OFFICER TRAINING NEEDS NOT LIMITED TO BIG CITIES

One year ago, the Governor's Commission on Crime urged increased training requirements for police officers. Now, on the eve of a new administration, this recommendation still awaits action.

Missouri ranks dead last out of 50 states in terms of minimum training for police officers. Even if the state doubled its current 120 hour minimum, it would still rank last in the nation. That underscores the need for action.

We urge Missouri's new governor and the legislature to consider increased training as a legislative priority in 1993. Training is not simply a matter of prestige. It is a measure of professionalism.

This issue of training really impacts Missouri's rural communities. We realize this can prove both a benefit and a strain on resources. Since staffs are small, it's tough for many of these cities to send officers away to be trained. Likewise, smaller towns may not have the resources to pay for in-house training, or to pay for better trained officers. In too many cases, the officers may have to pay for the training themselves.

But it's these same smaller police departments that can greatly benefit from better trained officers. That's because the actions of a single officer can have a much greater impact in a smaller town, when only a few officers are on duty at a time, and where backup may be lacking. Major crime, such as drugs and murder, is no longer limited to metropolitan areas. Rural law enforcement officers need the same base of up-to-date knowledge.

State highway patrol officers receive more than 1,000 hours of initial training and police officers in St. Louis and Kansas City must have at least 600 hours of training. But the state requires only 120 hours for all other law enforcement officials. In cities under 2,000 or departments with less than four officers, there is no minimum training requirement at all.

Departments can go beyond the 120 minimum, and many of the larger departments do so. In Cape Girardeau, the department requires at least 240 hours of training. We commend Cape Girardeau for recognizing the importance of training and taking the extra step to prepare officers.

A phased-in training system, scaled for the size of the department, may be a suitable compromise for rural departments who have resisted increased training because of accompanying costs. Training minimums could be based on the size of the community or department. This training should include both initial instruction as well as continuing education.

The state may also have to make a commitment to help cities or counties pay for this training. It's not fair that officers carry the financial burden alone, since it will benefit all citizens. We realize that finances are tight both at the local and state levels. But all other states have managed to move their training requirements beyond Missouri's bare minimums.

Missouri's minimum standard of training for law enforcement officers is inadequate, and it's time this need is addressed.