EAST MOLINE POLICE DEPARTMENT FIELD TRAINING PROGRAM
The primary goal of the Field Training and Evaluation Program is to specifically prepare an individual to perform the duties and responsibilities of a uniformed patrol officer with confidence and ability. It is highly improbable that any individual would automatically
possess the ability to step from any occupation to the duties of an East Moline Police Officer and perform them in a totally acceptable manner. The intent of the Field Training and Evaluation Program is to guide the probationary officer through the subsequent steps of development until he/she is ready to function without constant coaching from the Field Training and Evaluation Unit.
The actions taken and decisions made by the probationary officer as a uniformed Police Officer may have enormous consequences. Serious errors in job performance are unacceptable and must be eliminated to the greatest degree possible. To attain this standard, the Field Training and Evaluation Program is offered as an extensive, one-on-one, individualized experience designed to replace “learning by trial and error” with learning by well-designed, systematic instruction. The probationary officer will encounter numerous expectations and challenges in their training. It is important for them to know how the Field Training and Evaluation Program intends to accomplish its mission, what they can expect from the program, and what the Field Training and Evaluation Program expects from the probationary officer.
After a newly hired probationary officer attends the Police Academy, he/she will return to East Moline for continued training in the Field Training Program. The East Moline Police Department Field Training Program is a five-step process designed to prepare the probationary officer for solo patrol. For each step of the training, the probationary officer will be assigned a different field-training officer. The first step is four weeks of training and evaluation with the probationary officer performing 5-25% of the work. The second step is four weeks of training and evaluation with the probationary officer performing 25-55% of the work. The third step is four weeks of training and evaluation with the probationary officer performing 55-95% of the work. In the fourth step, a plain clothed training officer who will evaluate the probationary officer performing 100% of the work will follow the probationary officer for two weeks. In the fifth and final step, the probationary officer will be on solo patrol and evaluated bi-weekly.
