Overview and Award Outcomes
Overview
Hennepin Technical College’s Peace Officer and Public Safety A.S. Degree focuses on cultural competency as essential for police officers to build mutual trust and respect with communities of diverse backgrounds and cultural differences. Embedded throughout the curriculum are learning objectives that will increase the student’s ability to interact effectively with people of diverse backgrounds. The Peace Officer and Public Safety curriculum will include HTC Learner Outcomes critical thinking and problem solving, and oral and written communication skills, as well as HTC Learner Values cultural and global awareness, and ethical and social responsibility. Future employers will value Hennepin Technical College Peace Officer and Public Safety graduates for their knowledge and experience with diverse communities and the various populations within those communities, their strong tactical skills, and exceptional interpersonal communication and critical thinking skills.
Hennepin Technical College is certified as a Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) program. The Peace Officer and Public Safety A.S. degree program is a Minnesota Board of Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) approved program and upon completion of the A.S. degree provides students the opportunity to take the POST eligibility test for licensure.
Award Outcomes
Demonstrate ethical principles required to perform the duties of a peace officers, including but not limited to police reports, criminal and traffic codes: local, state, tribal, and federal laws; emergency vehicle operations; defensive tactics and firearms
Demonstrate capacity for self-awareness and emotional intelligence in conflict management and de-escalation situations specifically with diverse communities.
Apply understanding of individual cultural competencies including beliefs, practices, and needs of diverse communities during community contact, arrests, and high-stress situations
Demonstrate effective communication with victims, witnesses, and suspects from diverse populations and identify implicit biases and how bias affects critical thinking in crisis intervention situations
Construct best practices for implementation of lifelong physical fitness and mental health for peace officers.
Assess the evolution of interaction between law enforcement and society and how implicit bias, procedural justice, and de-escalation can affect the outcomes.
Articulate how the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, additional Constitutional Amendments, and state constitutions protect citizens’ rights and impact policies and procedures.