The Missouri Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission will hold a public meeting in Ferguson on Thursday, September 24 to gather suggestions for changes to law enforcement officer training requirements.
Members of the Missouri POST Commission and Lane Roberts, director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety, will listen to members of the public at 1 p.m. Thursday, September 24 in the Student Center’s Multipurpose Room at St. Louis Community College – Florissant Valley Campus, 3400 Pershall Rd. in Ferguson.
On August 6, Gov. Jay Nixon directed the POST Commission and the Department of Public Safety to update and enhance law enforcement training standards in Missouri. The directive included holding public meetings around the state to gather input from Missourians, including law enforcement agencies, advocacy groups and other stakeholders.
“While law enforcement officers’ responsibilities have increased, the training standards to keep their skills sharp have not kept pace,” Nixon said on August 6. “Today, Missouri has essentially the same continuing education standards that were in place in 1996 in terms of the number of mandated hours and types of training that officers must receive on an ongoing basis. We all know a lot has changed since 1996.”
The governor has directed the commission and department to suggest “new rules to improve access to effective and ongoing training in the key areas of tactical training, fair and impartial policing, and the health and well-being of officers” by December 1.
“First, in the area of tactical training, our goal is to ensure that officers develop the critical decision-making skills that will enable them to employ the most effective tactical approach to any given scenario. That means deescalating volatile situations, correctly assessing threats and interacting with individuals experiencing a mental health or domestic crisis,” Nixon said on August 6.
As for “fair and impartial policing,” Nixon said, “Events here in Missouri and across the country have prompted a national dialogue about the need to build greater trust between law enforcement officers and the communities they protect and serve. Public safety is built on trust; it’s as true for folks in Ferguson as it is for folks in Forsyth. More training in fair and impartial policing will help to strengthen the bonds of trust between officers and the public.”
As for “health and well-being of officers,” Nixon said. “Day in and day out, doing difficult and dangerous jobs, our law enforcement officers are subject to an enormous amount of stress, in a culture that tends to downplay personal difficulties.”
Established by state statute, the POST Commission is responsible for the curriculum for law enforcement officer basic training and continuing education in Missouri. More information about the commission and Missouri’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Program is available at http://dps.mo.gov/dir/programs/post/.
Additional public hearings will be held in Sikeston, September 29; Kansas City, October 7; and Kirksville, October 14. Meeting locations and times will be released as arrangements are finalized.
Written comments from the public can be emailed to POST@dps.mo.gov through Oct. 15.
