Community colleges educate and train significant numbers of U.S. police officers. Even so, an erosion of public trust and confidence in the police has overcome communities nationwide (Fagan, 2008; Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2015). The high-profile law enforcement-related deaths of unarmed Black citizens have further heightened…

This study investigated the levels of training law enforcement officers (LEOs) receive regarding mental illness, developmental/cognitive delays, schizophrenia, or an autism spectrum disorder. Coleman and Cotton (2014) stated that there is a need for LEOs to be knowledgeable on the signs and symptoms of mental illness and interventions that are…

The intricacies of modern-day policing depend upon law enforcement departments broadening the training of officers. The specific problem was that a police officer may lack the necessary training to deal with the mentally ill population. The targeted sample of this study included four police officers, two training staff officers, and four trainees…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there has been a change to the scores on the Texas State Peace Officer Licensing Examination over a given time, and if been a so, identify subjects where scores improved or declined. By recognizing stagnation or declination in test scores, interventions can be designed to enhance the adult learning…

For centuries, Black people in the U.S. have had to navigate structural and institutional racism. This is especially true for the system of policing, which evolved from pre-emancipation slave patrols. Though law enforcement agencies have made strides in the past 160 years, Black people continue to be targeted and killed by police at a…

This dissertation aimed to expand knowledge and practical uses of educational technology tools in high-stakes team training environments. This study depicted the real-world impacts of virtual reality (VR) technology on learning and training for the Royal New Zealand Police Academy and those training teams in high-stakes environments.…

Law enforcement agencies across the country are confronted with the problems associated with substance abuse. Law enforcement personnel receive only cursory training on substance abuse and lack targeted training that addresses the complex problems that are associated with it, such as co-existing mental health issues. This study, conducted on…

A first-line police supervisor holds a large influence over street-level police officer behavior (Ingram, et al., 2014), but little consistency exists between police agencies regarding the minimum educational requirements necessary to successfully perform the functions of a first-line police supervisor. This study explored the experiences of…

The topic for this study was police cadet perceptions of learning using video simulators. The main research question for this project was: "How are video simulators perceived by police cadets as a learning method at the police academy?" The participants for this qualitative study were 16 recently graduated police cadets from an anonymous…

Criminal justice scholars and practitioners have sought to identify strategies to increase and improve diversity in police agencies since the 1960s Civil Rights era. Moreover, the difficulties recruiting racial and ethnic minority police officers indicated there is distrust and fear of the police, which includes police culture/practices that…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how campus police officers describe the ways they promote positive relationships with college students at selected universities in the southeastern region of the United States. The role ideal model served as the theoretical framework for the study. Two research questions were…

This examination sought to gather data on the perceived degree of violence in schools and the effectiveness of the school resource officer (SRO) programs developed and implemented to reduce school violence. In addition, the perceived responsibilities of SROs were examined, highlighting their variability and scope. For this purpose, Florida K-12…

Since the early 1900s, scholars, police, and the public have debated and discussed the role of higher education in policing. The questions of whether police officers should have experience in higher education and how that will influence job outcomes have not fully been answered to this day. The purpose of this research study is to examine the…

This study provides a timely, qualitative exploration of the perceived efficacy of cultural competency training for both law enforcement officers and educators. It comprises 18 semi-structured interviews, 10 of which were conducted with education professionals and 8 with law enforcement officers. Drawing four main themes from the interview sample,…

This study explores the potential existence of an implicit, hidden curriculum in basic law enforcement training that may impact students' values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. The hidden curriculum refers to what students learn from their school environment, teacher and peer relationships, and the education system. If such a curriculum…