Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) is a U.S. government institution dedicated to providing high-quality training for federal law enforcement officers, as well as state, local, and international police personnel. Established on March 2, 1970, FLETC was born out of a recognition of inconsistent training standards among federal officers, following a study that highlighted significant gaps in their preparedness. Initially headquartered in Washington, D.C., FLETC relocated to Glynco, Georgia, where it expanded its mission to encompass over 200 diverse training programs, ranging from basic law enforcement techniques to advanced courses on global terrorism.
FLETC employs experienced instructors, including federal officers and specialized civil instructors, ensuring that training remains practical and relevant. The center adapts its curriculum based on evaluations and emerging law enforcement needs, particularly in response to significant events like the Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11 attacks, which have increased the demand for terrorism-related training. In 2003, FLETC transitioned from the Department of the Treasury to the Department of Homeland Security, reflecting its evolving role in national security efforts. Overall, FLETC plays a crucial role in enhancing the skills and capabilities of law enforcement agencies across the United States and internationally.
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Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)
DATE: Founded on March 2, 1970
IDENTIFICATION: Law-enforcement partnership funded by the US government and operated under the auspices of the US Department of the Treasury.
SIGNIFICANCE: The mission of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers is to offer high-quality professional law-enforcement training at cost-efficient prices. This training center provides federal law-enforcement officers (excluding officers and agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation) and state, local, and international police officers with a host of training courses on a variety of basic and specialty law-enforcement topics.
The Consolidated Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (CFLETC) was officially established on March 2, 1970. It began its operations in Washington, D.C., and in 1975, was renamed Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) and relocated to its current headquarters in the small town of Glynco, Georgia. The creation of FLETC was the outcome of a 1968 study conducted by a federal law-enforcement interagency task force. The results of the study indicated that federal law-enforcement officers had no consistency in their formal law-enforcement training. According to the study’s findings, most federal law-enforcement officers lacked the appropriate training, knowledge, and specific skill sets to do their jobs at even a minimum operational standard. In fact, until 1970, most federal law-enforcement training was conducted by part-time instructors working in dilapidated facilities; no consistent schedule of training courses was set, and no particular subject material was covered.
FLETC was created to serve as a high-quality training center for federal law-enforcement officers. Since its inception, FLETC has expanded its mission to include law-enforcement officers at various levels throughout the United States and abroad. FLETC, which now stands for Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, has grown to offer more than two hundred training programs ranging from basic to advanced policing and investigative techniques to international courses regarding global terrorism in facilities across the United States as well as abroad. FLETC continually evaluates all of these programs through curriculum meetings and student evaluation reports to ensure that the quality of instruction remains extremely high, professional, and efficient. FLETC also offers a unique selection of courses in technical, clerical, and managerial support services to enhance the overall functioning of participating agencies.
FLETC instructors are experienced and highly trained professionals who have at least five years of law-enforcement or investigative experience. They include federal officers and investigators on assignment from their respective agencies, state and local officers who have specialized skills in particular areas (such as fingerprint analysis or forensic investigation), and civil instructors who have training in particular fields related to law enforcement (such as hand-to-hand combat, behavioral profiling, or investigation). The work of both full- and part-time faculty members is complemented by that of full-time support staff.
Events such as the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City and the terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon of September 11, 2001, have resulted in tremendous demand at FLETC for training involving the prevention and investigation of terrorist activities. FLETC has thus created specific courses that focus on international and domestic terrorism. FLETC was moved from the US Department of the Treasury to the Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003. According to Ken Cuccinelli, a former Trump administration official, if Project 2025's theories were to be implemented, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) would be eliminated. Project 2025 was a political initiative published by the Heritage Foundation promoting right-wing and conservative theories. The project aimed to reorganize the US government.
Bibliography
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Moore, Tom. "Project 2025 Would End DHS Law Enforcement Training." Center for American Progress, 22 July 2024, www.americanprogress.org/article/project-2025-would-end-dhs-law-enforcement-training/. Accessed 14 Aug. 2024.