Field Training Officer (FTO) Program
Field Training and Evaluation Program
Prior to the early 1970s, the San Jose Police Department utilized little formalized training before assigning a new police officer to solo patrol duty. In the late 1960s, policy was established which required all officers to attend a California’s P.O.S.T. (Police Officer Standardized Training) certified academy prior to street duty. Unfortunately, no program existed to assist the recruit officer in bridging the gap between classroom theory and street application.
In the summer of 1971, after a year of review and planning, a Recruit Training Management Program, developed by Lt. Robert Allen, was adopted. The program was loosely based on a military training model. Lt Allen, who was then promoted to Captain, coordinated the formation of the Field Training and Evaluation Program (FTO) with Chief Robert Murphy and Dr. Michael D. Roberts, the City's Director of Psychological Services. The Program required that a new officer be paired with a veteran officer who would provide training and mentorship in a structured fourteen week program. The FTO Program was innovative and truly provided the framework for a new officer to build and develop his skills in a structured environment under the watch of an FTO.
In June 1972, the first twelve Field Training Officers attended an FTO seminar conducted by the Oakland Police Department. By fall, the FTO Program was ready to be tested with its first thirteen recruit officers. The veteran officers had the responsibility of not only training the new officers, but ensuring objectivity to identify unacceptable recruit officers.
In 1973, Officer Doug Zwemke, who held a Masters Degree in psychology, worked with Dr. Roberts to identify specific behavior traits. Zwemke read over 3,500 Daily Observation Reports (DOR) of recruit officers and identified and categorized thirty one traits that were deemed necessary for a police officers success. This lead to the revision of the DOR rating criteria and the development of the standardized guidelines, the standard officers would use in their evaluation.
In that same year, the San Jose FTO Program received national recognition from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) for its contribution to police science and technology. A year later the California Legislature, in an effort to set standards for police training, adopted the San Jose Model as a state standard. The FTO Program has been emulated across the country by many law enforcement agencies. Today, the eighteen-week FTO Program is staffed by the Unit Commander, Administrative sergeant, Administrative officer, 15 FTO sergeants, and up to 100 FTO officers.
| Unit Commander: | Lt. Ruben Chavez |
| Contacts: | Sgt. Mark Airhart |
| Officer Chris Buell | |
| Office Phone: | (408) 277-4641 |
Photo of first 12 FTO officers taken in 1972
Standing: Ron McFall, Mike Nichols, Jim McGraw, Bob Gummow, Joe Nunes, (outside agency), Jack Morris, Robert Allen, Richard Yuhas
Kneeling: (outside agency), Lew Smith, Mike Miceli, Glen Kaminsky