The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) is offering two courses in 2020 to enable law enforcement agencies to meet new requirements created under I-940.
I-940, now referred to as the Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act (LETCSA), requires all law enforcement officers to undergo 40 hours of training related to violence, de-escalation, and mental health. The required training is split into a 24-hour patrol tactics course and a 16-hour implicit and explicit bias training.
- Officers certified by CJTC after December 7, 2019, will complete the required training while in the Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) and every three years after exiting the academy.
- Officers certified by CJTC before December 7, 2019, are required to complete the 40 hours of training by 2028, and again every three years.
- Reserve officers are not required to complete the training.
CJTC offers two courses to assist law enforcement agencies in providing the required 24-hour training. The first course is an 80-hour Train-the-Trainer course that certifies attendees to teach the 24-hour in-service training to other officers, including officers from different departments. This course covers all topics required for the 24-hour course as well as additional sections covering:
- Mindset and effects on perception
- Scenario construction and safe effective class conduct
- Use of video recording during teaching and testing
- Components of learning goals and performance objectives and the appropriate use of each
To save costs and ensure adequate staffing levels, agencies may form partnerships to send officers to the Train-the-Trainer course. Certified trainers could then provide the required training at a regional level.
The second course is a 24-hour in-service training covering topics all required topics for LETCSA such as:
- Threat recognition, prioritization, and response
- High-risk handcuffing
- Contact and cover
- Care after fire
This course will be offered several times in 2020 at locations around the state. This course is a principle and reality-based training. It is not intended to lecture officers while seated in a classroom setting.
Currently, only the 24-hour patrol tactics training is available. We will inform you when the 16-hour implicit and explicit bias course becomes available.
RMSA is following the development of required LETCSA training to assist members with awareness of the law and available resources for training.
If you have any questions regarding CJTC trainings, please contact Jerrell Wills, Program Manager, Deescalation.