G.O. 9.06 - Civilian Training

PURPOSE

• Establishes a written directive (General Order 9.06) detailing Norwich Police Department (NPD) procedures for the training program directed at civilian employees.
• Ensures that training covers both technical job skills and the critical public-service link civilians provide between the Department and the community.
• Satisfies Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POSTC) accreditation standards $3.6.9$ and $3.6.10$.
• Clarifies that the order is exclusively for internal/administrative use; it does not create higher legal duties usable in civil or criminal court.
  • Violations ⇒ administrative sanctions within NPD.
  • Independent violations of law ⇒ civil or criminal sanctions in court.

POLICY OVERVIEW

• Civilian employees receive both pre-service (before permanent assignment) and in-service (ongoing) training.
• Training must be based on a job-task analysis for each position classification.
• Annual retraining is mandatory to maintain, update, or expand skill sets as job duties evolve.
• Training content goes beyond mechanics; it reinforces customer-service principles influencing public perception of NPD.

PROCEDURES

A. Newly Appointed Civilian Training Requirements

• At minimum, orientation must cover:
  • Department role, purpose, goals, policies, procedures.
  • Working conditions & regulations.
  • Employee responsibilities & rights.
  • City of Norwich policies, including General Order $1.05$ (Workplace Harassment).
• Primary instructors:
  • City of Norwich Personnel/Human Resources (HR) Department.
  • The employee’s direct supervisor.
• Timing: If HR cannot deliver the information, the supervisor (with Training Unit support) must complete orientation within $60$ days of employment.
• Orientation may be satisfied partially/fully via a City-wide Employee Orientation Program.

B. Civilian Positions Requiring Pre-Service & In-Service Training

1. Introduction

• NPD designates specific civilian positions that must receive initial and ongoing training commensurate with duties.
• Emphasizes the public-relations role civilians inherently play.

2. Pre-Service (Before Permanent Assignment)

• Positions identified:
  • Executive Secretary
  • Records Clerk
  • Dispatchers
  • Parking Enforcement
  • (Placeholder) “__” ← Indicates future or currently vacant civilian role(s).
• Delivery methods: Informal meetings and/or formal classroom instruction.
• Responsible parties:
  • City HR
  • Immediate supervisor
  • Training Sergeant

3. In-Service Training & Annual Retraining

• Frequency: Annual for every civilian employee.
• Typical allocation: $8$ training hours per year (subject to staffing & budget limits).
• Civilians may also attend select sworn-officer in-service modules if relevant.
• Oversight of needs assessments:
  • Records Division Sergeant → Records Clerks
  • Patrol Division Captain → Dispatchers
  • Chief of Police → Executive Secretary
• Patrol Shift Commanders must alert the Captain to dispatcher training gaps.
• Division Commanders, Supervisors, and the Training Advisory Committee review civilian training needs annually.

4. Report of Training (Documentation)

• Each session must generate a “Report of Training” containing:
  • Employee name(s)
  • Course title
  • Instructor
  • Date(s)
  • Total instructional time
  • Cost
  • Certificates earned
  • Pre/Post-test scores
  • Perceived value & comments
  • Signatures of employee & supervisor
• Filing protocol:
  • Original report stored in employee’s training file.
  • Copies of certificates or proof of completion forwarded to Training Unit for central records.

5. Specialized Training for Public-Safety Communications Personnel (Dispatchers)

• Pre-service and in-service content must cover:
  • NCIC/COLLECT and Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certification/recertification.
  • Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) / Records Management System (RMS) updates.
  • Procedural & legal updates.
  • "911" emergency protocols.
  • Fire-service response protocols.
  • Emergency medical response protocols.

ACCREDITATION, GOVERNANCE & LEGAL CONTEXT

• POSTC Standard $3.6.9$ → Governs orientation content for new civilians.
• POSTC Standard $3.6.10$ → Governs identification of positions needing training & establishment of in-service programs.
• Rescinds any previous policies on “Civilian Training” to avoid conflicting directives.
• Document labeled “General Order – 1,” signed by Chief of Police Patrick J. Daley.

ETHICAL & PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

• Training self-reinforces the Department’s commitment to a harassment-free, equitable workplace (link to GO $1.05$).
• Emphasizes morale and professionalism → better service quality, fewer complaints, positive community relations.
• Consistent documentation (Reports of Training) provides transparency for audits, accreditation reviews, and liability protection.
• Annual review by Training Advisory Committee ensures content remains current with legal standards and best practices (e.g., updates to CAD/RMS, EMD protocols).

NUMERICAL & TIMEFRAME REFERENCES

• $60\text{ days}$ → Deadline for supervisors to complete orientation if HR cannot.
• $8\text{ hours}$ → Typical annual in-service allocation per civilian employee.

REAL-WORLD & CROSS-LECTURE CONNECTIONS

• Mirrors sworn-officer Field Training & Evaluation Program (FTEP) principles covered in earlier lectures: task analysis, documentation, continuous improvement.
• Integrates broader organizational behavior concepts (motivation, role clarity, organizational socialization) previously discussed in HR management modules.
• Dispatcher training aligns with national standards (APCO, NENA) described in Public Safety Communications lecture: EMD protocols, CAD data integrity, and legal parameters around “911” recordings.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR EXAM PREP

• Memorize orientation content list (Dept overview, working conditions, rights/responsibilities, city & harassment policies).
• Know which positions require pre-service training and the responsible supervisory chain.
• Recall numeric benchmarks: $60\text{-day}$ orientation window, $8$ annual training hours.
• Understand purpose of the “Report of Training” and its mandatory fields.
• Be able to explain why civilian training is vital to public perception and POSTC accreditation.
• For dispatchers, list the 6 specialized topics (NCIC/EMD, CAD/RMS, legal updates, 911, fire, EMS protocols).