Regional Community Policing Institute
The University of Tennessee RCPI is a Regional Community Policing Institute (RCPI) funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community 
Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The RCPI, one of more than 27 RCPIs nationwide, is a partnership among the City of Knoxville Police Department, Knoxville's Police Advisory and Review Committee, and the University of Tennessee’s Institute for Public Service. The RCPI delivers exceptional services that are high value but low cost to law enforcement professionals, criminal justice practitioners, crime scene investigators, governmental personnel, community members, and others interested in crime reduction and public safety.
RCPI services include assessment, planning, technical assistance, and instruction all aimed at developing your organizational capability. The University of Tennessee RCPI's service area includes three southeastern states: Arkansas, Georgia, and Tennessee. Traditionally, all RCPI training was fully funded and there was no charge to participants. However, the COPS funding has expired and costs for specialized training and specifically tailored seminars are set based on location, topic and number of participants.
The University of Tennessee RCPI specializes in:
- Community Oriented Policing and Community Partnerships
- Custom-Designed Training and Instruction
- Adult Learning Model
- Internal/External Assessments
The RCPI pursues partnerships and collaborates with other organizations to enhance and promote public safety at the local, state and regional level. The RCPI provides services to law enforcement and communities interested in crime reduction and improving the quality of life.
Our work also extends beyond the borders of Tennessee and our service regions in Arkansas and Georgia to include organizations in the US interested in contracting our services.
For the past eleven years, the RCPI has been committed to advancing public safety through providing unparalleled training and technical assistance services. The RCPI training you select is backed by our commitment to Quality, Value and Reputation. These are the three reasons the Regional Community Policing Institute has been selected by numerous state and local agencies as their premier provider of key law enforcement training, for over a decade.
Training Courses Offered
The Law Enforcement Leader (3-days)
This three-day session will examine the issues of community policing and the management decisions faced by progressive leaders. The course facilitators will provide in-depth presentations of successful strategies and offer open forums for discussion of current problems voiced by attendees. Topics include leadership and management, diversity, risk management, and budgeting. This course is for innovative executives who wish to improve their managerial effectiveness.
The Supervisor and Community Oriented Policing (3-days)
This course will assist first line supervisors in developing a better understanding of roles, accountabilities, and skills in supervision. First line and middle management supervisors will learn how to empower their officers to solve problems and be accountable for their actions. Supervisors will learn to become coaches and mentors, and this course will lay the foundation for basic changes in supervisory skills.
Introductory Survival Spanish (3-days)
This course increases the communication skills of officers who encounter
Spanish speaking citizen in their work. It is an entry-level course covering the Spanish
alphabet, primary numbers and key phrases. Participants will be able to recite and
understand short phrases in Spanish for simple questioning and report information.
Roleplaying exercises in misdemeanor and felony stops and general knowledge of the Latino culture are included.
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) (3-days)
Citizens, government leaders, and the police have a role in preventing crime by working together to improve neighborhood appearance and improving the quality of life. In this 3-day course, the student will learn that by applying CPTED principles and working closely with local planners, developers and elected officials, they can better protect neighborhoods, public housing, schools, parks and recreation developments, commercial and manufacturing facilities.
DNA Evidence Identification, Collection and Preservation (2-days)
This program is intended for law enforcement and emergency first-responder groups involved with the identification, collection, and preservation of DNA evidence. The course will make extensive use of group exercises, problem-solving scenarios, and case studies. Participants will be encouraged to actively participate in the class and is co-lead by a law enforcement practitioner and a DNA subject matter expert.
Crime Analysis and Mapping (2-days)
An introductory course for officers interested in forming a crime analysis unit or to build awareness of the systematic approach of planning, data collection and analysis. Open to sworn department members involved in data collection, mapping, or crime analysis. Participants in this course will learn mapping and crime analysis techniques so it can be used effectively and appropriately as a tool in crime detection and prevention. Even if your agency does not have a specialized unit to perform crime analysis, the facilitators will demonstrate methods of using data to strengthen your community policing and problem solving strategies.
Enhancing Communication and Trust through Community Partnership Building (3-days)
The LEIC focuses this training on the concept of creating safer communities through enhanced communication, understanding, and trust among law enforcement and the citizens they serve. This training is specifically intended for an audience of both citizens and law enforcement. The general public is invited to participate in the discussions of law enforcement ethics and the value of community partnerships and understanding. A team of two facilitators, consisting of a representative from law enforcement as well as a citizen representative, conduct the training at each site. The “team-teaching approach” allows the participants to receive both perspectives of community policing and citizen partnership building. The course was developed from curricula supplied by the COPS Office and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.
Reducing Domestic Violence Through Community Oriented Policing (3.5-days)
This training is intended for participants representing domestic violence victim services and law enforcement. The goal of this training is to equip law enforcement and victim services with resources and knowledge about the crime of DV and to foster positive working relationships so communities can be more effective in saving lives and holding offenders accountable. The facilitators tailor each session to meet the needs of the students and to foster collaboration between community first responders and law enforcement officers. The course includes several topical areas: the cycle of violence; assessing primary aggressors; assessing the lethality of specific situations and utilization of community oriented policing tactics and problem solving strategies.
Contact RCPI
Mike Hill
Program Manager
1201 Oak Ridge TurnpikeSuite 101
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Phone: (865) 946-3222
Toll Free: (866) 449-5342
Fax: (865) 946-3214
mike.hill@tennessee.edu