NCJ Number
210619
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 53 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2005 Pages: 68-69,71,74
Date Published
June 2005
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes how the Auburn Police Department (Washington State) uses mentoring in both career guidance and training in specific areas.
Abstract
In the mentoring process, an experienced officer interacts with a less experienced officer to provide knowledge and model behavior that will help the newer officer improve his/her performance and achieve career advancement. In the Auburn Police Department (APD), mentoring occurs both in the field and in the office. A mentoring session may be formal or informal, structured or unstructured. Informal mentoring occurs daily in the context of situations as they arise or after they occur. The mentoring may include advice from the mentor on how an officer could improve his/her performance in a situation or commendations to reinforce tasks performed correctly. The most effective mentors are not only officers with knowledge and experience regarding agency policy and its execution, but also the skill and commitment to communicate this knowledge and experience clearly and appropriately in the mentoring relationship. Formal mentoring occurs in the APD through the Field Training Officer (FTO) Program, the annual performance review, and the Sergeant's Training and Resource Manual (STRM). The FTO Program is a 6-month training and mentoring program for new officers that addresses criminal law, patrol procedures, and investigation. Performance reviews occur annually and focus on officer progress in the achievement of annual goals and objectives. The STRM is used in the formal mentoring of new sergeants. The article concludes with suggestions for how a police agency can start its own mentoring program.