Virtual Defensive Tactics Refresher Program

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

Maricopa County Adult Probation Department (APD) and Maricopa County Juvenile Probation Department’s (JPD) probation and surveillance officers are required by state statute and code to complete eight hours of defensive tactics (DT) refresher training every calendar year. The training and the skills taught in the refresher sharpen the officers’ ability to perform optimally in a use-of-force encounter. The refresher is usually taught in-person in a group setting, but in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines prescribed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the training teams from APD and JPD planned, proposed, and ultimately converted the refresher training into a high-quality virtual format that 1) maintains the safety standards taught in the in-person refresher, and 2) respects the health of the officer and those they supervise in the community. The Virtual DT refresher program involves videoconferencing with trainers, who demonstrate the DT and provide specific feedback to officers who virtually demonstrate the tactics in the safety of their own home. A survey of officers who took the Virtual DT refresher in 2020 indicate that 86% of respondents found the training helpful in updating them on the skills and knowledge of DT; and 87% were satisfied with the virtual format of the training.