The
Personnel and Training Unit is responsible
for the hiring and training of police
department personnel. Each year hundreds
of applicants are processed through
a rigorous series of tests to become
police officers, reserve police officers,
police service officers, clerks, aides
and office assistants. Phases of the testing process may include
a written exam, writing proficiency
exam, physical agility test, chief’s
oral exam, background investigation,
polygraph examination, and psychological
and medical examinations. The Cypress
Police Department has a reputation
of accepting only the finest applicants
for employment. The Personnel and Training
Unit also ensures police personnel
are given the appropriate training
for their position. This includes training
mandated by the California Legislature,
state agencies, courts, and
Commission on Peace Officer Standards
and Training (POST).
The Cypress Police Department recruits "entry level" applicants as well as "lateral" applicants from other law enforcement agencies. Those entry level applicants who are selected to become Cypress Police officers will need to complete the Regular Basic Course. The Regular Basic Course is the entry-level training requirement for peace officers, as specified by POST regulations. The police academy is an intensive six month course of training, prescribed by legislative requirements, to include all aspects of the law enforcement field. The challenges for law enforcement are increasingly demanding, requiring regular evaluation and updating of the content and techniques used to instruct peace officers. It is crucial that the initial training of an officer be effective to acquire the critical knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to deliver high quality service.
POST
mandates the minimum curriculum and
testing for the basic course, which
is 982 hours of instruction. The
curriculum for each basic course
is divided into individual topics,
called Learning Domains. The Learning
Domains, 41 in total, contain the
minimum required information for
each subject. Each Learning Domain
includes descriptions of learning
needs, lists of related learning
objectives, any required tests and
instructional activities, and minimum
hourly requirements. The Cypress
Police Department is very active
in the training process of law enforcement
officers and civilian personnel.
Cypress Police has representatives
on staff with the Golden West Criminal
Justice Training Center, and serving
on the Executive Advisory Committee
of the Golden West Criminal Justice
Training Center, the Orange County
Training Managers Association.