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Exemplary Project:Distance Education Program Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards & Education (TCLEOSE)
In 1995, the Texas Legislature passed legislation requiring licensed peace officers to receive forty hours of continuing education every two years. A portion of the required training involved the topics of cultural diversity and racial sensitivity, sexual assault investigation and offender characteristics, child abuse and family violence. Texas peace officers must complete this continuing education to retain a valid peace officer license. The Commission on Law Enforcement realized that this training requirement would place a burden on most agencies and their limited training funds. Law enforcement administrators were forced to divert training resources to these classes and reduce the training provided in other areas. Additionally, some agencies were required to send their officers up to 200 miles to training providers, as these facilities were not locally available. The Commission’s goal was to make available free, accessible training that met the legislated mandates and freed limited training funds for other uses. Based on this need, the Commission obtained state funding and developed an Internet based distance education program to provide this mandatory training. With the cooperation of the University of Texas Distance Education Department, these training programs are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to any licensed peace officer with access to the Internet. The Commission developed the training programs, materials, study guides, and examinations. The University of Texas provides computer server support, technical assistance, and downloads completed training data into the Commission records system. The training is available at no cost and there is no registration requirement. As training is successfully completed, the record is downloaded directly into the officer’s computerized file, which has eliminated any paper records. A Social Security Number and date of birth must be entered before access can be gained to the program. The Commission is working with technical staff at the University of Texas to increase security of the program and eliminate the possibilities of cheating or abuse. All programs are text based and include a study guide, training materials, written exercises, and a final examination. License holders may work at their own pace, save the work they have done, and complete the course as time permits. The course material is also provided to training providers and agencies that prefer to provide the training in a traditional classroom setting. During the last training cycle, over 24,000 license holders took 98,115 examinations on the various training topics. The last survey of participating agencies showed a savings in excess of two million dollars in registration fees, travel expenses, and officer time away from their regular duties. The Law Enforcement Commission Distance Education Program received the Noncredit Program of Excellence Award from the Distance Education Community of Practice, University Continuing Education Association for the year 2000. In 2000, with the approval and full support of then Governor George W. Bush, substantial additional grant funding was obtained which allowed the expansion of the program to include additional training topics, video streaming, interactive programs, combined internet and classroom training, and other program enhancements. A number of the programs are not specific to just Texas agencies and, are available, at no cost to law enforcement professionals across the country and around the world. Governor Rick Perry recently approved the extension of this program through at least August 31, 2003. Interested agencies are encouraged to view the programs at www.tcleose.state.tx.us. Any questions or comments would be welcome.
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