Available Courses and Resources


Site announcements

New Course! Better Encounters: Police and People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

by COPS Training Portal Team -

The COPS Training Portal announces the availability of a new eLearning course, Better Encounters: Police and People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, developed by the National Center for Policing Innovation (NCPI) in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Better Encounters enhances the capacity of law enforcement to identify and effectively interact with community members who may have intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) during traffic stops and other exchanges in the community.

The significant and rising prevalence of I/DD in the population makes this course especially pertinent for law enforcement and other safety practitioners with a focus on traffic safety. Better Encounters presents the rationale for learning more about people with I/DD, including the growing rates of specific disabilities and the likely contexts for interactions with police during traffic-related contact. The course also provides the means of identifying behaviors that are characteristic of those with I/DD, developing strategies for having positive interactions, and improving situational awareness and decision-making. Ultimately, the greater the awareness law enforcement officers have of the conditions and people they are likely to encounter, the better equipped they are to effectively manage a diverse range of situations.

This course is designed for law enforcement officers and other public safety practitioners with a focus on traffic stops.

Learners should expect to spend approximately 3 hours exploring the content and resources in this course.  

Click here to get started! 


New course! Introduction to the Non-Confrontational Investigative Interviewing Approach

by COPS Training Portal Team -

The COPS Training Portal announces the availability of a new eLearning course, Introduction to the Non-Confrontational Investigative Interviewing Approach, created by The Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC), an agency of the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service. 

Introduction to the Non-Confrontational Investigative Interviewing Approach explores the techniques of non-confrontational interviewing to optimize results from investigations. The course compares confrontational and non-confrontational interviews, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Real case examples and studies provide evidence of the success investigators experience through establishing rapport and interviewing with an open mind.  

Traditional interview techniques often employ a confrontational approach to interviewing which can have negative outcomes such as false confessions, resistance, and reduced credibility. Evidence from confrontational interviews reinforces the claim that non-confrontational interviewing is often a more effective approach.  

Many studies have been conducted to analyze the best strategies to implement during interviewing. This eLearning course, which draws from multiple resources and evidence-based strategies, explains how police officers can utilize a nonconfrontational approach to increase the likelihood of obtaining actionable information.  

This course offers strategies for preparing and executing a non-confrontational interview through questioning, building rapport, and developing a safe environment. This course serves primarily as a concept introduction and is not intended to teach mastery of the skills and techniques of non-confrontational interviewing.  

This course is designed for law enforcement officers. Learners should expect to spend approximately 1 hour exploring the content and resources in this course.  

Click here to get started! 


New Course! Expert Insights: Testifying in Court as a Drug Recognition Expert

by COPS Training Portal Team -

The COPS Training Portal announces the availability of a new eLearning course, Expert Insights: Testifying in Court as a Drug Recognition Expert created by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Expert Insights: Testifying in Court as a Drug Recognition Expert is designed to support Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) as they prepare to appear as witnesses in drug-impaired driving trials. Throughout the course, experts in the fields of law enforcement and prosecution share advice on enhancing courtroom presence and testimony skills, in addition to examining some of the challenges of testifying in impaired driving cases.

This course explores the role of the DRE witness, fundamental courtroom rules and processes, case file preparation, and personal preparation, recognizing that the groundwork for successful testimony is multi-faceted.  Learners interact with the content sequentially, beginning with the preparation required before appearance as a DRE witness at a trial, the expert witness testimony during the direct examination, cross-examination by the defense attorney, and considerations after the conclusion of the trial.  

While tailored to officers who are DREs, this eLearning course is not part of the process of qualifying for or certifying an individual as a DRE. Expert Insights is intended for law enforcement officers who have previously completed the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program or are already DREs. Although primarily intended for DREs, this course is also appropriate for prosecutors as a guide to working with DREs to prepare for drug-impaired driving trials.

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

Click here to get started!


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