Recruit conservation warden field training: A qualitative analysis of the San Jose Police Department Field Training Model applied to natural resource law enforcement
| Published date | 01 September 2021 |
| Date | 01 September 2021 |
| DOI | 10.1177/14613557211016491 |
| Author | Matthew Groppi |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Recruit conservation warden field training:
A qualitative analysis of the San Jose Police
Department Field Training Model applied
to natural resource law enforcement
Matthew Groppi
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, La Crosse, WI, USA
Abstract
This article reviews the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing (hereafter President’s Task Force) findings on law
enforcement field training. The President’s Task Force was critical of the San Jose Police Department Field Training Model
(hereafter the San Jose Model), the most common model used by law enforcement agencies within the United States.
These criticisms were the impetus for an assessment of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Law
Enforcement Field Training Program which was based on the San Jose Model. The WDNR employs conservation wardens
who primarily enforce wildlife, environmental, and recreatio nal vehicle laws. This study evaluates the strengths and
weaknesses of the WDNR field training program throug h surveys of the perception s and experiences of the fiel d
training officers, recruit conservation wardens, and warden supervisors. These findings also permit analysis regarding
the criticisms identified by the President’s Task Force. The author found very little existing research pertaining to field
training programs and little existing research on conservation law enforcement. The findings of this study persuaded
command staff within the WDNR to follow the recommendations of the President’s Task Force and adopt the Police
Training Officer (PTO) Model because it incorporated adult learning concepts, problem-based learning, and was more
focused on community policing. Practical applications for other agencies are discussed and needs for future empirical
research related to law enforcement field training are identified.
Keywords
Conservation law enforcement, field training, law enforcement training, Presidential Task Force, community policing,
problem-based learning, adult learning, game warden, conservation warden, police training
Submitted 09 Jun 2020, Revise received 07 Dec 2020, accepted 15 Apr 2021
Introduction
In 2014, largely as the result of the civil unrest across the
country related to high-profile officer-involved shootings,
President Barack Obama created the President’s Task
Force on 21st Century Policing. The President’s Task Force
facilitated seven hearings that included testimony from 140
witnesses; they also reviewed written testimony offered by
hundreds of additional witnesses and members of the pub-
lic. In their final report, the President’s Task Force detailed
59 recommendations and 92 action items for improving
policing that were organized around six “pillars”. In the
“Training and Education” pillar, one of the President’s
Task Force’s recommendations was to “improve field train-
ing officer programs” (President’s Task Force, 2015).
Much of the President’s Task Force’s criticism regard-
ing police field training officer programs centered on the
San Jose Model which was created over 40 years ago.
Largely concluding that the San Jose Model was outdated,
the President’s Task Force instead recommended the Police
Corresponding author:
Matthew Groppi, Wisco nsin Department of Nat ural Resources, 3550
Mormon Coulee Road, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA.
Email: matthew.groppi@wi.gov
International Journalof
Police Science & Management
ªThe Author(s) 2021
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DOI: 10.1177/14613557211016491
journals.sagepub.com/home/psm
2021, Vol. 23(3) 253–264
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