Training & Education

WSCJTC holds a variety of courses for those in the law enforcement, corrections, public safety and the criminal justice field. Many of these courses have prerequisites that must be met and may only be open to certain individuals. Click any course below for more information on availability and requirements.

Disclaimer: The courses labeled as WSCJTC are fully supported by Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, all registration, curriculum, and instructors are managed by Commission. 

Featured WSCJTC Programs and Projects:

Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act (LETCSA) Mandated Courses

In May 2017, Initiative 940 (I-940) was filed with the legislature in an effort to establish higher training requirements and police accountability standards. After filing for approval, the campaign officially began gathering public support. Led by De-Escalate Washington and the Puyallup Tribe, the goals of this campaign were to:

  • Require de-escalation and mental health training for law enforcement.
  • Require first aid training for law enforcement and require that they render first aid at the earliest safe opportunity to injured persons at a scene controlled by law enforcement.
  • Replace the requirement that “malice” must be proven in order to bring criminal charges to a law enforcement officer, with an objective “good faith standard”.
  • Require a completely independent investigation into officer involved uses of deadly force.
  • Require notification and involvement of the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs (GOIA) if a Tribal member is killed or injured in an officer involved use of deadly force.
  • Include community stakeholders from diverse groups in rulemaking discussions.

Following the passage of I-940 and SHB 1064, the legislation was renamed to the Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act (LETCSA). The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC) began to work with named statutory stakeholders to create and adopt rules for new officer training requirements (WAC 139-11) and independent investigations criteria for officer involved uses of deadly force (WAC 139-12). These WACs have been adopted and are currently in effect.

Below are classes that have been developed by WSCJTC that were mandated by WAC 139-11. 

NEED CLASS ASSIGNED?

Please contact your agencies training manager if you would like to be assigned a LETCSA course in ACADIS.

 

Title Training Number Location Description Training Type
Effective Communication 4030 Virtual

In this self-paced course, officers will learn multiple strategies to apply when interacting with individuals in their community with differing backgrounds. This course provides supplemental methods to the LETCSA overarching principles of pace management which involves time, distance, and shielding. The development of this course was a partnership with the following organizations: Kitsap Support, Advocacy, and Counseling; Rebuilding Hope! Sexual Assault Center for Pierce County; Washington State Department of Social and Health Services; and Spokane Immigrant Rights Coalition.

 WSCJTC
Introduction to Indigenous Concepts and Culture 4090 Virtual

The United States is home to over 500 different federally recognized tribes, each of them with unique culture, history, and contemporary issues. Upon completion of this course students will be able to illustrate and integrate principles of cultural humility, including but not limited to, knowledge of cultural responsiveness and the role of law enforcement in their relationships with Indigenous people.

 

 WSCJTC
Introduction to the Historical Intersection of Race and Policing Virtual

In order to facilitate successful interactions with Black Americans in their community, students will learn about the generational trauma that impacts the experience of Black Americans in U.S. society. Fundamental concepts and principles of race and policing are taught to better understand perceptions, challenges, and relationships between law enforcement and Black Americans through lecture, self-reflection, and videos.

 WSCJTC
Law Enforcement and Society: Lessons of the Holocaust 4010 Virtual

The Holocaust for Humanity Center engages with law enforcement to learn about the role of police in Nazi Germany and to reflect on their role in a democratic society today. Officers will learn to build more positive relationships with specific communities within areas they serve by understanding how biases, stereotypes, and a lack of understanding about varying cultural norms negatively impacts police interactions with the public.

 WSCJTC
LGBTQ+ Core Competency 4040 Virtual

This training equips participants with current and accurate information surrounding laws, the historical context around the relationship between the LGBTQ+ community and law enforcement, terminology, and more so that officers feel confident in their knowledge regarding the LGBTQ+ community. Other areas covered in this training will be gender identity, gender expression, and pronoun usage so that officers may effectively and respectfully communicate with LGBTQ+ individuals. After completing this training, officers will receive 2.5 hours of LETCSA credits.

 WSCJTC
OpenSesame (selected courses) Virtual

Several new eLearning courses are available for LETCSA training credit on WSCJTC’s Acadis database. These courses are being offered in partnership with OpenSesame.

The following courses may be completed to receive LETCSA training credit:

  • Building Relationships in the Community
  • De-escalating a Mental Health Crisis
  • Diversity and Cultural Competency for Law Enforcement
  • Human Trafficking Awareness
  • Policing the Homeless
 WSCJTC
People First: Awareness, Challenges, and Response to Poverty and Recidivism 4070 Virtual

In this self-paced course, officers learn about concepts and challenges relating to recidivism and people experiencing homelessness with the goal of better serving these individuals. Lectures, self-reflection, and videos assist officers in developing more understanding of their community.

 WSCJTC
The United States’ Criminal Legal System: Structural Inequalities, Monetary Sanctions, Policy and Reform 4020 Virtual

This course is a two-hour, fully online, and self-guided series that introduces the audience to the United States criminal legal system. The first module defines the term structural inequalities and provides examples of various disparate racial and ethnic outcomes in U.S. institutions. The second module describes the rise in U.S. conviction and incarceration rates from the mid-1970s through today.

 WSCJTC
Understanding the Diversity and Complexity of Asians and Asian American Communities 4080 Virtual

This self-paced course will provide an overview of the diversity and complexity of the Asian and Asian American communities in Washington and the United States. The course will examine the various social, cultural, and historical factors shaping the interaction between law enforcement and members of the Asian and Asian American communities. Cultural humility skills are emphasized throughout as they are essential when developing a deeper understanding of the complex identities of Asians and Asian Americans.

 WSCJTC