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be applied and then be returned for a period of debriefing, reflection, and retraining <br />before solo street duty. <br /> <br />The selection of good FTOs is critical. However, there are few incentives to become a <br />FTO. In order for an officer to qualify to become a FTO, the officer must express <br />interest, be off probation, and successfully complete an eight-hour FTO training <br />course. And the assignment does involve additional work. Aside from day-to-day <br />training and mentoring duties, the FTO is required to complete daily evaluations. As <br />is the case in many departments, the pool of officers interested in becoming FTOs is <br />limited. <br /> <br /> Recommendation No. 34: The department must attract its best officers to the <br /> Field Training Officer (FTO) program. <br /> <br /> Discussion: Some departments offer incentive programs (additional pay or <br /> time off) to encourage officers to become FTOs. However, that tends to attract <br /> those seeking the incentive more than those seeking the challenge of shaping <br /> the department's future. Incentives and recognition are admirable and can be <br /> appropriate. However, to surface the best suited officers to become FTOs, <br /> there must be departmental pride in the assignment. This requires the <br /> department to establish and recognize the FTO role as a vital and valuable <br /> position. It must also be re~nembered that FTOs are facilitators of adult <br /> learn, ing and should be interested in performing that duty~ <br /> <br /> Recommendation No. 35: Academy and FTO training should contain a strong <br /> ethics component that instills the values of the department in every potential <br /> officer. <br /> <br /> 5O <br /> <br /> <br />