Seattle Police Manual

3.320 – Training Review Committee

Effective Date: 5/14/2004

POLICY

In order to process training requests in a consistent and equitable manner, and consistent with the overall Department’s mission, a Seattle Police Department Training Review Committee has been established.

I. Purpose

A. Review all training requests from sworn personnel below the rank of Captain that require Department funds.

1. Prioritize requests based on the needs and mission of the Department.

2. Formulate and consistently apply a training plan that will meet the needs of our employees.

II. The Committee

A. The committee is made up of five captains that represent various aspects of the Department with the Chair of the Committee being the Captain of the Education & Training Section. Other than the Chairperson, the committee is an all-volunteer group whose members are replaced as needed. The committee will convene regularly as training requests accumulate.

III. Procedure

A. All requests for department-funded training from sworn employees below the rank of Captain will first be approved by the employee’s chain of command through the level of Captain.

1. Once approved, the Captain will forward the request to the Captain of the Education & Training Section.

2. All requests, whether approved or denied, will be reviewed by the Training Committee and forwarded to Fiscal (Travel/Training).

3. The Fiscal Unit (Travel/Training) will make all the notifications.

4. Employees being denied approval may appeal the decision through their chain of command to the Deputy Chief of Administration.

B. All training requests must be submitted as soon as possible, but in no case less than four weeks prior to the start date of the training.

C. All requests must indicate that the Section Captain has approved the time off.

D. Requests from non-sworn employees requiring Department funding will be sent through the chain of command to the Assistant Chief of the Field Support Bureau.

E. All Captains and Assistant Chiefs will forward their own requests for training through their chain of command to the Deputy Chief of Administration.

F. Section Captains have the authority to approve training days for legitimate training that does not require Department funding.

IV. Training Priorities

A. Unit and individual qualifications and certifications have priority for training approval, for example, Bomb Squad Technician training and Traffic Collision training would take precedence over other training. These unit requirements must be submitted by January 31st of each year to keep the money in reserve even when class dates have not been identified.

B. Skill enhancement courses would be the next priority. These courses should result with a certification of completion award.

1. Courses such as the Reid Interview and Interrogation course and Street Survival courses will be considered for sponsorship in Seattle by the Seattle Police Department. Units should send updated lists of employees that would be interested in attending those courses to the Training Captain on a biannual basis.

C. Seminars and conferences offering training sessions that may or may not produce certificates of completion will receive a lower priority.

D. If a request is made for more than one person from a single section or unit to attend training, then the section Captain must prioritize each request before forwarding to the Training Committee.