When police agencies face a budget crunch, officer training is frequently the first line item to be adversely affected. Training not only has its own costs, it also has the opportunity cost of taking police officers off the street. However, failure to train becomes a liability issue, so police departments need alternative avenues to get their officers trained, but at lower costs.
One solution is online learning systems, which can offer ways to ensure that quality training is conducted at a reduced cost. However, as is the case when any new technology is introduced, there is a learning curve for those tasked with making the purchasing decision.
This was perhaps never truer than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when online learning platforms were almost instantly the only training option due to restrictions and closures of in-person classrooms or training centers. The need for online learning options will persist long beyond the pandemic, though, so agencies need to find more than a Band-Aid approach to training their members at a distance.
If you are preparing to invest in an online training system, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed. Fortunately, there are resources to help you through the process. This Police1 guide to online learning is a starting point for the purchasing process.
Included in this guide:
- Key considerations before purchasing
- Steps for implementation
- Questions to ask vendors
To download your free copy of the “How to buy online training systems” Buying Guide from Police1 fill out this form.