The Los Angeles Police Department receives California Peace Officer Standards and Training Excellence in Training Awards for Individual and Organizational Achievements NR11173ne

Los Angeles: On February 24, 2011, the California Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) announced the recipients of its annual POST Excellence in Training Awards.  The POST Excellence in Training Award was established in 1994 to encourage innovation, quality and effectiveness of peace officer training in order to recognize outstanding law enforcement trainers.  There are three categories of the POST Excellence in Training Award – Individual Achievement, Lifetime Achievement, and Organizational Achievement.  Each year the Commission recognizes individuals and an organization who has greatly contributed to the success and effectiveness of the law enforcement community.  The Commission is proud to offer these annual awards which symbolize California’s national status of being in the forefront of law enforcement training.

Recipient of the Individual Achievement Award: Detective II Teresa Irvin who is assigned to the Mental Evaluation Unit, Crisis Response Support Section, Detective Support and Vice Division.  Detective Irvin is a seventeen-year Department veteran; is an Emergency Management Training Instructor; has presented training at the California Association of Hostage Negotiators Conferences; Texas Association of Hostage Negotiators Conference; the National GAINS Conference in Washington DC; the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals Annual Conference; and most recently at the Annual Conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.  

Detective Irvin was recognized for the work and training she had done in several key law enforcement training strategies.  These include:

•    The development and implementation of a strategy to conduct post incident debriefs of persons involved in critical incidents, such as barricades, hostage stand offs, and attempt suicides.  These post incidents debriefs of subjects and suspects, have been compiled to provide a unique perspective and useful tool for the successful de-escalation and resolution of future incidents.  
•    The implementation of a returning veteran strategy, to address calls involving returning veterans who have experienced combat during their deployment.  In conjunction with the Veteran’s Administration in Palo Alto and the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), she was able to facilitate training to first responders on how to better handle critical incidents involving veterans with minimal risk to individuals and the first responders.
•    The ground work to develop a Crisis Communication Course, to provide effective tools for first responders in order to effectively deescalate a crisis.
•    Facilitating several seminars on Targeted School Violence in order to help school officials and staff work with students during critical incidents on school campuses.

Recipient of the Organizational Achievement Runner-Up Award:  Multiple Assault Counter-Terrorism Action Capabilities (MACTAC) Training, Training Division.

•    The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) developed training to provide an immediate and
effective tactical response to multiple organized and sophisticated critical incidents.  This training expands traditional response to single events through the creation of dynamic squads with specific cross-training to effect "assault, support, rescue, and force protection missions."  The concept was developed after observing events that took place in another country.  The LAPD has taken a leadership role and responded by developing the MACTAC concept.
•    The concept of MACTAC provides the means to allow officers to spontaneously and effectively
control various threats as quickly as possible by using small unit infantry tactics to immediately
apply pressure on assailants versus waiting and holding a perimeter.  The greatest impact of
MACTAC is that it allows prompt, cooperative training and response among multiple agencies.
It provides the LAPD with the ability to provide high-impact squads able respond to multiple,
simultaneous critical incidents in Los Angeles and the surrounding area.
•    The MACTAC concept provides for cross-training and training with other agencies.
•    The LAPD received an award of distinction from the California Peace Officers’ Association for
developing and implementing the MACTAC concept.
•    The LAPD is in the process of developing supplemental courses to help supervisors and team
leaders apply the MACTAC concept during critical field incidents.

All selected recipients will be honored with a prestigious trophy at the POST Commission Meeting on Thursday, June 23, 2011, in Sacramento, California.  In addition, names of the receipts will be inscribed on a plaque that is permanently located at POST in Sacramento.  Information regarding the POST Award can be obtained by contacting Lieutenant Lionel M. Garcia, LAPD, Mental Illness Project Coordinator at 213-996-1300, the Commanding Officer, Training Division 213-485-1258, or by visiting the POST web site at http://www.post.ca.gov/excellence-in-training.aspx.