LEPSL Capstone: Training Requirements from a Multiagency Gang Task Force M.O.U. Project

Task Force Training

Gang investigations require specialized knowledge and carry substantial safety and liability risks (National Gang Intelligence Center, 2015). The task force will address these risks through comprehensive initial training, coupled with regular training updates for the team and their law enforcement partners. 

Initial Training Requirements

            All new team members will complete initial training within a year of joining the task force. The curriculum will include classes on street gang investigations and intelligence training, similar to courses offered by the California Gang Investigators Association and the U.S. Department of Justice through the National Gang Center. New team members will also complete POST-Certified trainings covering search warrant writing, intelligence gathering, informant management, and social media investigations (California POST, ND). Additionally, new task force members will receive specialized training related to the specific crimes the gangs they are investigating are involved in (e.g., narcotics, human trafficking, ID theft).

            Given the elevated danger associated with gang investigations, new team members will also complete a series of tactics-related training, including use of force updates, de-escalation techniques, search warrant service tactics, vehicle stops, and Vehicle Containment Technique (VCT) training, and a POST-certified Law Enforcement Casualty Care class (California POST, ND). All course work must be completed within the first year on the team.

            Team Leaders will undergo additional training covering leadership's role in operational planning, execution, and contingency response. Classes will include ICS training (FEMA, 2017) and courses for team leaders and commanders comparable to related National Tactical Officer's Association or the California Narcotics Officers Association courses (NTOA, ND). 

Ongoing Training Requirements

            Team members are also required to attend quarterly training updates tied to their gang enforcement work. The Unit Commander or their designee will conduct an annual training gap analysis to determine the year's training topics and focus. Subjects will include tactics, investigations, and current trends in the field. Attending annual training conferences by state or national associations focused on gang enforcement, or training provided by vetted outside vendors, may fulfill portions of this training requirement.

            As task force members gain experience, they will establish themselves as subject matter experts. One of the best ways to support the Task Force Mission is by regularly providing training to contributing agencies' patrol officers and detectives. Each team member will provide an annual training update to their home agency outlining gang-related crime trends and investigative approaches, highlighting ways the task force can support the local law enforcement agency. 

Training Coordination & Documentation

            The Task Force Commander or their designee will be responsible for tracking and maintaining unit training records. The task force will hold all lesson plans and documents related to attendance and qualification in a single database. These records will be retained throughout the time an officer is assigned to the unit and for at least three years after they leave the task force.  Additionally, copies of all training records will be forwarded to each task force member's home agency on an annual basis to be added to their department's personnel records. 

            The Task Force Commander or their designee is also responsible for training record reviews and audits designed to ensure team members have met their initial and ongoing training requirements outlined in this section.

References:

California POST. California POST Catalogue. California POST Commission on Police Officer Standards.  https://catalog.post.ca.gov/Default.aspx

FEMA (2017). FEMA Emergency Management Institute. ICS Resource Center. https://training.fema.gov/emiweb/is/icsresource/referencedocuments/

National Gang Intelligence Center (2015). National Gang Report: 2015. (p. 13). National Gang Intelligence Center. 

National Tactical Officers Association.  NTOA Training Courses. National Tactical Officers Association. https://public.ntoa.org/default.asp?action=trainingschedule