Police Organizations :: Blue Sheepdog

Police officers have many chances to join professional organizations, yet most cops don’t belong to any. So, here are a few of the many law enforcement organizations you can join to get training, expand your networking, and improve your game.

International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) is the largest trainers’ association in law enforcement. ILEETA is a fantastic resource for anyone involved in criminal justice education and training. Members include instructors from all over the globe. ILEETA has a large on-line library of training and reference materials, access to discounted liability insurance for members, and an amazing annual training conference to name just a few of their benefits.

The National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) is the premier organization by and for law enforcement tactical officers (SWAT, TEC, etc.) Current membership includes more than 1600 teams, and more than 30,000 officers worldwide. The NTOA is an amazing wealth of information. The NTOA has a library of training materials, product reviews, and an excellent magazine. Additionally, the NTOA offers consulting services for agencies. For example, an after-action report they compiled for the Cobb County (GA) Police Department after a 1999 incident was exceptional.

The National Association of Field Training Officers (NAFTO) is an organization that promotes the field training and evaluation program concept in law enforcement, public safety communication and corrections settings. Benefits of membership include an annual conference, access to field training materials from other agencies, and more.

International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI) is an almost 30-year-old organization promoting the modernization and improvement of firearms training and teaching methods. IALEFI offers an annual training conference, plus regional training conferences throughout the year. In addition to the networking opportunities with other firearms instructors, IALEFI publishes an excellent magazine, training standards, and other materials.

Other professional organizations include:

This list is not exhaustive! There are additional national and international organizations. Plus, most states have their own organizations, either as chapters of the national or completely independent of other groups. Groups like the Georgia Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors is an example of excellence at the state level.

Feel free to post your groups in the comments section.