23-201 Legal Update (Required)

A three-hour course highlighting pertinent court decisions and significant pieces of legislation that affect police operations and investigations. Lessons will address changes and updates to the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, Vehicle Code, and Rules of Criminal Procedures as well as decisions from Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth, Superior and Supreme Courts, various Federal Courts, and the United States Supreme Court. A final segment of the course will focus on topics such as the issue of excessive charging by police officers and the different jurisdiction and authority of the various law enforcement agencies and officers throughout the Commonwealth. The course will also take a thorough look at issues officers have faced which either helped or hindered court decisions and the outcomes concerning such decisions.

23-301 Tactical Communications (Required)

A three-hour course that will help officers recognize and identify components of a crisis event. Lessons will focus on officer responses that help initiate safe resolution and de-escalation of aggressive actions, as well as communication methods and techniques which have proven effective in bringing a crisis event to a safe conclusion through voluntary compliance.

23-401 Criminal Investigations (Elective)

A three-hour course, structured as three independent sections, that will provide an overview of investigations, including the concept of investigative sufficiency, evidence collection, report writing, and courtroom testimony, as well as an in-depth look at burglary and death investigations.

23-501 Officer Wellness (Elective)

A three-hour course exploring the effects of trauma experienced by police officers in the line duty, with a focus on identifying successful coping strategies that can be incorporated into a personalized wellness plan and highlighting available resources. The course will take a close look at various obstacles impacting officers’ ability and willingness to seek help when it is needed. Themes throughout the course will be the responsibility officers have to themselves, as well as to notice when their fellow officers are exhibiting signs of trauma and the appropriate intervention strategies they can use to help.