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OPOTA News

6/29/2012 Email to Commanders: BAS 10-6 Speed Enforcement Changes

6/29/2012

Commanders,

As indicated by the 2011 Job Task Analysis (JTA), new peace officers should be competent in using speed enforcement devices to measure vehicle speed (e.g., Radar, Lidar) and that this should be achieved in basic training. The OPOTC has approved an 18-month implementation period to make the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) Speed-Measuring Device Operator Training (40-hour course; both the Core Radar and Core Lidar modules) a part of Peace Officer Basic Training. This addition will go into effect for academies starting on or after January 1, 2014. The information below is provided to assist you in budgeting and planning over the next 18 months.

  • Hours
    • The total number of hours in BAS 10-6 Speed Enforcement will increase from 5 to 40.
    • To help offset this increase we have identified other lesson plans where the hours will decrease. Although we cannot guarantee how or if the total curriculum hours will change in January 2014, please know that we are taking this into consideration.
    • The 40-hour course is divided into 24 hours of classroom instruction and 16 hours of practical instruction.
  • Ratios – will be as recommended by NHSTA, currently 4 students to 1 instructor, for the practical portion.
  • Practical site(s) – selection is at the discretion of the course administrator. The practical site(s) may be a controlled or restricted area such as a test track, large parking lot, or some other location isolated from unauthorized traffic, or a public access roadway.  The site(s) selected must be large enough that the operator can monitor the speed of a target vehicle as it passes through the area.
  • Equipment
    • We understand that this addition to the Speed Enforcement topic will require you to obtain equipment either through purchase, rent, or borrow.  There are no specific requirements for either the radar or lidar units. The following suggestions should assist you in locating equipment:
      • Contact local departments for borrowing or obtaining used/discarded equipment
      • State auction through the Department of Administrative Services
      • Online sites such as Ebay or http://www.govdeals.com/
    • There is no specific vehicle measurement required for the course.  A sedan-type vehicle is recommended as no more than 4 students and 1 instructor should be in the vehicle at one time.
  • Instructor qualifications – will not change as they currently require an instructor to have completed both a basic and an instructor radar and lidar course.

As many Speed Enforcement instructors currently certify students outside of the basic school, they are familiar with the logistics of this course. We encourage you to speak with them to determine ways that the revised lesson plan can be implemented within your specific academy. We are committed to working with you and welcome your questions about these changes which fulfill the JTA obligations as requested by officers and agency supervisors.

Robert Fiatal,Executive Director
Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine
PHONE (740) 845-2757
1650 SR 56 SW
London, Ohio  43140
www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov

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