What is a police field training officer?
A field training officer is a senior member of a police department who rides along with police academy graduates during a probationary period and evaluates their interactions and progress on the streets.QualificationsA police field training officer must have at least a few years of policing experience–the number of years depends on each department’s field training needs–as well as a good performance record.EducationThe officer who aspires to be a field training officer must take a classroom course and a test for supervisory certification through the department’s required state program. For example, the Peace Officer Standards and Training program–P.O.S.T.–is offered in California and a few other states.FocusThe responsibility of a field training officer is to let trainees apply their academy studies to the job. The training officer entrusts rookie officers to handle actual law-enforcement situations and oversees their problem solving and decision making.DutiesA field training offic
