Training of police officers in Russia: review of the 2010 - 2020 professional training programs

Seleznev Vladimir Igorevich ORCID: 0000-0001-9426-360X Independent scientist 196606, Russia, St. Petersburg region, Pushkin, General Khazov str., 34, sq. 14 seleznevvl@mail.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction. In modern conditions, any state requires people who are trained, capable and able to perform special law enforcement functions. Any State, if it considers itself a guarantor of the security of its citizens, protecting life, health, freedom, ensuring law and order and countering crime, requires well–defined State bodies that are properly trained, capable of implementing and able to carry out these police functions, the state requires professional specialists - police officers. This is confirmed by both international and domestic events in the geopolitical world space of the late XX – early XXI century. Recent conflicts in the regions of the North Caucasus, in the countries of Transcaucasia, Transnistria, Yugoslavia and Kosovo, Iraq, Ossetia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus; events in Libya, Egypt and Syria, the United States, etc. have clearly demonstrated the validity of statements about the need for state bodies to be ready, able and able to resist various conflict manifestations in society. {displaystyle {bar {X}}(omega

Materials and methods. As part of the study, we conducted a theoretical review of professional training programs for employees who were first recruited to the internal affairs bodies on the basis of the educational organization of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia – Vocational Training Center – Institute-Faculty of Vocational Training, Retraining and Advanced Training of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the period 2010-2020.

Professional training of employees who were first recruited to the internal affairs bodies during the specified period was carried out according to training programs for employees of various job categories and different educational levels, which were developed by educational organizations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia on the basis of sample programs approved by the Department of Public Service and Personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (hereinafter referred to as the DGSK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia). The study analyzed 15 (fifteen) sample employee training programs that were implemented in a specific educational organization of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia during the last decade.

The review of professional training programs was aimed at identifying trends, problems in the implementation of existing professional training programs for police officers who were recruited for the first time, as well as justifying the need to shift the emphasis in the changes made towards the formation of the personality of the subject of professional activity – the personality of a police officer.

The results of the study. On March 1, 2011, Federal Law of the Russian Federation No. 3-FZ of February 7, 2011 "On the Police" came into force, which introduced a new concept – "police officer" (or "policeman" – auth.).

Prior to the entry into force of this law, throughout 2011 and the first half of 2012, training of employees of internal affairs bodies (hereinafter referred to as ATS) in the Russian Federation of various official categories, namely:

- persons of ordinary and junior commanding structures of the Department of Internal Affairs;

- persons of the middle and senior commanding structures of the Department of Internal Affairs;

it was carried out according to special vocational training programs.

The implementation of these programs was carried out in such organizations as Vocational Training Centers – independent structural divisions of the Main Departments and regional departments of the subjects of the Russian Federation.  The programs provided for its development in 2 (two) stages. The first stage was the same for all official categories of police officers and was based on the subject principle of training, the second stage differed from the first by the specific specialization of employees, for example: patrol and post service, district police officers, police operatives, etc.  The second stage of training was mastered by police officers using the so-called "block-modular technology". The essence of this technology was the interdisciplinary implementation of specially created and selected complexes of knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for solving official tasks, mastering effective methods and techniques of service (work) in typical law enforcement situations.

In 2012, the DGSK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia approved new approximate initial training programs for persons (categories): ordinary and junior commanding officers and middle and senior commanding officers appointed to positions, for example:

- police officers of the patrol and post service units of the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia^[3];

 - police officers of the divisions of the district authorized territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia^[4];

 - investigators of investigative units of territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia^[5], etc.^[6].

The programs also provided for two periods of study. During the first period of training, police officers also studied the subject-based disciplines of "General Professional training", with the exception of the disciplines of "Fire training" and "Physical training", which were studied during the entire period of initial training. The second period was similar to the previous programs of specialized professional training of employees.

As noted above, the emphasis in the training activities of a police officer under these programs shifted from educational information to the situation of practical action in the law enforcement field. At the same time, the acquired knowledge guided the learner in choosing his behavior.

In addition, the assimilation of the material by the employee was carried out through mastering certain types of official activity, and aimed at developing basic skills for analyzing and evaluating the situation, practical actions, registration of official documents in the educational process, modeling a typical situation of official activity as close as possible to real conditions (so-called "modules").

Initial training in these programs was completed with a final comprehensive interdisciplinary exam. The knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for a police officer to perform certain official tasks were subject to a comprehensive assessment and verification. Specific actions were evaluated to analyze and assess the situation of an offense or crime, the employee's acceptance and subsequent implementation of his decision, the execution of official documents, etc. The results of the training of the police officer at the end of the initial training during that period received a positive assessment of the components of the various departments of the Department of Internal Affairs.

However, the effective implementation of these training programs objectively required professional training specialists of Vocational Training Centers (the so-called employees of the Centers carrying out initial training) to have both extensive practical service experience and, first of all, an established personal interdisciplinary complex of knowledge, skills, and abilities, as they say, "on the fingers", to explain and show various methods of solving professional and service tasks in standard, typical situations.

Since September 1, 2013, by Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation No. 513 dated July 2, 2013 "On approval of the list of professions of workers, positions of employees for which vocational training is carried out" (with amendments and additions dated April 25, 2019), "Policeman" has been officially included in this list (item 144 of the section positions of employees). In the same year, the staff of the Moscow University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation developed a draft federal state educational standard for primary vocational education in the profession of "Policeman", which was sent for consideration and approval to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, this project was posted on the Ministry's website for public discussion. In 2013, the DGC of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia approved an approximate program of vocational training (vocational training) for ordinary and junior commanding officers who are first accepted for service in the Department of Internal Affairs (on the basis of general secondary and (or) secondary professional (non-legal) education) in the profession of "Policeman" ^[7].

Also in 2014, the DGSK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia approved several more programs of vocational training (vocational training) for middle and senior commanding officers, who are being accepted for service in the Department of Internal Affairs for the first time. For example: 

- an approximate program of vocational training (vocational training) of middle and senior commanding officers, who are first accepted for service in the Department of Internal Affairs^[8];

- an approximate program of vocational training (vocational training) of citizens who are first accepted for service in the internal affairs bodies for the positions of middle and senior commanding structures (official categories whose professional activity is not related to the disclosure and investigation of crimes involved in the protection of public order as part of complex forces) ^[9].

In addition, in the period from 2016 to 2019, the DGSK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia approved a number of exemplary vocational training and training programs, namely:

- an approximate program of vocational training (vocational training) for ordinary and junior commanding officers who are first accepted for service in the Department of Internal Affairs (on the basis of secondary general education) as a police officer^[12];

- an approximate program of vocational training (professional training) for employees of migration units who are first employed in the Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation as a "Police officer"^[11];

- professional training program "Professional training of middle and senior commanding officers, first accepted for service in the Department of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, as a "Police officer"^[13];

- professional training program "Professional training of ordinary and junior commanding officers who were first accepted for service in the Department of Internal Affairs, as a "Police officer"^[14];

- an approximate basic vocational training program "Professional training of enlisted personnel and junior commanding officers, first accepted for service in the Department of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation" as a "Police officer"^[15];

- an approximate basic vocational training program "Professional training of middle and senior commanding officers who were first employed in the Department of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and have higher or secondary professional (non-legal) education" as a "Police officer"^[16];

- an approximate basic program of vocational training "Professional training of middle and senior commanding officers who were first accepted for service in the Department of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and have a higher or secondary professional (legal) education" as a "Police officer"^[17];

In addition, educational organizations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia independently developed and implemented vocational training programs (vocational training), for example:

- the program of professional training (professional multidisciplinary training) of middle and senior commanding officers of the Department of Internal Affairs, who are first employed in the internal affairs bodies ^[10], etc.

A review of the content of the above-mentioned vocational training programs showed the following:

- the emphasis in educational activities gradually shifted again towards educational information or the subject principle of teaching, with the rejection of situations of practical action. In part, the latter principle has been preserved only in certain academic disciplines, such as, for example, "Tactical and special training".

- the programs are sufficiently differentiated by education levels (general secondary, secondary legal and professional (non-legal), higher non-legal and higher legal education) and job categories of employees;

- in the training programs for police officers, sections of a general professional orientation were included and are being included, which occupied from 18.8 to 72.4% of the total number of academic hours allocated in general for the professional training of various official categories of employees; 

- the requirements for the results of mastering various training programs are also different.  A police officer who had mastered different training programs had to have a different list of competencies (general or general cultural; professional or professionally specialized);

- the number of these competencies in the training programs for police officers of different educational levels and job categories is also different and varies on average from 7 to 16 competencies (requirements) for the development of the program;

- the structure and content of these competencies in police training programs have their own characteristics, namely, mastering these competencies implies mastering a list of 4 to 18 academic disciplines, subjects, courses;

- the duration of training of police officers with different educational levels and different job categories is from 4 to 6 months, which, in our opinion, is not enough for police officers to master both the list of academic disciplines (subjects) and, in general, a full course of professional training.;

- some of the competencies in these training programs do not reflect the specifics of subsequent professional activity, law enforcement, and the activities of internal affairs bodies.

For example, "the ability to understand the essence and social significance of one's position as an employee, to show sustained interest in it; the ability to organize one's own official activities, analyze the working situation, choose typical ways of performing professional tasks based on the goals and objectives defined by the immediate supervisor (supervisor), in agreement with the direct supervisor (supervisor), make decisions in standard and non-standard service situations, including risk situations, to assess and correct one's own activities, to be responsible for the results of one's service; the ability to analyze one's capabilities, improve oneself, adapt to changing professional conditions and changing socio-cultural conditions, acquire new knowledge and skills, improve one's intellectual and general cultural level, develop social and professional competencies, change the type and nature of their professional activities; the ability to tolerant behavior, to social and professional interaction, taking into account ethno-cultural and confessional differences, to work in a team, to prevent and constructively resolve conflict situations in the course of professional activity; the ability to possess computer skills as a means of information management"^[7,8,9].

These competencies are inherent in most other professions and professional activities. For example, in the field of defense capability (military personnel of the Ministry of Defense), in the field of security (employees of the FSB, Ministry of Emergency Situations, FSIN, Rosgvardiya, etc.), including in the activities of state civil servants.

The professional training programs for police officers in 2019 were called "unified" or universal, i.e. training is provided, regardless of the official categories of police officers and differ from each other only by the educational level of the employee and the features of the "variable part" of training or (specific specialization of the employee).

In addition, in all training programs of 2019, it is indicated that the characteristic of the qualification "Policeman" is the basic professional knowledge, skills, skills and competence necessary to perform official duties, including in conditions associated with the use of physical force, special means and firearms. However, exactly which personal qualities, abilities should be formed, and which of them characterize the profession or qualification of a "Policeman" are not explained in the training programs, their description (or any approved and justified list) is missing. The programs have only a list of knowledge, skills and abilities of 184 items, which is a certain set of knowledge, skills, skills acquired by an employee in each academic discipline, subject or course being studied.

Discussion of the results. An analysis of the professional training programs for police officers who were recruited for the first time showed the following:

1. Educational organizations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the last decade have implemented a fairly large number of professional training programs for police officers in various job categories and different educational levels, which are developed by different educational organizations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, as evidenced by the different volume of sections of general professional orientation and the list of competencies.

 2. The total scope, structure and content of competencies as requirements for police officers who have mastered the professional training program were also different, thus it can be stated that it is difficult to implement the requirements for the development of programs.

3. For police officers in modern conditions, the use of only various coercive measures, the suppression of offenses, actions to detain offenders, the use of special equipment and various information technologies in the activities, first aid to victims, personal safety, etc., from our point of view, is not enough. Determination, physical fitness, self–demanding and responsibility, initiative and stress tolerance, readiness for interaction, cooperation and readiness for the lawful use of force, special means and weapons are those qualities and abilities without which it is impossible to form a person's personality in a modern humanistic society, including a police officer.

4. The list of knowledge, skills and abilities of 184 items, which is a certain set of knowledge, skills, skills acquired by an employee in each academic discipline, subject or course studied, cannot fully create prerequisites for the formation and subsequent development of the personality of police officers.

In addition, the author in the test of the article used bold and italics to highlight certain information and draw attention to textual formulations in the specified training programs for police officers. We will separate these formulations from the general text, trace and evaluate the dynamics of the changes made in the period from 2011 to 2019:

a) special vocational training – initial training – vocational training (vocational training) – vocational training "Vocational training ...".

These changes are objectively conditioned by the entry into force in 2013 of the new Federal Law "On Education in the Russian Federation"^[18]. This law defines the concept of "vocational training", but the concept of "vocational training" is absent in the law, therefore, establishing the identity between the professional training of a police officer and his professional training, in our opinion, is not entirely correct. Professional training of a police officer in the form in which it is presented in all programs is an accelerated type of training of an employee to perform specific functions (police functions) and does not entail a change in the level of education.

b) persons appointed to positions... – persons for the first time accepted for service... – persons for the first time accepted for service…

The dynamics of these changes seems to us as follows. Prior to the approval in 2012 of the approximate initial training programs for various categories of employees, trainees who were appointed to positions already in the process of training arrived at the Vocational Training Centers for special vocational training. As a result of the implementation of the 2012 programs, employees who were recruited for the first time and appointed to positions began to arrive for initial training after they successfully completed their internship. Then, in 2017, the words "persons recruited for the first time" appeared in the programs. In the first two cases, taking into account the grammar of the Russian language, the words "appointed to positions" and "first accepted for service" have obvious signs of the passive participle of the present tense. However, in the third case, the words "persons first employed" for some reason already have characteristic signs of the passive participle of the past tense. What's the difference? What is the difference between police officers who are appointed to positions for the first time or are hired for the first time from employees who are hired for the first time? The only possible explanation, according to the author, lies in the following logical plane. A police officer who has been recruited for the first time and sent for training must, under any circumstances, complete his training. The employee has already been accepted for service, and his training in the educational organization of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in modern conditions is, from the point of view of many heads of departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, only a necessary condition for further service and nothing more.

c) appointed to positions – by profession "Policeman" – by the position of an employee "Policeman".

 The following trend can also be traced here. Qualification (of a police officer – auth.)means the degree of its compliance with a certain level of professional requirements^[1]. However, it is unclear how the qualification correlates with the profession or position of an employee "Policeman"? What requirements correspond to the profession or position of an employee "Policeman"? The Federal State Educational Standard of Primary Vocational education (hereinafter referred to as the NGO Federal State Educational Standard) for the profession or position of "Policeman" has not yet been approved, it is absent. In other words, there is a profession or a position of a "Policeman" employee, but there is no standard for it. There are only qualification requirements for professional knowledge and professional skills of ordinary, junior, middle and senior commanding officers of the internal affairs bodies of the Russian Federation – Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated February 01, 2018 No. 50 "On approval of the Procedure for organizing service in the internal Affairs bodies of the Russian Federation"^[2].

On the basis of what normative legal acts, regulations, standards, etc. in the field of education in the Russian Federation, then today we teach police officers? What are we teaching? The question remains open…

Conclusion. At the present stage of development of the state and society, effective police activity requires any police officer to have a certain level of knowledge and skills formed in the course of his professional training.

At the same time, the paradigm of professional education in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and the social order of the Russian society are also aimed at the formation of a police officer – a subject of professional activity as a person with well-formed personal qualities, abilities and competencies.

Balancing these directions in the direction of the effectiveness of the result of professional training is objectively not an easy task, given the strong influence of many factors in a particular historical period (psychophysiological of a particular person, socio-economic and many others). It is much easier to prepare some kind of "police robots" - heroes of famous militants programmed to perform only specific "punitive" functions. It is much more difficult, based on the results of training, to form specific "police qualities, abilities, competencies" in an employee, which, together with a set of basic knowledge, skills and abilities, will become a reliable criterion for the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies of any state.

 The duration of the existing professional training of police officers, who were first recruited, from 4 to 6 months does not contribute to their qualitative development of a set of academic disciplines (subjects, courses) and, as a consequence, the formation of the personality of a police officer as a subject of successful professional activity.  The result of mastering individual disciplines, subjects (courses), in the process of existing professional training of police officers is evaluated in most cases undifferentiated, i.e. "credited" or "not credited". Which, objectively, significantly reduces the possibility of assessing the readiness of a police officer for activity, as an employee's readiness to act meaningfully and effectively in specific operational conditions, as well as for subsequent professional development, personal improvement, regardless of the educational level and positions held in the future.

Thus, it can be concluded that the inconsistency of professional training programs with modern requirements for the formation of the personality of a police officer, the fragmentation of competencies (requirements) does not contribute to the qualitative renewal of the personnel potential of the internal affairs bodies. It is impossible to do without the approval of the FGOS NGO by profession or by the position of "Policeman", without making changes to the existing professional training programs for police officers, aimed primarily at the formation of the personality of the subject of professional activity, capable of mastering new knowledge throughout his professional life in modern conditions.