Final Survey Correspondence Package

Survey Deployment Correspondence
for the
Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs
Assessment Project
(National Training Needs Assessment and
Training Validation Project)
Last Updated January 10, 2011

Prepared by CRA, Inc.
for the
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
U.S. Department of Justice
and the
Rural Policing Institute
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Survey Deployment Correspondence
In January/February 2011, CRA, Inc. will conduct the Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs
Assessment Project Survey (National Training Needs Assessment and Training Validation
Project). The survey will assess the training needs of law enforcement personnel in rural
jurisdictions and Indian Country (related to their law enforcement and emergency response
functions). CRA manages the project for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
(COPS), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Rural Policing Institute (RPI), Federal Law
Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
On August 18, 2010, CRA submitted to the COPS Office and the RPI/FLETC the Rural Law
Enforcement Training Needs Assessment Survey Deployment Plan. The plan included the
strategies for disseminating the survey: (1) directly to Chief Executive Officers (CEOs): CEO
Survey, (2) directly to the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and State and Local
Training Academy Directors: POST and State and Local Training Academy Director Survey,
and (3) via the POST organizations and training academies to field-level staff attending their inservice training during a specific 2-week period: Field Officer Survey. 1
The COPS Office and RPI/FLETC staff approved the Survey Deployment Plan, requesting
minor changes to the survey instruments at the end of August 2010, and we developed a series
of correspondence (and associated materials, as appropriate) in support of the survey (promotion,
distribution, and administration). The correspondence was reviewed by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) in late December 2010, and as a result of their feedback, CRA
made their suggested revisions to the text in this version of the survey correspondence document.
Survey Correspondence
We developed the following correspondence and materials, draft versions of which appear in the
Appendices, as noted below:
•

Survey Announcement E-mail to Key Stakeholder Organizations: We will distribute
this e-mail to key national law enforcement organization stakeholders, sending an
“Adaptable E-mail Blast” about the survey for distribution to their constituents/members.
We will disseminate this e-mail to the stakeholder organizations 1 week before
distributing the “Introductory” correspondence (see below). See Appendices A and B.

•

Introductory e-mails about the survey: We will distribute these e-mails to the sample
selected for the CEO Survey and the POST and State and Local Training Academy
Director Survey, approximately 1 week before survey deployment. See Appendices C
and D.

1

The original Survey Deployment Plan included CEO transmittal of the Field Officer Survey to their front-line staff
who served rural areas; that component of the survey was eliminated after discussions with the Office of
Management and Budget and the current set of correspondence reflects that change.

2

•

Survey transmittal e-mails: We will distribute this e-mail to the sample selected for the
CEO Survey and the POST and State and Local Training Academy Director Survey on
the designated survey distribution date. See Appendices E and F.

•

E-mail to POST/Academy Directors Regarding Administration of the Field Officer
Survey: We will distribute the e-mail and survey materials (Field Officer Survey and
Survey Administration Guidance) to those selected to administer the Field Officer Survey
to rural law enforcement professionals participating in their in-service training during a
designated 2-week period. See Appendices G and H.

•

Thank-you messages: The Web system (online surveys) or the project team (paper copy
surveys) will distribute the thank-you messages upon receipt of a completed survey from
the CEOs and the POST and State and Local Training Academy Directors (pop-up
message for those who complete the survey online and e-mails/mail for those who
complete the survey on paper copy. Field-level personnel who complete the survey
during their participation in a POST or State/local training academy will be thanked by
the person administering the survey. See Appendices I to K.

•

Follow-up/reminder correspondence: We will distribute the first reminder
e-mail/mailing to the CEOs and POST and State and Local Training Academy Directors
within 1 week of the initial survey due date. We will disseminate a second reminder
e-mail/mailing to them 2 weeks after the initial survey due date. See Appendices L to O.

•

A printable (non-writable) PDF version of the surveys, which appear on the survey
platform; survey respondents will be able to print a paper copy survey off the Web
platform for use while completing the survey online.

•

An Updated Project Fact Sheet: We updated the answers to the frequently asked
questions about the survey to reflect the current status of the survey design/deployment
processes. See Appendix P.

3

Appendix A
Survey Announcement E-mail
Sending the “Adaptable E-mail Blast Text” to
Select National Law Enforcement Stakeholder Organizations
Dear [CRA will enter the name of the agency’s contact person]:
Thank you for contributing your ideas to the development of the Rural Law Enforcement
Training Needs Assessment Survey being conducted by CRA, Inc. for the Rural Policing
Institute (RPI), Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), U.S. Department of
Homeland Security (DHS), and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS),
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). We have finalized the survey instruments, selected the survey
sample, and plan to disseminate introductory information about the survey to the invited
respondents on [CRA will enter the date].
We appreciate your organization’s willingness to distribute correspondence to your
members/constituents encouraging them to participate in the survey, as invited. To that end, we
have attached draft text that you may adapt, as appropriate, for use by your organization.
We would appreciate your distributing the survey announcement this week, and copying the
CRA Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment Project at rtna@cra-usa.net.
Thanks again for your input on and support for this important study. Please feel free to call me at
703-535-5205 if you have questions or need additional information.
Paula Seidman
Director of Federal Training
CRA, Inc.

4

Appendix B
Draft “Adaptable E-mail Blast Text”
for Distribution by Select
National Law Enforcement Stakeholder Organizations
Dear [enter type of member]:
The [enter name of organization] is pleased to announce its support for the national training
needs assessment of law enforcement personnel serving rural communities that is being
conducted by the Rural Policing Institute (RPI), Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
(FLETC), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Office of Community
Oriented Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). CRA, Inc., a
Washington, DC, metropolitan area-based management consulting firm led by a retired law
enforcement professional, is managing the survey for the RPI/FLETC and the COPS Office.
This national-scope study will survey law enforcement personnel in rural jurisdictions and Indian
Country regarding their specific training needs. The study’s success, of course, will be dependent
on [enter as appropriate to your membership type: e.g., State, local, Tribal, or campus] law
enforcement personnel completing and returning the survey. We therefore encourage our
members to participate in the study, as invited.
By responding to the survey, you will support the Federal Government in determining the type of
training needed by rural law enforcement professionals. The RPI will then be able to allocate
resources for training that will best meet the needs of those professionals across the Nation. For
more information on current RPI training, please visit the agency’s web site.
The study team plans to distribute the survey to invited participants during the week of [CRA
will enter the date], so watch your e-mail and mailboxes. If invited to participate, you will be
able to complete the survey online (Web-based) or request a paper copy—whichever you prefer.
The [enter the name of your organization] looks forward to supporting the RPI/FLETC and the
COPS Office as they move forward with this important study. The agencies anticipate posting
the survey results in the summer of 2011, and we will keep you posted about when those findings
become available.
[enter standard signature box]

5

Appendix C
CEO Survey
Introductory E-mail Correspondence
[CRA will enter the name]:
The Rural Policing Institute (RPI), Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), U.S.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), are pleased to announce that we are
conducting a national training needs assessment of law enforcement personnel serving rural
communities and Indian Country. CRA, Inc., a Washington, DC, metropolitan area-based
management consulting firm led by a retired law enforcement professional, is managing the
survey for the RPI/FLETC and the COPS Office.
You have been selected to participate in the survey, which will support the RPI in addressing the
training needs of law enforcement personnel in rural jurisdictions. The RPI was established by
Congress to design and deliver training that complements courses currently offered to the rural
law enforcement community. If you are not familiar with the training available through the RPI,
you may read more on the agency’s web site.
We will ask you to complete a survey for Chief Executive Officers and anticipate distributing the
link to the Web-based version of the survey to you the week of [CRA will enter the date]. If you
prefer to receive a paper copy of the survey, you may call the CRA Rural Law Enforcement
Training Needs Assessment Project at its toll-free number 1-855-272-4640, between 9:30 a.m.
and 4:30 p.m. EST.
In the interim, you may link to the survey site now to read more about the study. On the site, we
provide a general description of the study and answers to a series of frequently asked questions.
The site also lists the national law enforcement stakeholder organizations with which the RPI and
the COPS Office consulted in planning for and designing the survey.
The survey is voluntary, and we will share the results in aggregate form only. Watch for a
summary of the survey findings on our Web sites in the summer of 2011.
We look forward to your participation in this important study.
Charles L. Daenzer, Chief
Rural Policing Institute
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
1131 Chapel Crossing Road
Glynco, GA 31524

Dr. Sandra Webb, Deputy Director
Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services
U.S. Department of Justice
1100 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530

6

Appendix D
POST and State and Local Training Academy Director Survey
Introductory E-mail Correspondence
[CRA will enter the name]:
As you may know, the Rural Policing Institute (RPI), Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
(FLETC), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Office of Community
Oriented Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), are conducting a national
training needs assessment of law enforcement personnel serving rural communities and Indian
Country. CRA, Inc., a Washington, DC, metropolitan area-based management consulting firm
led by a retired law enforcement professional, is managing the survey for the RPI/FLETC and
the COPS Office.
RPI and the COPS Office are engaging key law enforcement training provider organizations in
the survey in two ways:
•

First, we are asking the directors of training academies serving rural areas to complete the
Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and State and Local Training Academy
Director Survey. This survey will support the RPI in identifying the training needs of law
enforcement personnel in rural jurisdictions and the training currently provided to them. The
RPI was established by Congress to design and deliver training that complements courses
currently offered to the rural law enforcement community. If you are not familiar with the
training available through the RPI, you may read more on the agency’s web site.
We anticipate distributing the link to the Web-based version of the POST and State and
Local Training Academy Director Survey to you the week of [CRA will enter the date]. If
you prefer to receive a paper copy survey, please simply reply to this e-mail and note your
preference by checking the box that appears below our signature line (be sure to check all
that apply and to provide any requested information).

•

Second, we are inviting a random sample of training academies from each region to
administer a brief Field Officer Survey to participants of their in-service training during the
weeks of [CRA will enter the dates]. The Field Officer Survey is designed to collect the input
of law enforcement field officers who work in rural areas and Indian Country regarding their
training needs. If your organization is invited to administer the Field Officer Survey to sworn
law enforcement personnel (who serve rural jurisdictions or Indian Country) during their
participation in your in-service training program, your role will be to: (1) identify the inservice training sessions, (2) give the instructors of those classes the survey instruments and
Survey Administration Guidance that CRA will send to you, and (3) collect and return the
surveys to us in the self-addressed, pre-paid Federal Express envelope that CRA will provide
to you.
If you are interested in administering the Field Officer Survey, as randomly selected, please
check the appropriate box below our signature line. If your organization is selected, CRA
will send you additional information under separate cover.

7

In the interim, you may link to the Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment Survey
site now to read more about the study. On the site, we provide a general description of the study
and answers to a series of frequently asked questions. The site also lists the national law
enforcement stakeholder organizations with which the RPI and the COPS Office consulted in
planning for and designing the survey. Please also feel free to call Paula Seidman, CRA Rural
Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment Project, at the project’s toll-free number 1-855272-4640, between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EST, for more information about the survey.
All of the surveys are voluntary, and we will share the results in aggregate form only. Watch for
a summary of the survey findings on our Web sites in the summer of 2011.
We look forward to your participation in this important study.
Charles L. Daenzer, Chief
Rural Policing Institute
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
1131 Chapel Crossing Road
Glynco, GA 31524

Dr. Sandra Webb, Deputy Director
Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services
U.S. Department of Justice
1100 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20

Yes, my training organization wants to support the Rural Law Enforcement Training
Needs Assessment Survey:
I would prefer to complete the POST and State and Local Training Academy Director
Survey on paper copy. Please forward a copy of the survey to me at [please enter your
preferred mailing address]:
My organization agrees to administer the Field Officer Survey to eligible participants at
our trainings held during the designated training weeks, if selected:
Name/Title: ____________________
Organization/Agency Name: _________________________
Telephone Number: ___________________________
E-mail Address: _______________________________
Number of In-service Trainings: _________________
(Classes scheduled for the designated weeks)

8

Appendix E
CEO Survey
Transmittal E-mail Correspondence
[CRA will enter the name]:
We are pleased to invite you to participate in a national survey about the training needs of law
enforcement personnel serving rural areas and Indian Country. You have been selected to share
your perspectives about the current training needs of your agency’s sworn law enforcement
personnel.
The survey is being conducted by the Rural Policing Institute (RPI), Federal Law Enforcement
Training Center (FLETC), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in conjunction with
the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
CRA, Inc., a Washington, DC, metropolitan area-based management consulting firm led by a
retired law enforcement professional, is managing the survey for the RPI/FLETC and the COPS
Office.
We know that law enforcement personnel in rural jurisdictions often face unique challenges and
therefore may have special training needs. By participating in the survey, you will help the RPI
to more effectively allocate resources to meet your agency’s current training needs, and those of
your fellow law enforcement professionals across the country.
We would appreciate it if you would complete the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Survey, which
should take you about 15–20 minutes to complete. Simply click on the CEO Survey link to get
started.
Once on the survey site, you will be able to access more information about the study and easy
directions for completing the survey. If you would prefer to complete a paper copy of the survey
or need assistance accessing the Web-based survey, you may call the CRA Rural Law
Enforcement Training Needs Assessment Project at its toll-free number 1-855-272-4640,
between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EST.
We would appreciate it if you would complete (and return if completed on paper copy) the
survey by [CRA will enter date 1 week from date of distribution]. The survey is voluntary, and
we will share the results in aggregate form only. Watch for a summary of the survey findings on
our Web sites in the summer of 2011.
Thank you in advance for your agency’s participation in this important study.
Charles L. Daenzer, Chief
Rural Policing Institute
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
1131 Chapel Crossing Road
Glynco, GA 31524

Dr. Sandra Webb, Deputy Director
Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services
U.S. Department of Justice
1100 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530

9

Appendix F
POST and State and Local Training Academy Director Survey
Transmittal E-mail Correspondence
[CRA will enter the name]:
We are pleased to invite you to participate in a national survey about the training needs of law
enforcement personnel serving rural areas and Indian Country. You have been selected to share
information on the training provided by your organization and your organization’s perspective
on the training needs of the command and field officer personnel in the jurisdiction that you
serve.
The survey is being conducted by the Rural Policing Institute (RPI), Federal Law Enforcement
Training Center (FLETC), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in conjunction with
the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
CRA, Inc., a Washington, DC, metropolitan area-based management consulting firm led by a
retired law enforcement professional, is managing the survey for the RPI/FLETC and the COPS
Office.
We know that law enforcement personnel in rural jurisdictions often face unique challenges and
therefore may have special training needs. By participating in the survey, you will help the RPI
to more effectively allocate resources to meet the current training needs of law enforcement
professionals across the country—without duplicating the training offered by major law
enforcement training organizations such as yours.
The Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and State and Local Training Academy
Director Survey should take you about 20–30 minutes to complete. Simply click on the POST
and State and Local Training Academy Director Survey link to get started. Once on the site, you
will be able to access more information about the study and easy directions for completing the
survey. If you prefer to complete the survey on paper copy or need assistance accessing the
Web-based survey, you may call the CRA Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment
Project at its toll-free number 1-855-272-4640, between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EST.
We would appreciate it if you would complete the survey by [CRA will enter date 1 week from
date of distribution]. The survey is voluntary, and we will share the results in aggregate form
only. Watch for a summary of the survey findings on our Web sites in the summer of 2011.

10

Thank you in advance for participating in this important study.
Charles L. Daenzer, Chief
Rural Policing Institute
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
1131 Chapel Crossing Road
Glynco, GA 31524

Dr. Sandra Webb, Deputy Director
Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services
U.S. Department of Justice
1100 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530

11

Appendix G
Transmittal Correspondence to the
POST and State and Local Training Academy Directors
Selected to Administer the Field Officer Survey
During In-service Training at Their Academy
During a Designated 2-Week Period
[CRA will enter the name]:
Thank you for agreeing to administer the Field Officer Survey component of the Rural Law
Enforcement Training Needs Assessment to rural and Indian Country law enforcement personnel
during their participation in your organization’s in-service training during the weeks of [CRA
will enter the date/weeks]. CRA, Inc. is conducting the survey on behalf of the Rural Policing
Institute (RPI), Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), U.S. Department of
Homeland Security (DHS), and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS),
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Your training organization has been randomly selected to administer the survey and we have
enclosed the following materials to support your training instructors in doing so:
•

Survey Administration Guidance

•

[CRA will enter the number of copies on the basis of the information they submitted]
paper copies of the Field Officer Survey.

•

A manila envelope for each training class in which your instructors will administer the
Field Officer Survey.

•

A Federal Express envelope with a pre-paid, pre-addressed label that you may use to
return the completed surveys.

Please return the completed surveys to me no later than [CRA will enter the date].
Thank you in advance for your willingness to support this important study. If you have
questions, feel free to call me at our toll-free number: 1-855-272-4640.
Paula Seidman
Director of Federal Training
CRA, Inc.

12

Appendix H
Survey Administration Guidance
For POST/Academy Instructors
Administering the Rural Law Enforcement
Training Needs Assessment Field Officer Survey
During In-service Training the Weeks of
[CRA will enter the weeks/date]
Thank you for agreeing to support the Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment
Survey by administering the Field Officer Survey to participants in your in-service training
courses/classes during the weeks of [CRA will enter the date]. The survey is being conducted by
the Rural Policing Institute (RPI), Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), U.S.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). CRA, Inc., a Washington, DC, metropolitan
area-based management consulting firm led by a retired law enforcement professional, is
managing the survey for the RPI/FLETC and the COPS Office.
The overall purpose of the Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment Survey is to
identify the training needs of command and field-level law enforcement personnel serving rural
areas and Indian Country. You will be administering the Field Officer component of the survey,
which is also being administered by other select Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)
organizations and training academies across the country. (Other components of the survey are
being completed by law enforcement Chief Executive Officers and POST/Training Academy
Directors.)
Administering the Field Officer Survey
Below we provide guidance for administering the Field Officer Survey that is presented in a
“frequently asked questions (FAQs)” format. The answers to the FAQs should provide you with
all the information you need to administer the survey on behalf of the RPI and the COPS Office.
If you need further assistance, please call Paula Seidman, CRA Rural Law Enforcement Training
Needs Assessment Project, at the project’s toll-free number 1-855-272-4640, between 9:30 a.m.
and 4:30 p.m. EST.
How long will it take participants to complete the Field Officer Survey?
The Field Officer Survey should take no longer than 10 minutes for field-level personnel to
complete.
In what format will I administer the survey?
We have provided your POST organization or training academy with a sufficient number of
paper copies of the survey instrument for each training class in which you will administer the
survey. You should provide a paper copy and a number two pencil to each training participant
who is eligible to participate in the survey.

13

Who is eligible to complete the survey?
The Field Officer Survey is designed to gather the input of experienced, sworn field-level law
enforcement personnel working for agencies that serve rural areas and Indian Country. You will
administer the survey to personnel at your training classes who meet the following criteria:
•

Field Officers attending in-service training only (not recruits attending basic training)

•

Officers/deputies/troopers/investigators who work in the field (not personnel assigned
strictly to administrative or support duties)

•

Sworn officers (not civilian staff)

•

Field-level personnel (not mid- or higher-level managers)

•

Field officers who work for agencies serving rural areas (i.e., non-urban areas)

How is the study team defining a rural area?
For the purposes of the survey, we are using the following RPI definition of rural:
Rural is defined as any area outside of a metropolitan area or any jurisdiction inside of a
metropolitan area located in a county, borough, parish, or land under the jurisdiction of
an Indian Tribe with a population of no more than 50,000.
How will I ensure that only the appropriate personnel complete the survey?
Simply review the above criteria with the participants in your training class and ask them to
determine whether they are eligible to participate in the survey.
What instructions should I provide to potential survey participants?
Please use the following steps when administering the survey.
At the beginning of the training class:
1. Tell training participants about the survey at the beginning of each selected training class,
including that:
 The Rural Policing Institute (RPI) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
(FLETC) is conducting the survey to identify the training needs of law enforcement
personnel who serve rural areas and Indian Country.
 One component of the survey targets field-level personnel and, if they serve a rural
community or Indian Country, they will be invited at the end of the course/class to
participate in the Field Officer Survey. [Note: You may share the following definition

14

of rural but please encourage those in doubt to complete the survey because the study
team will check submitted surveys for eligibility: “Rural is defined as any area
outside of a metropolitan area or any jurisdiction inside of a metropolitan area located
in a county, borough, parish, or land under the jurisdiction of an Indian Tribe with a
population of no more than 50,000.”]
 The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete.
 The survey is voluntary—no one has to complete the survey and there is no penalty
for declining to participate.
 Survey participants will not be asked to provide their names or the name of their
agency.
2. Share the value of participating in the survey, including that the RPI will be using the
results to determine how to most effectively allocate future training resources. In other
words, their input will help to guide the type of training that the RPI will make available
to law enforcement professionals serving rural areas and Indian Country.
3. Explain that the survey is intended for sworn field-level law enforcement personnel who
work for agencies that serve rural (i.e., non-urban) jurisdictions—and that this includes
most of the law enforcement agencies in the country.
4. Encourage training participants to complete the survey unless they are sure that their
agency is not rural by the RPI’s definition (i.e., a rural agency is located outside a
metropolitan statistical area or within a metropolitan area with a population of 50,000 or
less).
Ten minutes before the end of the training class:
1. Remind training participants that you are going to administer the survey that you told
them about at the beginning of class.
2. Encourage people to participate, as appropriate—reminding them of the target survey
audience: sworn field-level law enforcement personnel who work for agencies that serve
rural areas and Indian Country, and explaining the value of providing input into how RPI
training resources for rural law enforcement personnel will be allocated.
3. Distribute the paper copy survey and a number two pencil to all eligible training class
members except those who decline to participate.
4. Ask those who agree to complete the survey to follow the instructions on the survey and
to respond to all of the survey questions.
5. Collect the completed surveys and immediately place them in the envelope provided.
Please note the following information on the outside of the envelope: (a) your name

15

(instructor), (b) the name and date of the course, (c) the training academy name, (d) the
location of the training class during which you administered the survey, (e) the number of
participants, and (f) the number of completed surveys.
6. Return the used and unused surveys to the POST/Academy Director (or the
POST/academy staff person who requested that you administer the survey).
The POST/academy Director or their designated staff person responsible will then mail all of the
completed surveys (in their unique course/class envelopes) to the Rural Law Enforcement
Training Needs Assessment Project using the self-addressed, pre-paid, Federal Express envelope
provided to them by CRA.
Thank you!

16

Appendix I
Thank-You Message for CEOs
Who Complete the CEO Survey Online
(Via Pop-up Message) or on Paper Copy (Via E-mail)
[CRA will enter name when the message is sent via e-mail or paper copy upon receipt
of a completed paper copy survey.]
[Please note that the font/size (Arial, which is the preferred Web site font) will be used
for the thank-you messages that appear in the pop-up messages. We will convert the
messages to the standard Times Roman 12 font for the e-mail or paper
correspondence.]
Thank you for completing the Chief Executive Officer component of the Rural Law
Enforcement Training Needs Assessment Survey. We greatly appreciate your
contributions to our efforts to identify the training needs of law enforcement personnel
serving rural areas and Indian Country.
Be sure to watch our Web sites for the survey results, which should be posted in the
summer of 2011.
Rural Policing Institute: http://www.fletc.gov/state-and-local/rpi
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/
The RPI will review the study results as it plans how to most effectively allocate future
training resources for rural law enforcement personnel.
Thank you again for taking the time to participate in this important study.
Charles L. Daenzer, Chief
Rural Policing Institute
Federal Law Enforcement Training
Center
1131 Chapel Crossing Road
Glynco, GA 31524

Dr. Sandra Webb, Deputy Director
Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services
U.S. Department of Justice
1100 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530

17

Appendix J
Thank-You Message for the POST/Training Academy Directors
Who Complete the POST/Academy Survey
Online (Via Pop-up Message) or on Paper Copy (Via E-mail/Paper
Copy Correspondence)
[CRA will enter name when the message is sent via e-mail or paper copy upon receipt
of a completed paper copy survey.]
Thank you for completing the POST and State and Local Training Academy component
of the Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment Survey. We greatly
appreciate your contributions to our efforts to identify the training needs of law
enforcement personnel serving rural areas and Indian Country.
Be sure to watch our Web sites for the survey results, which should be posted in the
summer of 2011.
Rural Policing Institute: http://www.fletc.gov/state-and-local/rpi
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/
The RPI will review the study results as it plans how to most effectively allocate future
training resources for rural law enforcement personnel, while supporting—but not
duplicating—the efforts of key training provider organizations such as yours.
Thank you again for taking the time to participate in this important study.
Charles L. Daenzer, Chief
Rural Policing Institute
Federal Law Enforcement Training
Center
1131 Chapel Crossing Road
Glynco, GA 31524

Dr. Sandra Webb, Deputy Director
Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services
U.S. Department of Justice
1100 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530

18

Appendix K
Thank-You Message for the POST/Training Academy Directors
Who Administer the
Field Officer Survey During Training
[CRA will enter name when the message is sent via e-mail or paper copy upon receipt
of a completed paper copy survey.]
Thank you for supporting the Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment
Survey. We greatly appreciate your willingness to administer the Field Officer
component of the survey to participants in your training during the specified period.
Please extend our appreciation to your instructors who engaged field-level rural law
enforcement professionals in completing the survey during their training deliveries. Your
team has made significant contributions to our efforts to identify the training needs of
law enforcement personnel serving rural areas and Indian Country.
Be sure to watch our Web sites for the survey results, which should be posted in the
summer of 2011.
Rural Policing Institute: http://www.fletc.gov/state-and-local/rpi
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/
The RPI will review the study results as it plans how to most effectively allocate future
training resources for rural law enforcement personnel, while supporting—but not
duplicating—the efforts of key training provider organizations such as yours.
Thank you again for taking the time to participate in this important study.
Charles L. Daenzer, Chief
Rural Policing Institute
Federal Law Enforcement Training
Center
1131 Chapel Crossing Road
Glynco, GA 31524

Dr. Sandra Webb, Deputy Director
Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services
U.S. Department of Justice
1100 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530

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Appendix L
First Reminder Correspondence
Chief Executive Officer Survey
[CRA will enter name when the message is sent in paper-copy correspondence.]
We are writing to follow up on the Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment Chief
Executive Officer Survey that we sent to you on behalf of the Rural Policing Institute (RPI),
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), U.S. Department of Homeland Security
(DHS), and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Department of
Justice (DOJ). CRA, Inc., a consulting firm led by a former law enforcement professional, is
managing the survey.
We have not received your survey and hope that you will be able to complete the survey online
via the Web link to the survey site that we provided to you: [CRA will enter the appropriate URL
for this person]. We would appreciate your doing so by [CRA will enter a new due date].
If you would prefer to receive a paper copy of the survey, you may call the CRA Rural Law
Enforcement Training Needs Assessment Project at its toll-free number 1-855-272-4640,
between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EST.
We know that law enforcement personnel in rural jurisdictions often face unique challenges and
therefore may have special training needs. By participating in the survey, you will help the RPI
to more effectively allocate resources to meet the current training needs of rural law enforcement
professionals across the country.
Thank you in advance for your support of the Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs
Assessment Survey.
Paula Seidman
Director of Federal Training
CRA, Inc.

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Appendix M
Second Reminder E-mail
Chief Executive Officer Survey
[CRA will enter name when the message is sent in paper-copy correspondence.]
Just a reminder that you have been invited to complete the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Survey, which is a component of the Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment
Survey. CRA, Inc. is conducting the survey on behalf of the Rural Policing Institute (RPI),
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), U.S. Department of Homeland Security
(DHS), and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Department of
Justice (DOJ).
We hope that you will be able to complete the CEO Survey online via the Web link to the survey
site that we provided to you: [CRA will enter the appropriate URL for this person] and would
appreciate your doing so by [CRA will enter a new due date].
Thank you in advance for your support of the Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs
Assessment Survey. Please feel free to call me at our toll-free number 1-855-272-4640, between
9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EST, if you have questions or need assistance in completing the survey.
Paula Seidman
Director of Federal Training
CRA, Inc.

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Appendix N
First Reminder E-mail
POST and State and Local Training Academy Director Survey
[CRA will enter name when the message is sent in paper-copy correspondence.]
We are writing to follow up on the Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment Peace
Officer Standards and Training (POST) and State and Local Training Academy Director Survey
that we sent to you on behalf of the Rural Policing Institute (RPI), Federal Law Enforcement
Training Center (FLETC), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Office of
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). CRA, Inc., a
consulting firm led by a former law enforcement professional, is managing the survey.
We have not received your survey and hope that you will be able to complete the survey online
via the Web link to the survey site that we provided to you: [CRA will enter the appropriate URL
for this person]. We would appreciate your doing so by [CRA will enter a new due date]. [CRA
will enter only for those selected to administer the FO Survey—if they did not submit the
completed surveys: We also invited you to administer the Field Officer Survey to rural and
Indian Country field-level sworn law enforcement personnel participating in your organization’s
training during a designated 2-week period. We look forward to receiving those completed
surveys from you.
If you would prefer to receive a paper copy of the POST and State and Local Training Academy
Director Survey, you may call the CRA Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment
Project at its toll-free number 1-855-272-4640, between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EST.
We know that law enforcement personnel in rural jurisdictions often face unique challenges and
therefore may have special training needs. By participating in the survey, you will help the RPI
to more effectively allocate resources to meet the current training needs of law enforcement
professionals across the country—without duplicating the training offered by major law
enforcement training organizations such as yours.
Thank you in advance for your support of the Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs
Assessment Survey.
Paula Seidman
Director of Federal Training
CRA, Inc.

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Appendix O
Second Reminder E-mail
POST and State and Local Training Academy Director Survey
[Note: Please note that we will not send a second reminder to the POST organizations/training
academies that agreed to administer the Field Officer Survey during their training. If we do not
receive a response from them after the first reminder is distributed, the Project Director will call
them about both their POST/academy survey and the FO surveys.]
[CRA will enter name when the message is sent in paper-copy correspondence.]
Just a reminder that you have been invited to complete the Peace Officer Standards and Training
(POST) and State and Local Training Academy Director Survey, which is a component of the
Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment Survey. CRA, Inc. is conducting the survey
on behalf of the Rural Policing Institute (RPI), Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
(FLETC), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Office of Community
Oriented Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
We hope that you will be able to complete the POST and State and Local Training Academy
Director Survey online via the Web link to the survey site that we provided to you: [CRA will
enter the appropriate URL for this person] and would appreciate your doing so by [CRA will
enter a new due date].
Thank you in advance for your support of the Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs
Assessment Survey. Please feel free to call me at our toll-free number 1-855-272-4640 if you
have questions or need assistance in completing the survey.
Paula Seidman
Director of Federal Training
CRA, Inc.

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Appendix P
Fact Sheet on the
Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment Project
Winter 2011
What is the Rural Law Enforcement Training Needs Assessment Project?
The project is supporting the Rural Policing Institute (RPI), Federal Law Enforcement Training
Center (FLETC), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Office of Community
Oriented Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in assessing the training
needs of law enforcement personnel in rural jurisdictions and Indian Country (related to both
their law enforcement and emergency response functions).
The project team is conducting a national-scope training needs assessment survey of law
enforcement personnel operating in rural areas and Indian Country, collecting information on the
training currently available to them, and reporting on the identified training needs and gaps that
may be addressed by the RPI.
Why was the RPI established?
The RPI was established to address the training needs of law enforcement personnel serving rural
areas and Indian Country without duplicating currently offered training. The RPI concept was
introduced to the FLETC’s State and Local Training Advisory Committee (SALTAC) in 2006,
and on August 3, 2007, the U.S. Congress enacted legislation that called upon the Secretary of
DHS to establish the RPI at the FLETC. Resources for implementing the RPI were provided via
passage of the Fiscal Year 2009 DHS Appropriations Act. The RPI conducts the following:
training needs assessment, training development, training delivery, and outreach. For more
information on the training available through the RPI, please visit the agency’s web site.
What is the purpose of the national training needs assessment survey?
The goal of the national training needs assessment survey is to define further the training needs
of law enforcement personnel serving rural and Tribal jurisdictions. The project team is
collecting information about rural and Tribal law enforcement training needs (related to their law
enforcement and emergency response functions) and the training currently available to those
professionals. This information will enable the RPI to identify training needs and gaps and
appropriately allocate resources to address them in a manner that complements, rather than
duplicates, the training efforts of other Federal agencies and State and local organizations.
Ultimately, the purpose of the project is to ensure that federally sponsored training for law
enforcement personnel serving rural and Tribal jurisdictions meets their specific needs.

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How will you ensure that the survey is effective in identifying the training needs
of law enforcement professionals serving rural and Tribal areas?
The project team reached out to key stakeholders, including law enforcement, Tribal, public
policy, and emergency management organizations, by telephone and e-mail to inform them about
the study and to invite them to share their perspectives. The team also conducted the following
seven focus groups about the survey:
•

National Stakeholder Focus Group, March 31, 2010

•

International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training
(IADLEST) 2010 Regional Meetings, April–May 2010 (5 sessions)

•

The FLETC-sponsored Tribal Law Enforcement Agency Leadership Summit, May 18,
2010, in Tulsa, Oklahoma

In addition, the project team engaged interested organizations in promoting the survey to ensure
achievement of a substantial and high-quality response rate. The team provided information
about the survey to stakeholder organizations for distribution to their members via mail, e-mail,
or their organizational Web sites and newsletters.
Why should law enforcement professionals be interested in participating in the
survey?
The RPI currently offers free advanced and specialized training to law enforcement officers and
other emergency response providers who operate in rural areas, including Indian Country. The
institute is responsible for evaluating the training needs of those personnel and then designing
and delivering training to meet their needs; the national training needs assessment survey is one
component of that effort. By responding to the survey, as invited, law enforcement professionals
will help to ensure that Federal training dollars are appropriately allocated to address their
specific training needs.
Who will be invited to participate in the survey?
The primary target audience for the survey is law enforcement personnel serving rural
communities and Indian Country. The project team is surveying law enforcement agency Chief
Executive Officers (CEOs) from the various types of law enforcement agencies in rural and
Tribal areas. These will include CEOs from State, local, Tribal, campus/school, and State special
jurisdiction (e.g., natural resources police, fish and wildlife police) law enforcement agencies.
The team is selecting a sample that includes adequate representation of potential respondents
across regions.
In addition, the project team will survey the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)
organizations and State and local training Academy directors regarding their assessment of the
training needs of law enforcement personnel serving rural and Tribal areas, the training they
currently provide to address those needs, and the most effective means by which the RPI can

25

support their training efforts. The team also will survey rural law enforcement field officers via
the POST organizations and academies during select in-service trainings.
How will the survey be administered?
The project team will distribute an invitation to participate in the survey by e-mail and/or mail to
the selected survey sample population. The survey instruments will be available in both
Web-based (online) and paper-copy formats, and both versions will provide specific guidance for
completing the survey. Invited respondents will be able to select their preferred option for
completing the survey; the project team anticipates that most participants will choose the online
survey format (Please note that field officers will complete the survey via paper copy during
select in-service trainings).
How long will it take to complete the survey?
We recognize the myriad demands on law enforcement professionals’ time, and we made the
survey as easy to complete as possible.
The CEOs will be able to complete their survey in 15–20 minutes, and POST organization and
Training Academy Directors will need approximately 20–30 minutes to complete their surveys.
We anticipate that it will take front-line law enforcement personnel approximately 10 minutes to
complete the Field Officer Survey.
When will the national training needs assessment survey be conducted?
The survey is being disseminated in early 2011.
How is the project team collecting information about training currently available
to law enforcement personnel serving rural jurisdictions and Indian Country?
The project team is using an array of methods for identifying existing training, including
outreach to key stakeholders and training provider organizations. Training providers may submit
their training for inclusion in the project team’s analysis of currently available training by
completing the project’s Training Information Collection Form. To request a form, please send
an e-mail to the project at rtna@cra-usa.net.
Who is managing the project and the survey?
The COPS Office is administering the implementation of the project on behalf of the
RPI/FLETC. CRA, Inc., a Washington, DC, metropolitan area-based management consulting
firm led by a retired law enforcement professional, is managing the project for the RPI/FLETC
and the COPS Office in consultation with a highly experienced law enforcement researcher.

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Who do I contact for more information on the study?
Interested parties may contact the project by e-mail at rtna@cra-usa.net for more information.
Individuals invited to participate in the survey may call the project’s toll-free number for
assistance, as needed, at 1-855-272-4640 between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EST.
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\CRA-2\COPS Rural Training Project 2011\Survey
Correspondence\FinalSurveyCorrespondence 1-7-11.doc

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