Black River/St. Lawrence Valley Law Enforcement Training Academy
The Watertown Police Department operates the Black River/St. Lawrence Valley Police Academy, which is a regional NY State Municipal Police Training Council (MPTC) approved police academy administering the Basic Course for Police Officers. The Basic Course for Police Officers is a 26-week course for new police recruits.
The Basic Course for Police Officers covers a wide range of topics including but not limited to, Ethics & Professionalism, Cultural Diversity, Bias Related Incidents, Professional Communication, Persons with Disabilities, Crisis Intervention, Use of Physical Force & Deadly Force, Active Shooter Response and Decision Making. Police recruits are also mandated to complete numerous Reality Based Training Scenarios to better prepare them for the situations they will encounter on the job.
The basic course is followed by 14-weeks of field training, which is the time for new recruits to put their classroom training to use on the street while being directly supervised by a Field Training Officer. Upon successful completion of both the police academy training and the field training, a new recruit becomes certified as a police officer in NY State. Currently, the police academy operates primarily from the campus of Jefferson Community College.
In-Service Training
The Watertown Police Department requires that all sworn personnel receive at least 21 hours of in-service training annually. This training includes, at a minimum, firearms training, legal updates, a review of the use of force and the use of deadly force.
Training Records
The Training Division maintains a record of all officer training and ensures that officers are in compliance with NYS certification and accreditation standards.
Specialized Training
The division schedules and manages any additional specialized training provided to officers. Some specialized training is hosted by the Watertown Police Department and conducted locally while some training is hosted by outside agencies.
Additional specialized training opportunities include:
Training Director
Sgt. Dennis O'Brien
(315)786-2631
dobrien@watertown-ny.gov
