Define and describe impaired driving enforcement training programs
• Understand the roles and responsibilities of the Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) and how this course supports the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program
• Describe the purpose and proper administration of eye examinations and additional impairment tests, including Lack of Convergence (LOC), Modified Romberg Balance (MRB), and Finger-to-Nose (FTN)
• Describe the general effects of drugs from each of the seven drug categories
• Articulate possible effects of polydrug use related to the general indicators of alcohol and drugs
• List signs which may emerge during the DWI detection process indicating the subject is under the influence of a drug
• Interpret the totality of the evidence to support the decision to arrest or release the subject
• Identify circumstances that may require a call for a DRE to assist with the investigation
• Identify resources and personnel required for effective post-arrest screening
• Accurately document all aspects of the DWI arrest from the time of observation through the post-arrest processing
• Accurately document, in the proper event sequence order, observed impairment in each of the three phases of the detection process
• Identify additional resources to support prosecution
• Prepare a comprehensive case file for effective courtroom presentation
• Articulate relevant evidence as it relates to case preparation and prosecution

Target Audience: The ARIDE Refresher course is intended for those who have previously completed the full, instructor-led ARIDE course. This refresher does not replace the initial 16-hour ARIDE course; rather, it is designed to strengthen and sustain the learner’s understanding of the concepts presented in that course. Like the initial ARIDE course, this refresher bridges the gap between Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) courses and DRE courses, providing an enhanced level of awareness to law enforcement officers of drug impairment in the context of traffic safety. This course does not act as a substitute for the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program and will not qualify or certify an individual as a DRE.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and was supported by cooperative agreement 2020-CK-WXK-037 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 4 hours including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-385
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov .