German police recruits’ perception of skill transfer from training to the field

Mario Staller*, Swen Körner, Valentina Heil, Andrew Abraham, Jamie Poolton

*Korrespondierende*r Autor*in für diese Arbeit

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftZeitschriftenaufsätzeTransferBegutachtung

Abstract

In order to optimally prepare police officers for the demands in the field, police training has to be designed representatively. However, for the German context, there is a scarcity of research investigating to what extent training meets the demands of the field. In order to fill this gap, the current study examined if police training in Germany meets the demands of the field of police officers based on the perspective of police recruits. Thirteen recruits of a German police force were interviewed in a semi-structured way to identify possible matches and discrepancies between training and the field. The qualitative data was analysed using content analysis. The results revealed that recruits valued police training very positively, since they were able to apply learned skills and tactics in the field. However, results also indicated, that (a) key informational variables present in the field were missing in training, namely chaotic, highly-dynamic situations and that (b) police officers need to be adaptable and flexible in the field in order to cope with the demands. Finally, the results suggested that police training narrowly focuses on dealing with extreme threats, which (a) differs from the experiences recruits had in the field and that (b) may have drawbacks, since continuously perceiving social situations as threatening and dangerous is a risk factor for aggressive behaviour. Taken together, the current study provides further insights into the wants and needs of recruits in police training.
OriginalspracheEnglisch
ZeitschriftInternational Journal of Police Science & Management
Jahrgang24
Ausgabenummer2
Seiten (von - bis)124-136
Seitenumfang13
ISSN1461-3557
DOIs
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 01.06.2022

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