Agenda Date: September 2, 2014
Subject:
Title
Resolution approving a Police Recruit Training Agreement with the City of Lakewood to use the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and Lakewood Police Department's Combined Regional Academy for recruit police officer training.
Body
Presented By: |
Doug Stephens, Chief of Police |
POLICY QUESTION:
Does the city council support an intergovernmental agreement allowing the Littleton Police Department (LPD) to continue utilizing the Combined Regional Academy for recruit police officer training?
BACKGROUND:
The LPD traditionally hired P.O.S.T. certified candidates to fill police officer vacancies. The recruits were certified, having previously completed a P.O.S.T. approved academy, prior to their employment with the city. In 2010, the LPD identified the need to broaden the pool of candidates applying for police officer vacancies. Since that time, LPD has experienced success hiring non-certified recruit police officers. The LPD sponsors recruit police officers to a P.O.S.T. certified academy and places them into the field training program upon successful completion of the academy. The LPD has sponsored police officer recruits at the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and Lakewood Police Department's Combined Regional Academy with great success.
STAFF ANALYSIS:
The LPD has evaluated the staff, curriculum, and processes utilized by the Combined Regional Academy. Staff believes it provides thorough, high- quality training to recruit police officers for a reasonable fee. The LPD has had great success sponsoring recruits at the Combined Regional Academy and would like to continue utilizing this program.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and Lakewood Police Department's Combined Regional Academy provides 840 hours of training for a fee of $4,500 per recruit. The hours of training and the cost per recruit provide the city both short and long-term savings. The Combined Regional Academy's initial fee saves the LPD an average of $1,850 per recruit when compared to other local police academies. Additionally, the number of training hours provided by the Combined Regional Academy is exceptionally higher (more than 100) than other similar academies. Finally, it provides several certifications such as: Standard Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), taser, firearms, driving, and arrest control, all of which are required of police officers. Since police recruits receive these required certifications while they are attending the Combined Regional Academy, the LPD is alleviated from future costs associated with the initial certification/training process.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the resolution approving the Intergovernmental Agreement with the City of Lakewood on behalf of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and Lakewood Police Department's Combined Regional Academy be approved.
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move that the resolution approving the Police Recruit Agreement with the City of Lakewood to use the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and Lakewood Police Department's Combined Regional Academy be approved.