How often does the Rockford Police Department provide training to its officers?

The Rockford Police Department has a full-time training division and certified training staff that provides training to all of our personnel throughout the entire year. Rockford Police Officers receive continuous training using examples of what constitutes reasonable force under varying circumstances.

The Rockford Police Department was a CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) certified law enforcement agency and is now transitioning to ILEAP (Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program) certification.

Accreditation is the ongoing process whereby agencies evaluate policy and procedure against established criteria and have compliance with those criteria verified by an independent and authoritative body. The independent and authoritative body for ILEAP is the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Council. The criteria, or standards, are policy development guidelines that represent a level of quality service delivery. The true indicator of compliance, however, lies with an evaluation by trained, independent professional peers. The establishment of meaningful and professional standards and an evaluation for compliance with those standards are the two fundamentals of an accreditation program. The Rockford Police Department is scheduled for accreditation by ILEAP the week of July 13, to July 17, 2020.

In November 2018, the Rockford Police Department adopted the Ten Shared Principles developed through collaboration between the NAACP and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. The Ten Shared Principles were created in 2018 and represent treating everyone with dignity and respect, rejecting discrimination, building trust and strong relationships within our communities, endorsing the values of community policing, and supporting diversity within our organizations.

Show All Answers

1. How often does the Rockford Police Department provide training to its officers?
2. Are Rockford Police Officers trained in de-escalation techniques and how to use peaceful conflict resolution strategies?
3. Are Rockford Police Officers required to use de-escalation?
4. What is the Rockford Police Department’s policy on the use of chokeholds or strangleholds?
5. What is the Rockford Police Department’s policy on using restraint techniques such as “hog-tying?
6. Are Rockford Police Officers required to intervene if they witness another officer using unreasonable force?
7. What actions would the Rockford Police Department take against an officer who fails to intervene?
8. Does the Rockford Police Department have a clear and enforced use-of-force continuum detailing what use of force techniques and weapons are acceptable in a wide variety of civilian-police interactions
9. . Are Rockford Police Officers ever allowed to use excessive or unreasonable force?
10. Are Rockford Police Officers prohibited from shooting at moving vehicles?
11. Are Rockford Police Officers required to exhaust every possible option before using deadly force?
12. Are Rockford Police Officers required to give a verbal warning to civilians before drawing their firearm?
13. Are Rockford Police Officers required to give a verbal warning before shooting?
14. Are Rockford Police Officers required to exhaust all other means before using deadly force?
15. Are Rockford Police Officers required to report each time they use force against a civilian?
16. Are Rockford Police Officers required to report each time they point a firearm at a civilian?
17. Does the Rockford Police Department utilize an early intervention system to identify officers that may have used unreasonable force?
18. Do Rockford Police Officers use body-worn cameras?
19. What is the Rockford Police Department’s policy on transporting civilians who are under arrest?
20. Are Rockford Police Officers trained to provide medical attention to persons who are injured during an officer’s use of force?
21. Does the Department do a background investigation on candidates ensuring they don't have a history of abuse, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia or discrimination?