Training

Glen Carbon Police Department believes consistent and dynamic training is a necessity for success within the organization. All officers and civilian staff undergo initial and continuing education to build and maintain their skills.  

The Police and Communications Training and Evaluation Programs seek to achieve the following objectives:

• To improve the department’s selection and hiring process through on-the-job observation of probationary performance.
• To ensure that newly hired employees acquire and demonstrate all the knowledge, skills, and abilities consistent with their job duties and responsibilities in compliance with all policies and directives.
• To provide standardized training and to provide reasonable remedial training for those trainees with identifiable deficiencies.
• To produce a highly trained and positively motivated employee who is willing, capable, and committed to helping achieve the vision and mission of the Glen Carbon Police Department.
• To establish a career path within the police department to recognize and reward top performers in their field with the opportunity to gain advanced training and instruction skills.

The Glen Carbon Police Department trains to increase the overall efficiency, effectiveness, and reputation of the Glen Carbon Police Department through the modeling of professional, competent, and ethical behavior.

Police Officer Field Training

All police officers attend the Southwestern Illinois Police Academy. Following their initial training, the officer returns to begin their Field Training Program within the department.

The Field Training and Evaluation Process utilizes ten (10) distinct performance categories to assess the officer’s quality of work. Each of the Standard Evaluation Guidelines (SEGS) behaviorally describes the various criteria for task accomplishment as follows: Exceeds Standards, Acceptable, and Unacceptable. It is important that the officer thoroughly review each of the SEGs in order to better understand what is expected.

The SEGs are designed to assist the officer and the Field Training Officer to address job strengths and weaknesses in order to bring the less-than-satisfactory performance into the acceptable and above levels. With the guidance of the FTO, the officer will learn from mistakes. Additionally, it is important for for the officer to recognize that a marginal performance assessment is not a ticket to field training failure. It’s not uncommon for probationary officers to earn less than satisfactory assessments in some categories during the initial days of the Field Training and Evaluation Process; it’s not where you start - it’s where you finish that counts!

Telecommunicator Training Program

The Communications Training and Evaluation Program is a division of the Glen Carbon Police Department.  The Communications Training Program and the Telecommunicators that it produces are absolutely indispensable for achieving the overall vision and carrying out the mission of the Glen Carbon Police Department on a daily basis.

As such, it is absolutely essential that newly hired probationary telecommunicators not only learn the applicable written directives of the police department that will pertain to their job duties and responsibilities, but that they also fully understand and commit themselves to performing their assignments in the true spirit of  the police department’s mission statement.

Continuing Education

Continuing education within the department focuses on six main areas:

• Officer and Citizen Safety
• De-Escalation Training Techniques
• Community Policing
• Crime Prevention
• Crime Solving and Investigation
• Leadership and Supervision

In 2019, Glen Carbon Officers took part in more than 3,000 combined hours of continuing education. This was an increase from the previous years: 2017 - 2,456 hours; 2014 - 1,050 hours 

Glen Carbon Police Department prides itself on pushing beyond mandates and engaging in routine and consistent training. Through training, officers establish safety and develop skills that help them make critical decisions in ever-changing environments  Several of our officers have become certified instructors in a multitude of disciplines and are able to provide in-house training classes. This includes:

• Defensive Tactics (Sgt. Click and Det. Tyler)
• 4E’s Training (Ofcs. Hartsoe, Murray)
• Taser Use (Ofc. Barnes)
• Active Shooter (Ofcs. Murray, Hartsoe, Sgt. Click)
• Range Instructors (Ofc. Hosto; Sgts. Smith and Click)
• Alert Training (Ofc. Murray)

Active Shooter

Active shooter situations are fast-developing and dangerous. Because of this, Glen Carbon Police Officers and Telecommunicators train together and practice the skills necessary to handle these large-scale events. Father McGivney School has provided their building for large amounts of department training, allowing instructors to guide real-time exercises through the building.

Excited Delirium

Excited delirium, also known as agitated delirium, is a condition that presents with verbal agitation, delirium, and sweating. It may include attempts at violence, unexpected strength, and very high body temperature. These situations require a specific response from officers to provide safe body control to allow EMTs to provide medical aid. Glen Carbon officers (pictured  left) practice group body control tactics on dummies to insure they understand safe practices.

Stop the Bleed

Officers Patrick Barnes and Jim Murray are certified “Stop the Bleed” instructors.  The two officers provided roll call training for fellow officers. Glen Carbon Officers were taught how to apply a tourniquet or pack the wound of a victim who suffered severe injury resulting in major blood loss to prevent the victim from dying from blood loss.

Use of Force

Glen Carbon officers undergo regular training for use of defensive tactics, including an emphasis on de-escalation and gaining voluntary compliance. Officers review the Use of Force Policy and how it applies, followed by guided instructions and real-time scenarios that allow the officers to practice their skills under the best conditions, leading to fewer injuries to suspects and officers.