State of Michigan Restricts Out-of-State Law Enforcement Training to Include Only Nationally Certified Courses

State of Michigan Restricts Out-of-State Law Enforcement Training to Include Only Nationally Certified Courses

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 14, 2016

Media Contact:
Greg Ryhal
812-330-7101
[email protected]

LANSING, MICHIGAN – The State of Michigan recently announced that they will only accept out-of-state training for law enforcement officers that has been credentialed by the National Certification Program (NCP).  The International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) launched the NCP, created with the primary goal of improving the quality of training provided to law enforcement officers, last year with the assistance and support of Envisage Technologies.

Currently, there are approximately 18,500 law enforcement officers employed in Michigan.  Michigan is the latest state to mandate that out-of-state training courses be vetted through the NCP. Additionally, they join 33 other states which have already adopted the NCP standard.

“I believe that the NCP is a catalyst for significantly improving the quality of training provided to our profession. The Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) is committed to ensuring that only the best training is brought into the State,” said David Harvey, Executive Director of MCOLES.

Launched in June 2015, with the support of Envisage Technologies, the NCP is a revolutionary program designed to enhance standardization and quality within police training. The NCP sets minimum standards for vendors that provide continuing education to the law enforcement community and ensures training content meets those quality standards. NCP standards are designed to meet or exceed all individual state certification requirements ensuring that NCP-certified training will be accepted by all participating POST organizations in the United States. By compiling certified courses into a national training catalog, the NCP fundamentally improves access to quality training, reduces costs, and improves training efficiency.

“IADLEST is pleased that the State of Michigan has endorsed the NCP,” stated Mike Becar, Executive Director of IADLEST. “The NCP seal on any training course means not only that the training is of the highest quality, but also that that training will be accepted in their individual state for continuing education credit.  It has been exciting to watch different states unite to adopt one standard—the highest standard—for law enforcement training.”

“The NCP is a fundamental shift in how departments access training for their deputies and officers,” added Ari Vidali, Envisage Founder & CEO. “By providing a seal of quality departments can trust, IADLEST has created the nation’s first benchmark standard for what constitutes good training. It has been both encouraging and exciting to watch Michigan and so many other states adopt the NCP as their authoritative training standard in only the first year of its existence.”

Envisage Technologies provides the technical framework for the program and offers NCP-certified training through its FirstForward training network.

About IADLEST

The International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) is an international organization of training managers and executives dedicated to the improvement of public safety personnel. IADLEST serves as the national forum of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) agencies, boards, and commissions as well as statewide training academies throughout the United States. For additional information, please visit www.iadlest.org.

About the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards

The Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards is created by law to serve the people of the state of Michigan by ensuring public safety and supporting the criminal justice community. We provide leadership through setting professional standards in education, selection, employment, licensing, license revocation, and funding in law enforcement and criminal justice, in both the public and private sectors.

Through a dedicated fund, MCOLES supports law enforcement agencies to provide safe and secure communities that allow for a prosperous state that is positioned to meet the challenges of the future. MCOLES conducts business in an environment free from organizational or financial conflicts of interest with independent control over fulfilling its mission.

MCOLES is nationally recognized as a leader in the development of training and ethical standards for law enforcement officers.

About Envisage Technologies

Envisage is a software company founded in 2001 to automate the complex training operations for law enforcement, first responders, and the military. We create solutions that make our world a safer place. Our mission is to improve the readiness of our nation’s public safety professionals to ensure they come home alive. The company’s Acadis training and compliance software platform leads the industry, serving over one million first responders across 8,600 public safety organizations, including both federal and state agencies. Learn more at www.envisagenow.com.

About FirstForward

FirstForward provides critical news and enables the lifelong learning that public safety personnel need to ensure their careers reach retirement. FirstForward maintains the complete training history of courses completed on the site and provides a forum for industry professionals and experts to discuss best practices and the latest public safety techniques, tactics and resources necessary to safely execute the job.  Law enforcement officers, first responders, and other public safety personnel may sign up for access at www.firstforward.com.