Controlled Substances: A Study to Determine the Preparedness of New Law Enforcement Officers in the State of Wisconsin

Abstract

Law enforcement is a heavily scrutinized and important part of our society. Those that choose to protect and serve communities around our country are asked to do more and more, with the everchanging needs of the communities that they serve. It is important that those who are serving our communities are properly trained and prepared to deal with the complicated issues that they will encounter during their careers. This research seeks to explore whether law enforcement officers entering their career field believe that they are properly educated in controlled substances. The research was conducted using a focus group of law enforcement professionals from several agencies and a survey instrument designed to capture the beliefs of most of the law enforcement officers in the designated region of Wisconsin. This research was conducted to identify if gaps exist in training regarding controlled substances, so gaps can be filled to create the best law enforcement officers to serve our communities.