NCJ Number
72855
Date Published
1980
Length
23 pages
Annotation
Recommendations for changes in Virginia's law enforcement training programs in the event of a discontinuation of LEAA funding are presented in this report to the State's Governor and the General Assembly.
Abstract
The recommendations are based on a study of existing organizational structures, jurisdictional coverage, facilities, programs staffing, student loads, budgets, and future plans. Facilities in other States and recommended national training standards were also reviewed. Not included were the training academies operated by the State police and the department of corrections. The following were among the major findings: central coordination of training would give unity of direction and improve the cost effectiveness and quality of training, alternate means of support are necessary, the operation of several regional academies rather than of one central academy would be less costly, no established standards for instructor certification exist at present, and financial incentive programs for additional training vary from locality to locality. The report recommends (1) the Council on Criminal Justice and the Criminal Justice Service Commission (CJSC) should be directed to consolidate administratively the 12 regional academies into 8, (2) the State should pay for all administrative and direct training costs for the 8 academies, and (3) the State should absorb the training costs at independent academies when they choose to participate in the regional system. Also, the CJSC should coordinate and administer all aspects of criminal justice training, instructors should be obtained on a cost-free basis as long as possible, while academy directors and other staff should be employed by the State on a full-time basis; and the CJSC should establish an evaluation system for training programs. Data tables and appendixes containing a list of existing academies and a regional service map are included.