EDMONTON POLICE SERVICE AND CPKN OFFER HATE AND BIAS TRAINING - September 28, 2005
A new e-learning course, created by the Edmonton Police Service and offered by the Canadian Police Knowledge Network (CPKN), will help police officers identify trends and intelligence on hate and bias groups, allow for appropriate resource allocation to protect those most victimized and help the Crown invoke Section 718.2 of the Criminal Code of Canada against perpetrators of hate and bias crimes through improved reporting and investigative techniques.
The "Hate and Bias Crime Investigation" training course, delivered via CPKN's secure Internet portal (www.cpkn.ca), helps police officers understand the significance and frequency of hate and bias crimes. The course also explains the reasons why hate and bias crimes occur, identifies the officer's responsibilities during the investigation and clearly outlines how to successfully write and file reports. By understanding the ideologies of hate groups and the tools they use to spread hate and bias, police services will be better able to develop a proactive approach in eradicating hate and bias crimes in their community.
Subject Matter Experts, Constables Dave Huggins and Stephen Camp, have invested more than three years of research and experience in the field of hate and bias crime investigation and have established and manage the Edmonton Police Service's Hate and Bias Crime Unit. This course highlights this experience, and will provide value for any front-line officer or hate and bias crimes specialist.
Even though numerous sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms protect every individual's rights equally, hate and bias crimes continue to be perpetrated. According to Statistics Canada, twelve major police services reported a total of 928 hate crime incidents from 2001-2002. Hate crimes, however, are the most underreported crimes in the Criminal Code and statistics are estimated to capture only 10 percent of the actual number of hate and bias crimes. Other studies have estimated that there could be approximately 60,000 hate crimes committed annually in Canada.
Research indicates that when proactive strategies to fight these crimes are adopted, hate and bias crimes traditionally decline. Recent examples in Canada include the shut down of "The Heritage Front" hate line in Toronto along with a similar White Supremacist group in Winnipeg because of the cooperation between police, community groups and the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
To try a free demo, register or for more information on the Hate and Bias Crime Investigation course, please click here.
METH LAB TRAINING NOW AVAILABLE FOR FRONT LINE OFFICERS - July 29, 2005
According to Detective Darcy Strang of the Edmonton Police Service, "if (Methamphetamine) has not yet arrived in your community, there is a good chance that it will in the years to come." In order to help combat this growing problem in Canada and to prevent its migration from the West, Detective Strang, the Edmonton Police Service and the Canadian Police Knowledge Network (CPKN) have partnered to develop the "Meth Lab: First Responder" e-learning course
"It is imperative that police have a good working knowledge of what a meth lab can look like in order to prevent inadvertent contamination," stated Detective Strang. "Because meth is easily produced, ingredients are readily available at local stores and it can yield high profit margins, more and more amateur clandestine labs are being set-up by individuals who simply don't understand the hazards." The presence of toxic chemicals, combustible materials, booby traps and potentially armed meth users make meth lab investigations extremely dangerous.
The "Meth Lab: First Responder" e-learning course, delivered via CPKN's secure internet portal (www.cpkn.ca) educates and trains police officers to understand the specific risks associated with meth addicts and clandestine laboratories. By understanding the methods of production, its trends, effects and symptoms, officers will be more effective in detecting lab locations, safely managing meth users and safeguarding against potential hazards present in a first response action, thus aiding in the overall protection of the community.
Detective Strang, who has undergone intensive training and received certification in Clandestine Laboratory Detection and Response from the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), provided the content and subject matter expertise to develop the course. He has interdicted numerous "super-labs" within Edmonton, is actively involved in purchasing meth in an undercover capacity and has been qualified as an expert in Methamphetamine, meth labs, cocaine, pills, marijuana and marijuana production in all levels of court.
"This course is an inexpensive method of disseminating effective, essential information concerning a drug that the DEA has labeled as being the most destructive drug they have ever seen in the US," noted Detective Strang. Meth is highly addictive, can cause kidney, liver and brain cell damage, insomnia and loss of appetite. Meth can also cause more dangerous psychological effects such as memory loss, paranoia and social isolation, which can lead to aggressive behaviour, violence and crime (typically fraud and identity theft). "If pot is a cold, then cocaine is the flu and meth is Aids," added Detective Strang.
To try a free demo, register or for more information on the Meth Lab: First Responder course, please click here.
WINNIPEG POLICE SERVICE & CPKN LAUNCH NEW SEARCH AND SEIZURE: WARRANTLESS AUTHORITIES COURSE - June 27, 2005
Search and Seizure: Warrantless Authorities, a new e-learning course that educates police officers in the procedures that must be taken in order to lawfully conduct an effective search and/or seizure, is now being offered through the CPKN portal.
CPKN worked in collaboration with Subject Matter Expert's Staff Sergeant Gord Friesen and Sergeant John Burchill of the Winnipeg Police Service to develop the course.
A police officer's due diligence is imperative in conducting a warrantless search and/or seizure. Seized evidence is often the foundation of a criminal charge. Conducting a lawful search and/or seizure is a critical element in avoiding the exclusion of seized evidence from trial, ensuring a complete and lawful trial can occur.
This course will allow both junior and experienced front-line officers to gain an understanding of the lawful authorities that permit a warrantless search and/or seizure. While it provides an introduction to one area of search and seizure, many other authorities exist in the form of search warrants, authorizations and statutes. The Search and Seizure: Warrantless Authorities course encompasses many of the most common circumstances faced by front-line officers.
To try a demo, register or for detailed course information on the Search and Seizure: Warrantless Authorities course, please click here.
OACP Highlights - June 22, 2005
The 2005 Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) Conference wrapped up this week. The theme of this year's conference was "Emerging Issues: Make Sense of Policing Tomorrow."
While the initial sessions of the conference highlighted the changing legal landscape and internet crimes, the final two sessions of the conference focused on trends that are likely to shape the future of police human resource management, training and education.
In 2003, Human Resources Development Canada released the first-ever specific study of public policing in regards to planning, recruitment, training, promotion and retention of personnel. This report was a driving factor in the creation of the Canadian Police Sector Council (CPSC) and essentially formed the basis for the "Future Trends in Police Human Resource Management" session. The panel reminded the audience that the most valued and expensive assets in police organizations are its people and that the need for effective HR practices is becoming increasingly critical for success.
Members on the subsequent panel addressed some of these issues by presenting possible solutions in regards to future training and learning initiatives. CPKN's Vice-President, Sandy Sweet, York Regional Police Deputy Chief, Bruce Herridge, Ontario Police College Director, Rudy Gheysen and Toronto Police Service's Training Manager, Chuck Lawrence, highlighted the trends that will significantly affect police training and education in the future. E-learning was a predominant topic of the session as a possible solution to manage training challenges in this rapidly changing and increasingly complex environment.
CPKN would like to extend its thanks to the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, 2005 OACP Conference organizing committee and the host organization, Toronto Police Service, for organizing an excellent conference.
For those that did not have an opportunity to see CPKN's product demonstrations, free demos of many of our courses and products are available through CPKN's Course Catalogue.
RCMP FORENSIC LABORATORY SERVICES & CPKN TO DEVELOP BREATH TEST TRAINING PRE-COURSE - June 15, 2005
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Forensic Laboratory Services (RCMP FLS) and CPKN are pleased to announce the development of the Breath Test Training Pre-Course. This new program will certify candidates as Qualified Breath Test Technicians utilizing a new blended training approach, incorporating both e-learning and in classroom training.
CPKN and RCMP FLS previously undertook a joint project to develop two e-learning pre-course modules, originally named BAC DataMaster C/Intoxilyzer 5000C Pre-Course. After several successful pilots of these modules, an agreement between CPKN and the RCMP FLS was reached to develop the comprehensive pre course to classroom training.
The new on-line e-learning component will be a mandatory component of the overall training and must be successfully completed prior to attending the on site classroom training. The on-line component will provide participants with some of the course material that does not require hands on application with the approved instrument.
This new program will help to achieve the RCMP's Forensic Laboratory Services (FLS) National Breath Test Program objective to standardize Breath Test training for the clients served by FLS across Canada and reduce the time candidates are taken away from regular duties. This new program will decrease classroom-training time by approximately two to three days.
The new Breath Test Training Pre-Course is currently under development and is expected to be completed by early March 2006.
A demo of the course is available by visiting CPKN's Course Catalogue.
VISIT CPKN AT THE 2005 OACP CONFERENCE - June 7, 2005
CPKN Director, Sandy Sweet, will be part of a panel of officials that will discuss "Future Trends in Police Learning" on Tuesday, June 20 at 1:45 at the 2005 Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Conference (OACP) in Toronto, Ontario. CPKN, a not-for-profit organization, is Canada's leading provider of computer-based police training and education products.
OACP delegates are encouraged to visit the CPKN booth as well to view a demonstration of our e-learning and e-working products or to inquire further about the organization and the products we offer.
CPKN A BIG HIT AT THE 2005 CAPE CONFERENCE - June 6, 2005
The Canadian Association of Police Educators (CAPE) held their annual conference this past week in Slemon Park, PEI. This year's theme, "Bridging the Gap" focused on the future of police education, specifically how e-learning would play a role. With many of Canada's leading police educators and trainers in attendance, CAPE 2005 proved to be an excellent venue for CPKN to discuss police training needs, issues and future opportunities in the field of training. The general consensus is that e-learning will inevitably become an important component of police education and training in the very near future.
CPKN officials were busy during the week speaking with many CAPE delegates who were enthusiastic about e-learning and specifically working with an organization that had the technical expertise and resources as CPKN. Directors Sandy Sweet and John Arnold addressed the participants on Thursday morning and hosted tours of the course production facility in Charlottetown throughout the week.
As a result of the conference, further momentum for CPKN was generated and there is potential for new course development with some of the organizations that CPKN has engaged.
CPKN Officially Incorporated As a Not-for-Profit Organization - June 1, 2005
The Canadian Police Knowledge Network (CPKN Inc.), Canada's leading provider of computer-based police training and education (e-learning) products, is pleased to announce its official incorporation as of today. CPKN Inc. was incorporated under the Canada Corporations Act as a Part II, not-for-profit organization.
Today's incorporation provides CPKN with the flexibility to act as an autonomous organization, allowing for a natural evolution that is predicated by the needs of the police community. CPKN Inc. will be governed by its Board of Governors, while the Advisory Board will continue to play a significant role in identifying police training requirements and helping to further the goals of the organization.
CPKN was established in March 2004 in response to the growing challenges police services face in regards to training its members. Seven months later in October 2004, CPKN launched its first e-learning and e-working products to the Canadian police community. As of today, CPKN offers eight e-learning courses, more than 30 job aids and e-working tools and is set to release an additional eight e-learning courses in the near future.
CPKN Receives Positive Response at Blue Line Trade Show - May 2, 2005
The 9th Annual Blue Line Trade Show was held this past week in Markham, Ontario. CPKN officials were busy showing demonstrations of e-learning courses to a wide variety of police and public security personnel. Interesting discussions were also held with related organizations to potentially acquire content to develop new e-learning courses
CPKN is one of the featured stories and advertisers in the May issue of Blue Line Magazine, highlighting the potential of e-learning for Canadian police forces and the development of CPKN during the past 2 years. Look for the featured article on Page 16 or download it by clicking here.
CPKN Visits Western Police Officials - April 20, 2005
CPKN continued its discussions with police services and senior police personnel this past week. As well as meeting with the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, CPKN officials also visited numerous Western police services including Calgary, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Taber, Saskatoon and Winnipeg.
With positive responses from these organizations, all signs indicate that e-learning will be an important aspect of police training. CPKN continues to take the proper steps toward fulfilling their e-learning needs.
CPKN Visits Ontario Police Services - March 31, 2005
CPKN officials recently visited a number of police services in Ontario to raise its awareness in that community. During these visits, significant interest was expressed toward e-learning, with most police services indicating that they are preparing to incorporate it into their training strategy.
Comments and discussions focused on improving access to training opportunities without sacrificing quality or human resources, as well as reducing the time and costs of traditional classroom based training through both blended and stand-alone e-learning courses. Further discussions with Ontario police services and others from across Canada will generate the best approach in addressing local, provincial and national training initiatives.
New Domestic Violence Investigations Course Officially Launched - February 25, 2005
CPKN is pleased to announce that the Domestic Violence Investigations course was officially launched today. Developed in collaboration with the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS), the Domestic Violence Investigations course teaches police officers the dynamics of domestic violence, procedures for gathering evidence of injuries, investigative steps and techniques, including interviewing victims, witnesses and children and developing domestic violence safety plans.
Interested in reducing the time and costs associated with training their members in domestic violence investigations and increasing their capacity to do so, the WPS approached CPKN to discuss developing a blended e-learning solution for this training. CPKN worked with WPS Subject Matter Experts P/Sgt. Lisa Prior and D/Cst. Rick Sharma and Darren Skomoroh to develop a more engaging and effective training tool.
This new training format has allowed the WPS to reduce its domestic violence training from 5 days of classroom-based training to 2-4 hours of online learning and just 2 days of classroom training. This has doubled the WPS' annual capacity for domestic violence training while maintaining similar costs. According to P/Sgt Prior, the classroom portion of the course, which incorporates many of the practical components, is now more effective than the previous 5-day program as all participants have the knowledge in-hand and are much more focused for classroom discussions and activities.
Please view our Course Catalogue for registration information or to learn more about the Domestic Violence Investigations course.