I recently received a call from a former colleague who had retired a few years back and relocated down south. It made my day. He was someone I always respected. When I started on the job, he was one of the “senior” guys I watched closely. He knew how to talk to people, handled calls the right way, didn’t like to use force but could when needed, and never wasted energy complaining.
Later in my career, I watched him as an FTO. He had a knack for elevating the ones who could do the job, and he also took on the tough responsibility of working with those who probably shouldn’t have been there. He was often the “last chance” FTO — the one who got the recruits others had already written off. That assignment alone tells you how important the role really is.
It got me thinking about how much FTOs shape careers. Before I ever worked for a sergeant, I worked for an FTO. And if it weren’t for the right instruction and guidance early on, I probably wouldn’t have made it far enough to worry about supervision. That’s why this role matters more than we treat it.
Too often, we fall into the trap of selecting FTOs based on tenure instead of experience or ability. We put someone in a car with a recruit for 8–12 hours a day and expect that to produce a professional, but we don’t always ask if that person should be teaching anyone in the first place. The habits, expectations and mindset built during field training don’t stay in training — they follow that officer into their career. When we get it wrong, it shows up later.
Here are five signs you may have the wrong FTO.
1. They don’t want to be there
We’ve all seen it. The FTO who complains about having a recruit, goes through the motions or is just there for the extra pay. If they’re not invested, the recruit isn’t getting trained — they’re just riding along.
2. They’ve got time on the job, but not much behind it
Lots of officers have years on the job, but that doesn’t mean they’ve done enough to teach others. Look at what they’ve actually done — assignments, training, types of calls. A motivated five-year officer who has been involved and developed may be better suited than someone with more time who isn’t interested.
3. They can do the job, but can’t teach it
An FTO might be a dynamite cop, but that doesn’t mean they can teach. Can they explain what they’re doing and why? Do they have the patience to work through things with a recruit? If all you hear is “this is how it’s done,” that’s not training — that’s guessing.
4. They cut corners and call it experience
We’ve all heard it: “The hell with policy, this is how it’s done.” Training is not the time or place to modify or dismiss policy. If that’s what a recruit is learning, those habits are going to stick — and they’re going to be hard to undo.
5. They constantly complain about the job
Not everyone has to love everything about their department — that’s normal. But if an FTO spends their time badmouthing the job, the agency or other officers, that’s the mindset the recruit is going to take with them. If they’re unhappy, they shouldn’t be in a role that’s supposed to guide someone else.
Why this matters
FTOs are a vital component to the success of an agency. This is where new officers learn what the job really looks like — not just what they were taught in the academy. It’s where habits are built, expectations are set and culture is passed down.
If you get that part wrong, you don’t just create a bad training experience. You create a long-term problem.
Final thought
Being a good cop doesn’t automatically make someone a good FTO. And if we keep selecting FTOs based on tenure or convenience instead of ability, we shouldn’t be surprised when the results look the same.
