On January 10, 1944, the Minneapolis Police Department launched the largest, most comprehensive police training course the city had seen. 120 Minneapolis Police Officers were enrolled in the training course which took place on the second floor of the Bryant Avenue Station.
Chief Joseph Jonas thought that the training course was especially necessary and valuable at that particular time because more than 100 experienced Minneapolis Police Officers had entered the armed forces. Their replacements had relatively less experience in matters such as rules of evidence, proper methods of investigation and preparation of cases, amongst other subjects.
The curriculum included courses on criminal law, evidence, accident investigations, use of photography, scientific aids, court work, and traffic laws.
The students were drawn equally from the general force and from the traffic department.
Traffic Captain Oscar Bakken was enthusiastic about the training course because it would teach the most modern methods of traffic control. Thinking ahead to peacetime, Captain Bakken believed that the course would prepare his department to better cope with post-war driving conditions. “Adjustment to peacetime driving habits of both soldiers and civilians is likely to create a problem,” he said.
The instructors came from Northwestern University, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Automobile Safety Club Council, and the City Attorney’s Office. Municipal Judges and Police Identification Experts also taught classes.
The training course ran for nine weeks with three classes of 40 officers each receiving three weeks of instruction. The last week of each class was spent doing field work.
The entire cost of the training course was $1000.
Source: Minneapolis Tribune from December 19, 1943
Pictured in photograph from L to R: Minneapolis Police Sergeant Clair Tripp and Instructor H.R. Hamm teach a traffic control scenario as Officers Wayne Nissen and Carl Johnson participate in the Minneapolis Police Officer Training course at the Bryant Avenue Station. Photograph courtesy of Hennepin County Library