Police

During recent years, police liability losses have averaged about $1 million per year, or almost 21 percent of average annual liability costs for cities and the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT).

To help cities reduce losses related to police liability, LMCIT has developed PATROL, Police Accredited TRaining OnLine. While PATROL delivers 12 new POST-accredited courses per year, subscribers can earn as many as 21 POST credits per year when they also take PATROL training on POST mandates and OSHA standards.

A three-part series of training on Use of Force and Deadly Force helps law enforcement agencies meet mandated POST training requirements.

The Use of Force series includes:

  • Defined force and the reasons for officers to use force,
  • Explored state and federal standards and court decisions,
  • Examined preconditions for use and criteria for determining how much force is reasonably necessary.

PATROL also helps agencies meet the following OSHA standards:

  • AWAIR
  • Employee Right-to-Know
  • Bloodborne Pathogens
  • HazMat Awareness Level 1
  • Hearing Conservation
  • Respiratory Protection

Pro-rated subscriptions recognize budget pressures

PATROL offers pro-rated subscriptions based upon when your agency subscribes. The web-based training format means officers can take training anytime and anywhere they have access to a computer and an Internet connection. The cost is $85 per officer per year for League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust and Minnesota County Intergovernmental Trust members.

New courses released each month

This training helps officers stay current on Minnesota legal issues, and is based on Minnesota case law. Content is developed with input from police liability experts, insurance defense attorneys, and local law enforcement agencies. Each month, a new course is available for one POST credit. Issues covered include topics such as:

  • Vehicle searches,
  • Traffic stops,
  • Search warrants, and
  • Misdemeanor arrests.

Course Materials Available to Officers, Attorneys

Each PATROL course is supported by legal memos. Updates on developments and case law changes are automatically sent to enrolled officers. In addition, city and county legal advisors and prosecutors also can get PATROL legal briefs, allowing key staff to simultaneously be kept up-to-date with the same information from the same source.

PATROL Partners with Law Enforcement and County Organizations

PATROL is supported by the Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust, the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association and the Minnesota Sheriff's Association.

Materials from PATROL
The PATROL course summaries listed below have been approved for a two-year period by the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) for continuing education credit. Contact Laura Honeck, LMCIT Program Coordinator, at lhoneck@lmc.org or (651) 281-1280 to obtain older course summaries.
View a list of course titles (pdf)