Coming in January 2009: Police Ethics and Accountability - December 18, 2008

In January, CPKN will release Police Ethics and Accountability, a core training course for any police or law enforcement officer. Developed in collaboration with the Justice Institute of British Columbia, this course will explore the complexities surrounding ethical decisions and dilemmas in policing.

It is understood within the policing community that the special powers granted to police officers are coupled with the public's expectations for very high ethical standards, both on and off-duty. And though deliberate acts of unethical police conduct are rare, police misconduct can occur in a variety of forms, including use of excessive force, improper conduct, acceptance of gratuities, and in some instances a criminal act. Police Ethics and Accountability focuses on ways to avoid improper and unethical conduct and will help officers avoid ethical pitfalls in their day to day duties.

This course is being developed through funding provided by the Government of Canada's Sector Council Program. Like previous courses in the Police Sector Council funded series, it will be offered free of charge during an introductory learning period (until April 30th). For full course details, please visit www.cpkn.ca/course_detail/police_ethics_e.html

OPP Contributes Content for Highway Criminal Interdiction - November 26, 2008

The Ontario Provincial Police have recently collaborated with CPKN to create an e-learning course for Highway Criminal Interdiction - Consent to Search Requirements. Based on nationally applicable content from the O.P.P.'s Highway Criminal Interdiction program, this course refers to relevant sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to explore the various aspects of consent searches, including requests for consent to search in voluntary encounters, post arrest, and post detention.

"Everyday traffic stops are incredibly important because there is always potential of exposing illegal narcotics and other contraband, identifying stolen vehicles, or even capturing wanted persons, "says Staff Sergeant Bryan MacKillop, subject matter expert for this course and lead instructor for the O.P.P.'s Highway Criminal Interdiction program. "When criminal activity is discovered, it is critical for patrol officers to be aware of the legalities of consent searches in relation to motor vehicle stops to ensure collected evidence holds up in a court of law."

Using case law examples from across the country, this 2 hour course creates a knowledge base to assist all officers in day to day operations. For more information, please visit www.cpkn.ca/course_detail/highway_criminal_e.html.

New Release: Explosives Awareness - November 21, 2008  

CPKN, in collaboration with the RCMP's Canadian Bomb Data Centre, have released Explosives Awareness, an awareness level course designed for all police and first response personnel.

In addition to describing the different types of explosives, the associated dangers, and the necessary precautions responders must take when dealing with an explosives, this course reviews the procedures and policies that must be followed when called to a situation involving explosives.

For more information on this 45 minute course, please visit www.cpkn.ca/course_detail/explosives_awareness_e.html

Aboriginal and First Nations Awareness: National Learning Pilot Underway - November 17, 2008  

Developed in collaboration with the Ontario Police College (OPC), Aboriginal and First Nations Awareness is the third of four courses in a national e-learning series funded by the Police Sector Council to be launched at CPKN. Like other courses in this series (Firearms Identification for Public Agents and Recognition of Emotionally Disturbed Persons), this course may be accessed by members of the Canadian law enforcement community for free during an introductory learning period (November 17, 2008 - February 28th, 2009).

As a distinct component of Canadian society, awareness of the unique history and culture of Aboriginal populations is a fundamental factor in effective communication and interaction with First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples and communities.

"To deal with the issues facing Aboriginal communities today, it's important to understand the Aboriginal point of view in both historical and cultural contexts," says Mr. Bill Stephens, Deputy Director of the Ontario Police College, sponsor of this learning initiative. "Due to the nature of their role, police in particular need to understand the Aboriginal perspective to effectively contribute to the health and safety of the people and communities they serve. Respecting diversity is an integral part of our training at OPC, and we are happy to share our experience in Aboriginal awareness training with the police communities across the country."

Delivered in four comprehensive units, the Aboriginal and First Nations Awareness course provides a basic overview of the history and geography of Aboriginal peoples as the foundation to the contemporary issues of Aboriginal lands, cultures, and communities. In addition to examining the differences between Aboriginal and traditional Western cultures and how culture influences the Aboriginal way of life, communication, and points of view, this course explores the demographic characteristics of Aboriginal peoples and how they perceive their relationships with the land.

This learning package was developed as a joint effort between OPC and CPKN. The content development team for the course involved researchers and subject matter experts in race relations training at the OPC. Several prominent First Nations Elders and Traditional Teachers were also consulted, and provided valuable advice, prior to and during development. Subject matter experts on Aboriginal communities and policing from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Ontario Provincial Police have also contributed significantly to the design and development of the course by serving as reviewers of the instructional material.

As an introductory level course, it is suitable for all members of the police and law enforcement communities. For a full course description or registration information, please visit www.cpkn.ca/course_detail/aboriginal_awareness_e.html .

CACP and CPKN Announce e-Learning Endorsement Process - November 3, 2008  

In recent months, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and CPKN have been working toward an enhanced relationship to promote e-learning to a national police audience. A primary element of this collaboration is the creation of a CACP e-learning endorsement process for CPKN courseware. Designed to validate e-learning design and development procedures, the endorsement process will add a consistent, structured national perspective to quality assurance. It will also further strengthen CPKN's ability to identify and develop key training initiatives to meet the frontline needs of the sector.

Representing Canadian police services at municipal, regional, provincial, and federal levels, the CACP is dedicated to the support and promotion of efficient law enforcement and to the protection and security of the people of Canada. Working through committees and active liaison with various levels of government, the CACP pursues numerous initiatives on behalf of the policing sector. Amid some of the most complex and important matters facing policing in Canada today, the CACP recognizes frontline officer training to be a primary factor in achieving the highest possible level of public safety and security for all Canadians.

Since 2006, the CACP has endorsed CPKN's mandate to provide online training to fulfill the training needs of the Canadian police community. And while that mandate remains the same, the process of how that online training is selected, developed, and delivered is continually evolving.

"Canada's policing sector has been moving towards an increasingly collaborative model for developing and delivering training," says Steven Chabot, Deputy Director General of the Sûreté du Québec and CACP President. "Web-based delivery has made knowledge sharing and cross-jurisdictional training more feasible than ever. The technology is proven - - we now need to focus on a means to ensure that the training put out there is based on recognized best practices from services across the country. An endorsement process whereby a national body can analyze and authenticate the rigors associated with a training course is a critical component of that overall approach."

The CACP endorsement process will assess CPKN learning products against identified best practices for course training standards, instructional design, course development, and quality reviews. CACP's HR Committee, a nationally represented body that facilitates the exchange of ideas, procedures, and information relating to human resource issues in policing, will conduct audits of the development process for select CPKN courses. Following a review of the documentation associated with an established nine step development process, and CPKN's adherence to that process, the HR Committee will put forward a recommendation to the CACP Board of Directors to issue an endorsement.

"This process is indicative of the growing sense of ownership that the policing sector feels for CPKN," says Sandy Sweet, President and CEO of CPKN. "While we've always been a 'for police, by police' entity, the past couple of years have brought a more cooperative approach to the exchange of knowledge and information between police services. As this trend continues, CPKN is increasingly recognized as the one of the means to achieve collaborative training objectives. "

Any CPKN course that demonstrates applicability to a national police audience is eligible for consideration under the endorsement process. While new courses will be given priority, existing courses from the CPKN catalogue may also be submitted for review. For courses that successfully fulfill the requirements of the endorsement process, CPKN will be permitted to use CACP's logo on course-specific promotional materials.

"We're extremely pleased with CACP's involvement," says Sweet. "The endorsement process is not only a significant step in substantiating the quality of our products, but will also produce a more inclusive, sector-based approach in the overall process."

OPVTA Authorizes National Distribution of Characteristics of an Armed Person - November 3, 2008  

Recently, the Ontario Police Video Training Alliance (OPVTA), a non-profit organization that produces professional, high-quality video training packages for police services, authorized the release of OPVTA-produced content to a national police audience. Until now, OPVTA videos have been available only to its membership. The release is part of a pilot project with the Canadian Police Knowledge Network (CPKN) to explore the feasibility of online video-based training for the Canadian police community.

Earlier this year, as part of its internal training curriculum, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) developed Characteristics of an Armed Person, an online training course to help police officers recognize the behaviours and actions that identify an individual carrying a concealed weapon. In addition to audio- and text-based narratives and specific case law, this course incorporates segments of OPTVA-produced video to demonstrate concepts in ways that still images could never achieve. Recognizing that it could be used by other agencies to improve officer safety, TPS made the course available to a wider police audience via the CPKN online learning portal. However, at that time, due to the inclusion of OPVTA video, access was restricted to OPVTA members.

But as a result of recent discussions, OPVTA has now granted permission for the course to be made available to all Canadian police audiences through the CPKN portal. As part of this agreement, the course will continue to be offered free of charge to the OPVTA membership while non-members will pay a $25 registration fee for the 45 minute course. Furthermore, this course will be used as a benchmark to examine the technological aspects of delivering video training online to Canadian police officers.

"At present, OPVTA provides video programs to more than 24,000 Ontario police officers representing 90 Ontario police services," says Sgt. Michael Knight, member of the Aylmer Police Service and Chair of OPVTA. "But we recognize the potential demand for our training products extends to a much wider market and that new delivery methods that enable us to reach audiences more efficiently must be explored."

As a six time winner of the Law Enforcement Video Association's Award of Distinction and 150 other major awards, OPVTA is internationally recognized for its extensive, high quality video training catalogue. All programs, which feature the expertise, officers, citizens and locations from a variety of member jurisdictions, are shot and edited by members of the Niagara Regional Police Video Unit and are distributed by DVD to member organizations.

"OPVTA's decision to explore online delivery is nothing but good news for Canada's policing sector," says Geoff Gruson, Executive Director of the Police Sector Council. "It's just another example of how the sector is working to find new ways to collaborate to support the learning needs of every police officer in Canada."

Over the coming months, Sgt. Knight says OPVTA will continue to investigate the demand, technical aspects, and options for an online delivery model that would serve to benefit both its current membership as well as an extended national audience.

"This is new territory for us," says Knight, "but in order to keep pace with the demands of the training industry, we believe it important to explore new ideas and available technologies that help us to fulfill our mandate. And if we can find ways to share some of our resources with the larger community, it's all the better."

Diversity Training: TPS Shares LGBT Issues - October 14, 2008  

Tolerance and acceptance of the distinct cultures and groups that make up our communities is an important part of Canada's national identity. Apart from the wider community, however, these groups are often faced with unique issues and challenges. For police, enhanced awareness of these issues is key to communicating and interacting with these groups in an informed and respectful manner.

As Canada's largest municipal police service in one of the country's most diverse cities, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) is particularly responsive to the need for diversity training for its officers. Recently, TPS, in association with the Toronto Women's Bathhouse Committee and other community partners created the LGBT Issues e-learning course. Highlighting concerns and issues specific to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community, this course provides valuable information to assist officers effectively execute their duties within this community. Recognizing the value of this information for other services, TPS has generously agreed to share this course with the Canadian police sector at large through the CPKN online learning portal.

"As Canada's largest urban area, Toronto is an epicenter for diversity," says Superintendant Darren Smith, head of the Training and Education Unit at the TPS and a subject matter expert for this course. "But we also recognize that, to varying degrees, jurisdictions across the country are dealing with the same issues and needs within their communities. We believe that sharing experience-based knowledge through a network like CPKN benefits not only other police personnel but also these same communities."

Using video and a variety of interactive exercises, the one hour LGBT Issues course identifies common terms used in the LGBT and trans community and describes the differences and similarities of domestic related investigations between the LGBT and straight communities. It also addresses the challenges of conducting searches of "trans" persons who have been arrested.

This is the second training course that TPS has distributed via CPKN. Earlier this summer, Characteristics of an Armed Person was made available to all members of the Ontario Police Video Training Alliance (OPVTA). Recently, OPVTA has granted access to this course for all police officers.

For more information about either of these courses, please visit CPKN course catalogue at www.cpkn.ca/course_list_e.html .

Breaking the News: Death Notification Training - September 16, 2008  

Notifying a family of a loved one's sudden death is one of the most difficult and stressful tasks police officers perform. In these situations, officers must not only deal with the shock and grief of the family, but also their own emotions. Training is crucial for preparing police, emergency response personnel, and other support workers to communicate with survivors in an informed and competent way during a tragic situation.

For several years, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada), a charitable organization committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime, has offered death notification training to members of the first response and victim support network across Canada. Recently, CPKN partnered with MADD Canada to adapt its traditional seminar-based Death Notification training program to an online format.

"When you knock on that door, you know there is a strong possibility that you may be about to change someone's life forever," says Lloyd Grahame, a retired Windsor police officer, MADD Canada death notification trainer, and lead subject matter expert for the online transition project. "Learning how to deliver such devastating news in the best possible way can go a long way in easing the pain and shock of surviving family members."

While MADD Canada's team of death notification trainers have provided training on the most current and compassionate approaches to death notification to tens of thousands of individuals across Canada, this new web-based delivery model will reach audiences even in the most remote areas of the country.

Focusing on building the confidence of those who are tasked with delivering difficult messages, the Death Notification course includes information on dealing with personal apprehensions, how to prepare for a notification, understanding survivor reactions, answering questions, and what an officer should and should not do and say during this time. Every aspect of this course is designed to instruct an officer on the best ways to empower the bereaved and enable them to take control of their own grieving process and begin to heal.

For more information about this course, please visit www.cpkn.ca/course_detail/death_notification_e.html .

Coming Sept 1st: Recognition of Emotionally Disturbed Persons - August 21, 2008  

On September 1st, CPKN will launch a free learning pilot of Recognition of Emotionally Disturbed Persons, an introductory e-learning course to help law enforcement personnel manage situations involving individuals in crisis.

Disturbing incidents involving mentally ill and emotionally disturbed persons (EDPs) have become increasingly common among the headlines of Canada's national media. However, these often tragic events represent only a fraction of the calls that law enforcement personnel respond to on a daily basis. Police and other first responders are regularly called upon to assess, manage, and diffuse situations involving individuals in crisis. These cases can be stressful, demanding, and among the most challenging situations that an officer deals with.

In cities, towns, and rural communities across the country, police and other first response personnel are called to situations involving family crisis, violence, substance abuse, unusual behaviour, or altered mental status. Every case has potential to reach a crisis point and risk the safety of the person involved, bystanders, and responders to the scene. And when an event results in injury or death, the policies and tactics used by police are often scrutinized by the public at large. As such, the ability of first responders to recognize emotionally disturbed individuals from those with criminal intent and apply appropriate response strategies is essential for de-escalating these types of situations.

"Over the last thirty years, deinstitutionalization, the policy that favours treating patients in the community rather than in psychiatric hospitals, has undoubtedly placed higher demands on first response services," says Dr. Bianca Lauria-Horner, an Assistant Professor at Dalhousie University's Department of Psychiatry, Project Director and a Subject Matter Expert for the Recognition of Emotionally Disturbed Persons course. "The number of contacts front line responders have with emotionally disturbed persons has increased substantially and there is a recognized need for training to help responders appropriately manage these situations. In a crisis event, proper training can mean the difference between a peaceful resolution and a tragedy."

Recognition of Emotionally Disturbed Persons reviews the various categories of EDPs and provides recommended response strategies and approaches to deal with individuals in crisis. As an introductory-level course, it is designed to build first responders' confidence in dealing with EDPs they encounter in the field and prevent unnecessary and unwarranted criminalization and victimization of mentally ill individuals.

This two hour online course is a component of a project initiated by Dalhousie University's Department of Psychiatry, the Nova Scotia Department of Justice, and the law enforcement community to develop a First Responder Training Program to help front line enforcement officers deal with crisis situations involving EDPs. Funded by the Police Sector Council, it is the second in a series of four e-learning courses being developed by CPKN for Canada's law enforcement community. It will be launched on the CPKN portal on September 1st and will be offered free of charge until December 31st. This introductory pilot period will be used to collect learner feedback on this course and attitudes toward e-learning which will be applied to future training initiatives.

For more information about this course, please visit: www.cpkn.ca/course_detail/emotionally_disturbed_e.html

Police Sector Council Funds National e-learning Initiative - July 4, 2008  

The Police Sector Council (PSC) and CPKN have signed an agreement to develop four e-learning courses. Funded through the Government of Canada's Sector Council Program, each course has been selected for relevance to a nationwide police audience and will be delivered in both official languages. Furthermore, during the initial months after release, each course will be offered at no cost to members of the Canadian police community for a designated introductory period.

The first course in this series, Firearms Identification for Public Agents, has been completed and is available free of charge to police and other public agent organizations across the country until November 30th. In the coming months, Recognition of Emotionally Disturbed Persons, Introduction to Aboriginal and First Nations Issues, and Police Ethics and Accountability will also be released.

"Enhancing the scope of skills development and learning opportunities for police are core components of the Council's function," says Geoff Gruson, Executive Director of the Police Sector Council. "e-Learning has proven to be an effective means of delivering consistent training to front-line officers across the country and has potential to alleviate some of the significant training challenges facing the sector today."

PSC and CPKN first tested the concept of pan-Canadian online learning last year with the CPIC Query/Narrative course. Developed in collaboration with the Canadian Police Information Centre, this course was piloted nationally during the fall of 2007 and attracted thousands of learners from the law enforcement community. PSC-subsidized courses like CPIC and Firearms Identification for Public Agents present a very cost effective means for police services to provide essential training for their members. With development costs already covered, these courses can be offered at no charge for an introductory period, then continue to be accessed for a minimal administrative fee - CPIC, for example, is available for $25 per user.

"The Police Sector Council is playing an increasingly vital role in facilitating accessible police training," says Sandy Sweet, President and CEO of CPKN. "The Council recognizes the looming demands facing the sector and is taking a proactive approach on behalf of all stakeholders. For CPKN's part, we're extremely pleased to apply our experience and expertise to support the Council's mandate."

A national e-learning Steering Committee has been put in place to oversee this initiative. Comprised of individuals from organizations representing various segments of the Canadian policing sector, this Committee will provide direction on each project and input on course selection for future projects.

"This Committee's advice and guidance is not only an important part of this particular initiative," says Nadine Sutcliffe, VP and Manager of Operations at CPKN, "but also extends to other CPKN projects. We rely on the continual input of the sector to ensure the content, design, and delivery of courseware is meeting the needs of the Canadian police community."

"This initiative demonstrates a great partnership and a newfound level of collaboration among police agencies," says Mr. Gruson. "Each course features one or more Content Provider organizations that are willing to share expertise and knowledge with the wider community, an informal peer review process whereby subject matter experts across Canada contribute feedback on course content, and the multi-organizational Steering Committee to oversee the entire project and ensure the courses are successfully implemented to the benefit of all police services."

The three remaining courses in this series are at various stages of development and are scheduled to be launched throughout the summer and fall. During the free introductory periods of each course, data collected from learners, primarily related to demographics and attitudes towards course content and delivery methods, will be used to evolve future e-learning training opportunities.

Firearms Identification Pilot Underway - June 13, 2008  

Through the support of the Canada Firearms Centre (CAFC) and the Police Sector Council, Firearms Identification for Public Agents is now available free of charge to all law enforcement personnel as part of a six month pilot program.

Designed to teach how to accurately identify and describe firearms to the Canadian standard, CAFC collaborated with CPKN to develop an online version of its classroom-based Firearms Identification program. This new learning approach will improve learner access and easily manage the substantial increase in training demand that is expected in the coming year.

"With our traditional classroom program, our trainers are able to train about 1000 people across Canada each year," says Jeff Brandt, Registrar of Firearms at the Canada Firearms Centre. "However, with the remaining sections of the Public Agents Firearms Regulations¹ coming into force later this fall, the demand for training is expected to double. Web-based delivery will ensure CAFC is able meet those increased demands and ensure public agencies can effectively meet their obligations under the regulations."

Under the Public Agents Firearms Regulations, which come into effect at midnight on October 31st, all public agencies will be required to report their firearm inventory to the Registrar. Identifying firearms to the Canadian standard will improve the efficiency and increase the accuracy of the information reported under the Regulations, as well as in the day to day operational duties of all public agents.

The pilot period for this course (June 2 - November 30) is subsidized by the Federal government's Sector Council Program through the Police Sector Council. It is an opportunity for learners to take advantage of no-cost e-learning and provide direct feedback that will be used in the future development of CPKN courseware.

"The Council is very pleased to once again support an initiative that has positive impact on the skills of law enforcement personnel across the country," says Geoff Gruson, Executive Director of the Police Sector Council. "Based on the success of the CPIC Query Narrative pilot in 2007, we firmly believe e-learning is the best means of consistently delivering mandatory curriculum across a range of agencies and jurisdictions. In addition to Firearms Identification for Public Agents, PSC will be supporting the development of three new courses in the coming year and will collect data from training pilots to advance pan-Canadian learning projects."

Firearms Identification for Public Agents is the first of several CAFC courses that will be adapted for online delivery through CPKN. Of those planned projects, Enhanced Firearms Identification and Firearms Safety are expected to be released later this year.

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¹ For more information on the Public Agents Firearms Regulations and firearms-reporting requirements, please visit www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca/info_for-renseignement/police_public_agents/police-agents_e.asp.

New Release: Characteristics of an Armed Person - June 11, 2008  

As access to firearms becomes increasingly common on the street, the ability to recognize the signs and indications that an individual is armed is an essential skill for front-line officers.

Characteristics of an Armed Person is a two hour course that instructs officers on how to identify the body movements and behavioral patterns of an armed person, recognize dominant side and distinguish methods and types of firearm concealment. Focusing on officer safety, it also reviews officer-specific enforcement tactics and practices.

Developed by Toronto Police Service, this course is now available free of charge to all Ontario Police Video Training Alliance members until August. General access to all police agencies will be determined after that date.

For more information on this course, please visit www.cpkn.ca/course_detail/characteristics_armed_e.html or contact CPKN at 1-866-357-2756 /support@cpkn.ca.

Stolen Innocence: A Free Learning Resource - May 23, 2008  

Stolen Innocence: A Police Guide to Online Child Exploitation is now available as a free learning resource to all CPKN police users. This 18 minute video is a valuable aid for any officer, and particularly front-line personnel who may respond to computer-based child exploitation calls.

Produced by the Ontario Police Video Training Alliance for the RCMP's National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre (NCECC), this video:

• provides an overview of Canada's child exploitation laws;
• describes what constitutes an offense;
• informs on how to conduct an investigation; and
• offers best practices for collecting evidence

It also provides information on where officers can turn for help when they encounter these types of crimes. For a full description or to register, please visit www.cpkn.ca/course_detail/stolen_innocence_e.html.

Gifted to CPKN by NCECC for use by all officers, this course is offered free of charge to all CPKN police users. When completing the registration form, please disregard the payment section. In the near future, police users will be able to self-register to this resource directly from their CPKN account, thereby bypassing the registration process. For further information or assistance, please contact CPKN's Support Desk at 1-866-357-2756 or at support@cpkn.ca.

Coming June 1st: Firearms Identification for Public Agents - May 20, 2008  

CPKN and the Canada Firearms Centre are currently collaborating to produce Firearms Identification for Public Agents, an online learning course designed to teach the correct procedures and protocols to identify firearms to the Canadian standard.

Whether conducting CPIC inquiries, firearms traces, affidavits submissions, warrant executions, or reporting firearms for inclusion in the National Registry, the ability to identify firearms to the Canadian standard simplifies procedures, improves efficiency, and increases capacity to communicate about firearms.

“Delivering training on a national scale in a timely, efficient, and effective manner was becoming increasingly cumbersome and difficult to manage with traditional instructor-led training, says George Fraser of the Canada Firearms Centre, RCMP and subject matter expert for this course. “This new web-based training format provides easy access to standardized content while decreasing program costs and eliminating the need to manage conflicting schedules, time zones and geographic obstacles.”

This introductory level course focuses on developing competencies around contributing factors such as make, type, manufacturer, action, class, calibre and barrel length. Learners will also learn to apply the Canadian identification standard and derive a Firearms Reference Table database match.

Available in both English and French, this two hour course is scheduled for release on June 1st and will be made available to police as well as other law enforcement personnel.

Update to LMS Login Process - April 22, 2008  

With the introduction of service-specific portals on the CPKN Learning Management System (LMS), CPKN has recently modified the user login process.

Now, rather than two separate login sites on the CPKN website (Police and Non-Police), learners will access the LMS through a single "Login" button. This will direct learners to a new Portal Selection screen (shown right). Here, learners must select an option from either the Sworn Police (formerly 'Police') or Law Enforcement Community (formerly 'Non-Police') portal. Once selected, the Username/ Password screen will appear and the learner can login to the LMS and access the courses to which he/she has been registered.

Sandy Sweet Named CPKN President - April 8, 2008  

At the latest meeting of the CPKN Board of Directors, RA Sandy Sweet was elected President of CPKN, taking the place of John Arnold who retired in January. Mr. Sweet, who served as Vice President since 2004, is also CEO for the organization.

The Board also recently welcomed two new Directors: Rudy Gheysen, Director of the Ontario Police College and Superintendent Axel Hovbrender, Director of the Police Academy at the Justice Institute of British Columbia. Each of these individuals brings valuable experience and insight to CPKN's mandate to identify, develop, and deliver police training via online learning technologies.

"CPKN's Board has never been stronger," says Mr. Sweet. "Our Directors represent the diverse regions of the country as well as a broad range of policing organizations from municipal, provincial, and federal levels. We're very fortunate to have such an engaged group of people working on CPKN's behalf."

For more information on CPKN's Board of Directors, please visit www.cpkn.ca/board_e.html

Investigative Communications Revamped - February 21, 2008  

The Investigative Communications course that was first released in 2004 is now offered as three short courses. Originally a six hour course, it is now delivered as three, two-hour courses: Interviewing, The Theory of Communication and Memory, and The Theory of Truth and Deception.

The content for these courses, which was gifted from the RCMP's Learning and Development Branch, remains the same as the original course and is available in both French and English.

As an essential training subject area for all law enforcement officers, these courses provide fundamental information for new officers or refresher training for more experienced officers. CPKN believes that these shorter sessions will provide greater access to learners across the country.

New Release: Hate Crimes Awareness - January 15, 2008  

Hate and bias crimes are a daily reality in communities across Canada. Rooted in personal, economic, familial, or societal prejudices, these events promote fear, insecurity, and disunity among minority communities.

CPKN, in association with the Ontario Police College, have launched Hate Crimes Awareness to assist officers in understanding, identifying, responding to, and investigating hate/bias crimes.

For more information on this new release, please visit: www.cpkn.ca/course_detail/diversity_hate_e.html.

John Arnold Retires as CPKN President - January 14, 2008  

Upon seeing his vision for a new police training model take shape and take hold, John Arnold has stepped down as President of CPKN. In his address to the Board of Directors, John expressed his pleasure in being involved in CPKN's creation and evolution.

"CPKN has no equal in the world today," John says. "It is an all-inclusive opportunity for Canadian police services to participate and learn from one another and I'm very proud to have played an integral role in its success. Now, with more than twenty-five online courses created for police by police, it is time to move on."

As Chief Scientist of the Canadian Police Research Centre, John was a driving force behind PoliceLearn.com, the concept that evolved into CPKN. In those early days back in 2001, John was instrumental in helping the Canadian police community recognize the potential of e-learning. Through his efforts, the idea earned the attention and early support of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. In 2003, John was central in assembling numerous stakeholders from NRC/CPRC, various police colleges, and major police services to build a vision and strategic plan for this new learning model. By the following year, the foundation for CPKN was firmly in place.

John has served as President of CPKN since 2004. In that time, he has worked with the Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and key stakeholders to fine tune the CPKN model and build support within the police community. While earning the respect and recognition of his colleagues and associates, he has helped propel CPKN to become Canada's leading provider of e-learning to police and other law enforcement agencies.

"We applaud John's vision and commitment," says Sandy Sweet, COO of CPKN. "His 30+ years of experience working with the police community has opened doors for CPKN. While the journey from concept to reality has had its challenges, John's insight and determination have been key to moving CPKN forward."

While John is moving on from CPKN, he will continue to work in the police technology research field, building on opportunities that benefit all police. On behalf of everyone at CPKN, we wish him every success.

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