Barbara Lawlor

Nederland

A police department is only as good as the knowledge and skills of its officers. After leaving the police academy, officers are required to continue their law enforcement education to keep up with a more complicated world, especially regarding the fast paced changes of technology and dealing with the public in evolving procedures.

Last month, Nederland Police Department Chief Paul Carrill announced that all of the NPD have undergone and successfully completed all necessary classes to be compliant with standardized training. Carrill says, "I’d like to share the incredible accomplishment of your Police Officers in 2016. Beginning in 2015, in the State of Colorado Police Officers’ Standardized Training  organization required all police officers in the state to attend and pass 24 hours of mandatory training, including: Driving, Firearms, Defensive Tactics, Proper Control Holds, Community Policing, De-escalation of Force, and Anti-bias Training. Failure to attend this annual mandatory training would result in a police officer losing his/her Law Enforcement Certification."  

Carrill says that due to this being a new law and the NPD not having an established training program, the department did not meet the training requirement in 2015.

Last year, Sgt. Larry Johns coordinated the Ned officer training program and by the end of 2016, not only did all the NPD officers meet the 24-hour POST training requirement, but wildly exceeded it. Based on documented training hours, NPD Officers ranged from 40 POST hours to 150 POST hours. "This attention and dedication to training adds to the professionalism and level of service to the community of Nederland in today’s complex world of law enforcement,"says Chief Carrill.

Those completing the POST training are: Chief Paul Carrill, Carol Mazer, Larry Johns, Darragh O'Naillian, Josh Follett, David Stage, Rick Dirr and Wes Kugel.