COPS Field Officer COPS Field Officer Survey (PDF version)

Field Officer Survey
Section I: Survey Questions
1. Please rate your current training needs for each of the law enforcement job tasks listed under the following
categories below: “Prepare/Protect,” “Respond,” “Investigate,” “Prepare Reports/Testify,” and “General Skills.” (Please
check "Not Applicable" only if the performance of the job task does not fall within your overall scope of work, not simply
because you have not performed the task.)

Job Tasks

Your Current Training Needs

Prepare/Protect

High

Medium

Low

None

Not
Applicable

Meet with community residents about local problems……………………. 

  

 

Diagnose and solve local crime and disorder problems……………..…… 

  

 

Protect dignitaries/public officials………………………………………....... 

  

 

Recruit/Manage informants………………………………………………….. 

  

 

Protect critical infrastructure………………………………………………… 

  

 

Conduct surveillance of individuals/Locations……………………………. 

  



Recognize and document suspicious activities…………………………… 

  

 

Enforce immigration laws……………………………………………………. 

  

 

Plan and execute raids/warrants…………………………………………… 

  

 

Enforce evacuation/quarantine orders…………………………………….. 

  



Provide court security………………………………………………………… 

  

 

Staff jail/detention facilities……………………………………………… 

  

 



Respond

High

Medium

Low

None

Not
Applicable

Respond to crimes in progress………………………………………….. 

  



Respond to domestic violence……………………………………………… 

  

 

Interdict crime vehicles/felony stops……………………………………….. 

  

 

Respond to terrorist threats …………………………………………………. 

  



Respond to natural and manmade disasters………………………………. 

  



Respond to anti-government/hate groups………………………………… 

  

 

Respond to reports of missing persons/abducted children……………… 

  



Track/search in wilderness/backcountry………………………………….. 

  





Investigate

High

Medium

Low



None



Not
Applicable

Investigate high-profile crimes………………………………………………. 

  



Investigate homicides/violent crimes………………………………………. 

  



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Investigate domestic violence………………………………………………. 

  



Investigate sexual assault…………………………………………………… 

  



Investigate human trafficking……………………………………………….. 

  



Investigate property crimes…………………………………………………. 

  



Investigate traffic accidents…………………………………………………. 

  



Investigate drug and alcohol-related crimes
(including identifying drug evidence/drug labs)…………………..………. 

  



Investigate technology-related crimes (e.g., cyber crime)……………….. 

  



Protect and document crime scenes (including collecting
evidence) ……………………………………………………………….…….. 

  



Protect and collect digital evidence………………………………………… 

  



Interview adult victims and witnesses………………………………………. 

  



Interview child victims and witnesses………………………………………. 

  



Interrogate suspects………………………………………………………….. 

  



Medium Low

Not
Applicable



Prepare Reports/Testify

High

None

Prepare reports (e.g., understanding agency and
prosecutorial requirements/report writing)………………………………… 

  



Coordinate with prosecutors/states attorneys
during trial preparation/plea negotiations…………………………………. 

  



Prepare to/testify……………………………………………………………… 

  



Medium Low

Not
Applicable

General Skills

High

None

Officer safety……………………………………………………………………

  



Operate emergency vehicle(s)/tactical driving……………………………. 

  



Victim services/relations…………………………………………………….. 

  



Computer use…………………………………………………………………. 

  



Law enforcement-related technology……………………………………… 

  



Emergency communication…………………….……………………………. 

  



Knowledge of laws/regulations……………………………………………… 

  



Problem solving, critical thinking, and decision-making………………….. 

  



Interpersonal skills/conflict resolution………………………………………. 

  



Interact with special needs populations (e.g.,
mentally ill/disturbed individuals)…………………………………………… 

  



Interact with culturally diverse populations ……………………………….. 

  



Use of force (including deadly force)…….…………………………………. 

  



Use of firearms ……………………………………………………………….. 

  



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Optional: Please list any other law enforcement job tasks about which you currently have a high need for training.

2. Typically field officers employed by law enforcement agencies that serve rural communities work under conditions
that are different from their suburban or urban counterparts (e.g., responding to crimes alone and experiencing
longer waiting periods for back-up personnel to arrive).
In the box below, please describe how you believe training for law enforcement personnel should be adapted to
meet your needs in serving a rural community or Indian Country.

Section II: Demographic Information
Please provide the following information about yourself and your agency:
1. How many years of sworn law enforcement experience do you have? ______
2. Which of the following best describes your rank/position?






Police Officer/Deputy Sheriff/Trooper or Equivalent
Investigator/Detective
Corporal/Sergeant/First-line Supervisor
Lieutenant/Captain/Other Command Position
Other (please specify): ______

3. Which State is your agency located in? ________________
4. What level of government does your agency operate under? (Please choose one response.)





Federal—Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Only
State
Tribal
Regional
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



County/Parish
Municipal (City/Town/Township/Borough/Village)
Other (please specify): ________________

5. Which of the following best describes your agency?











State Police/Highway Patrol
Sheriff’s Office/Department
Police Department (Municipal/County/Regional)
Tribal Law Enforcement Agency (Please also choose the response below that best describes your agency’s
status.)
BIA-Run/Operated

638 Contract, solely Federally funded

638 Contract, supplemented with Tribal funds

Solely Tribally funded

Fish and Wildlife/Natural Resources Law Enforcement Agency
Bureau/Office of Investigation
Campus/School Police Department
Other Special Jurisdiction Law Enforcement Agency (please specify):_________________
Other (please specify):_________________

6. How many sworn personnel are employed by your agency? ____________
7. Which of the following best describes the area in which you primarily work? (Please choose one response.)







Rural
Suburban
Urban
Mixed—Primarily Rural
Mixed—Primarily Suburban
Mixed—Primarily Urban

Thank you for completing the survey.
Please visit the RPI Web site for more information on the training currently offered by the agency:
http://www.fletc.gov/state-and-local/rural-policing-institute.
When you complete the survey, please return it to the instructor who asked you to participate in the survey during
an academy, in-service training class.

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