Creating a training culture

“Training must fit within the culture of the organization” Matt Larsen

If you do not have a “training culture” you must create it! It’s how I helped to develop my old agency’s DT/Combatives program.

Many people who I train are in the midst of creating a DT program for their agency. I know exactly what they are going through and I hope to help make that process even smoother for them than it was for me. Here are a few of my suggestions:

1. “Training has to be fun!” Matt Larsen. If your training creates the image of getting beat up every time you step on the mats, nobody will want to attend. This means the training cadre has to let go of their old ways and if not, they need to be replaced.

2. The training cadre needs to train on their own time/dime. Yes you read that correctly. If you want true subject matter experts they’ll need to be training consistently and frequently with the experts in the field. This goes for every aspect of training from processing a crime scene to shooting a pistol. It would help if the agency paid for additional training or offered to make the training a work day.

3. The program must have tactics and techniques that work and the patrolman actually use. I suggest starting with team tactics (see my other blog https://www.rectitudetraining.com/post/team-control-and-arrest-tactics)

4. The program needs to be consistent and frequent so look to increase training frequency each year. If you’re training 4 hours once a year double that each year till you’re training on a monthly basis at a minimum.

5. Your program needs progression and should always be building on each training session. An example of this would be to introduce team tactics. The following month you would tack on team tactics to the end of that training so if it was a less lethal tool like Taser, once the Taser training was complete you would also add in the team tactics because BG’s don’t handcuff themselves.

6. The program needs to focus on skill building under resistance. Techniques cannot be done 5 times at 100% speed and intensity and be expected to be retained by the student and also not cause harm to the student.

7. If you start with the suggestions above you will be on the path to creating a “training culture”. This is what will transform your agency. Training will increase, attitudes will change, injuries will decrease, and the frequency of Use of Force will decrease.

If you’re looking for more information feel free to visit the website https://www.rectitudetraining.com/contact and complete the contact form.