Welcome to the Hoove
r Group of Reno, the original founders of the Reno/COPS Model PTO Program. The Hoover Group offers consulting and training in organizational change, police training, and leadership.
Our flagship training program is the Reno/COPS Model PTO Program. The Reno/COPS Model is the latest modification of the Police Training Officer (PTO) Program that was sponsored by the Department of Justice COPS Office as an alternative to the FTO model. Jerry Hoover led the international group of police experts that developed and implemented the original PTO concept. PTO is based on community policing philosophy but is a relevant training model for any law enforcement agency regardless of size or policing philosophy.
Since developing PTO, the Hoover Group of Reno has provided training to several hundred agencies throughout the United States and New Zealand on the Reno/COPS Model. Feedback from the participants in these seminars was used to modify the PTO Program so that it maintained a state-of-the-art status.
Reno/COPS Model PTO Blog
Go to the blog to see informational items regarding PTO. This is where you will find opinions and other information about the PTO Program. This section is updated frequently.
Hosting a Training Course
Please contact us for specific details and costs. Typically the host agency contracts with the Hoover Group to offer the training. In this case, the host agency covers the costs of the program and provides the training site, A/V equipment, and manuals/handouts. The host may then ‘sell’ the extra seats to cover the costs. In some cases, the host has covered all costs of the program by doing this.
In addition to the courses we offer, we can design or modify training programs specific to an agency’s needs.
Announcing your class:
If you would like us to announce PTO training that you are conducting, contact us and we will announce it on this site (if it is approved PTO training).
Awards/Recommendations
The President’s Task Force for 21st Century Policing recommends the PTO program as an example of a 21st Century industry standard for field training (see full citation on this page to the right).
The original PTO Program received the COPS Office Award for Most Innovative Practice.
The Reno/COPS Model also received the Pat Summerall Champions of Industry Award for Progressive Industry Practices.
The Reno/COPS Model has been featured on CNN, the Travel Channel, and in several college-level text books. Also, several articles have been written about the PTO Program.
The Rand Corporation recommended that the Los Angeles Police Department consider adopting a field training program such as the Reno/COPS Model in their study of the Department’s problems.
Sage Publications has produced the Encyclopedia of Community Policing and Problem-Solving (Ken Peak, Editor), which includes a section on the PTO Program. Two other sections are included on the Chief Executive Role in COP and the Mid-Manager Role in COP written by Jerry Hoover.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Click on the link (FAQs) to see some of the more common questions that are asked about the PTO Program.
Software
The Hoover Group does not provide software to use in the PTO Program, however, we have worked with MdE, Inc. (A.D.O.R.E. software) in the past. We have maintained a good relationship with MdE so that they remain up to date on the Reno/COPS Model. You can contact them at http://www.mde-inc.com/.