A More Effective Training Approach for Contemporary Policing

Training is an important tool in the process of facilitating change within police organizations. With the further implementation of community oriented policing strategies, the form and content of training curricula has increasingly become an area of scholarly focus. Likewise, the methods that police instructors use to teach subjects is of equal importance. Many police trainers rely heavily on a lecture- and teacher-centered approach when imparting knowledge to both neophyte and veteran police officers. Police trainers might benefit from a more student-centered instructional format. This article examines incorporating the theory of andragogy into police training. By utilizing andragogy, police officers will become more active and involved in the learning process. This approach may also help officers become more self-directed and in doing so reflect the trend toward community oriented policing.