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Distance Ed- Is it right for you?
Bridging the Gap in Law Enforcement Training
On-going law enforcement officer training is critical to keep officers updated on the complex changes in the law enforcement environment and to keep officers certified at levels necessary for them to be effective on the streets and in their communities. A decline in the number of qualified instructors, shrinking training and travel budgets, and personnel shortages have forced law enforcement administrators to explore cost effective ways to provide on-going training for police officers. Additionally, officers are often limited in the time they have to travel to training classes because of work and personal obligations. One avenue that law enforcement administrators and officers are using to bridge this gap is distance education.
Improvements in technology over the past 10 years has made distance education easier for individuals to 
accomplish and has made on-going training available to virtually anyone who desires it. Three million American's participate in correspondence study/distance education every year, and law enforcement personnel are no exception (Lambert, 2002). The proliferation of private companies, law enforcement agencies, and institutions of higher education offering law enforcement training via such medians as videotapes, self-study courses, audio courses, computer/internet based courses, and interactive audio/video teleconferencing have made it easier and cost effective for administrators to provide quality training.
There are two types of distance education, asynchronous and synchronous (Waggoner & Christenberry, 1997). Asynchronous distance education is appropriate for individuals who do not require interaction with an instructor, want flexibility, and can accomplish self-directed study with minimal supervision and motivation. Examples of asynchronous distance education include videotapes, audio-tapes, self-study courses mailed to the student, and on-line courses that students can access and complete without instructor feedback. These types of courses are convenient and economical for students since they do not require specific times to be available to meet with instructors and are student paced. Synchronous distance education involves more direct interaction with an instructor via on-line meetings, teleconference, scheduled chat groups, and occurs in real-time. Because of the technology involved and the set time line, this type of distance education is more costly and less flexible for students. 
Law enforcement administrators need to assess what type of distance education is right for their department. Things to consider include the level of technology they possess and funds available to purchase distance education products. Additionally, administrators should carefully weigh the personality and learning styles of their officers in being able to accomplish either asynchronous or synchronous distance education before choosing a particular type of program.As technology continues to evolve, law enforcement administrators will have a wide array of distance education options to increase the training level of their officers. By carefully assessing each program , and making decisions based on the needs of their officers and department, administrators will be able to deliver the necessary training to keep their officers on the cutting edge of law enforcement.