VHPD trains ‘master’ police officers

While the Vestavia Hills Police Department has a relatively low number of complaints and enjoys a great relationship with the community it serves, there is always room to improve, said Lieutenant Jared Freeman with the department’s patrol division.

“Our hope is that we’re training officers to a higher level,” Freeman said.

That training now includes the “master police officer” program.

The work began by listing 170 tasks a patrol officer would have to complete, which was then taken down to 145 tasks, creating a standard for the program. It also includes completing a de-escalation class and emotional intelligence class required by the Jefferson County Personnel Board.

Twenty-six officers have completed the program. Department leaders are completing assessments of those officers, said Captain Sean Richardson, also with the patrol division.

Officers used a booklet to go through the program, learning the tasks and demonstrating their capability for those tasks, Richardson said. 

Those officers provided feedback and so the document is more of a “living document,” updated as new information and standards become available, he said.

The tasks encompass everything an officer does, such as conducting a traffic stop, applying a tourniquet and even giving directions to people. It includes learning Fourth Amendment issues, which deals with searches and seizures, as well as driving, giving first aid, learning de-escalation and more, Richardson said.

“We set expectations for our officers,” Freeman said.

All officers know at least 60% of what is included in the booklet, Freeman said. They have one year to complete the program, though it is preferred they finish it in six months, he said.

The training also includes a practical driving and firearms test.

Trauma teams at UAB Hospital have signed off on the tourniquet training, as officers have applied them as well as any doctor in the field could, Richardson said.

New hires spend 14 weeks in the police academy and 10 weeks in a training car, and while they learn much, the program is an opportunity to learn even more and be better prepared to serve the people of Vestavia Hills, Richardson said.

Officers who go through the training will receive a 5% pay raise, though Richardson said the department is looking for officers who would want to go through the training and be the best cops they could be regardless of pay.

The department prioritizes hiring not just skilled police officers, but people of character, Richardson said. As officers complete the training, they will help perpetuate the knowledge and train the next group of officers to go through the program. Each master police officer will be assigned five standards to revamp and keep current and will take over training the next group, Freeman said.

Having the program will help with recruitment and retention, as well as improving upon what is already a good relationship with the people of Vestavia Hills, Captain Shane Ware said.

“We’re trying to create the best product for the community we serve,” Ware said.