The Mentor Police Department’s Personnel and Training Unit conducts the department’s recruitment and selection efforts and process. Job-related training programs are developed and implemented to include roll call, in-service training, and the career development program. The unit maintains training records and monitors the department’s compliance with federal and state requirements related to the training function. Also, this unit coordinates the patrol division’s off-duty work assignments. As coordinator of the unit, Roseann Bandelow maintains records for recipients eligible to receive department achievement awards, recognitions, and letters of commendation. Citation bars are worn on the police officer’s uniform for distinguished service, department excellence, safe driver, good conduct, education achievement, and exceptional service. An inventory of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of each employee is maintained to prepare the training plan and budget.

The selection of new police officers to serve the City of Mentor is an intensive process, for both the recruit as well as for the department. The entire process is monitored by the City Civil Service Commission, insuring that all established procedures are followed and all candidates have a fair chance of being hired. It is important that the best eligible person is selected for appointment. The process includes written tests, background checks, physical agility, medical, and polygraph,  among others.

Training is the viable function that prepares the committed officer to safely meet every challenge of the job and to make sure our officers go home to their families at the end of their shift. The Mentor Police Department sets the training benchmark standard that others in the industry emulate. Our commitment to training maintains our department on the cutting edge of police professionalism.

The Mentor Police Department’s Personnel and Training Unit’s motto states: “Training Today’s Police Officers as Tomorrow’s Professionals.” The goal nationwide is to professionalize the police industry by the year 2050. For a field of study to become a profession, prerequisites include a governing body, a minimum education/training requirement in a specific field of study, and lateral entry. The concept of lateral entry may be the most difficult hurdle to achieve in the law enforcement profession.

The Mentor Police Department trains our officers in community policing techniques. Our police officers take a proactive approach to serve and educate the citizens of the City of Mentor to protect our children, senior citizens, residents and visitors alike.

Training is legally, morally, and ethically required for all law enforcement personnel. During 2010, the Mentor Police Department invested more than 9,400 hours in training, to maintain and improve the skill levels of sworn officers and civilian employees. These areas included but were not limited to homeland security, legal updates, defensive driving tactics, and computer training. Specialized training involves units that require specific skills to their specialty such as hostage negotiators, SWAT, the bomb squad, detective bureau, bicycle unit, evidence technicians, crime prevention, and newly promoted staff members.

A major focus of the training unit has been on developing our first and second level supervisors (sergeants and lieutenants), to be ready to take over upper management positions when the time comes. Several patrol supervisors have been sent to the 10 week Northwestern University Center for Public Safety’s School of Police Staff and Command.  One supervisor will attend the FBI’s National Academy this Fall.  The goal is to have all supervisors attend one of these courses of study.

The Patrol Division is responsible for accomplishing a major portion of the police department’s goals.  While training the men and women of the Mentor Police Department, we continually strive to incorporate realistic scenarios as much as possible. The “hands-on / what if”’ situations reflect real life incidents. This gives the officers more “tools for their toolbox” as points of reference. Previous studies have shown that scenario-based training experiences are retained longer and the officers enjoy this type of training.

The Ohio Peace Officers Training Commission (OPOTC) governs training requirements at the state level. The OPTC mandates Continuing Professional Training (CPT) for each sworn police officer in the State of Ohio. We welcome this requirement to keep all law enforcement agencies statewide ‘”on the same page” and to maintain a high standard. Many of the Mentor Police Department’s training requirements are higher than the state mandates. To include a few, MPD requires all sworn officers to attend twice as many driving courses and firearms / range training sessions than the Ohio Peace Officers Training Commission requires.

The department’s Career Development Program (CDP) assists in guiding individuals pursuing personal career goals while achieving departmental goals. For example, patrol officers may choose to “branch-out” to career choices under the sub-divisions of administrative (supervisory) or investigative (pursue detective bureau positions). Many officers prefer and enjoy working the streets for their entire police career with the option to join specialty units such as the bike unit, SWAT, bomb squad, or K-9 unit. The CDP tracks and directs each officer’s training to focus on these goals. In any branch, qualified personnel may choose to become instructors in specialized units such as firearms, driving, defensive tactics, investigation techniques,  and/or teach basic academy subjects.

As we pursue our core values of Integrity, Caring, Fairness and Professionalism, the Mentor Police Department will continue to exceed expectations to keep the City of Mentor as the “City of Choice.”