Year after year, less and less money goes to the training of uniformed services. In 2009 it was PLN 411 million and in 2011 only PLN 365 million. A bit more than half of 52 thousand police officers had a chance to improve their professional skills. In the State Fire Service it was much worse, as only 18.5 percent of 12 thousand fire fighters were trained. The Border Guard (BG) had the best results in that area - 44 thousand of BG officers were sent to special courses.
Conversation with Piotr Miklis about the key audit findings
Training of uniformed services
The quality of training programmes and courses offered to the uniformed services is unsatisfactory. NIK surveys show that the training schemes were not fully attuned to the officers’ job requirements. Commanders pointed out that there were not enough practical exercises as part of such courses and training programmes and that after completing them the officers were not ready to take up specialist tasks.
In the audited period, the Police used on average 45 percent of training places, and the accommodation in more than 73 percent. In the State Fire Service it was about 36 percent of training places but the accommodation was used to the full. The Border Guard achieved the worst result - they used on average 25 percent of the training base and more than 56 percent of the accommodation.
The technical condition of training facilities is gradually deteriorating. In 10 schools (of 17 audited ones), NIK inspectors identified damages of the load-bearing structure of the buildings and façades, moisture and mould on the walls and even unprotected electric cables and gas attachments. In case of all services, periodic inspections of the buildings were neglected.
According to NIK, professional preparation of teachers and coaches hired in schools and training centres leaves a lot to be desired, especially in the Police and the State Fire Service. For instance, in the Police Academy in Szczytno, more than 70 percent of academic teachers had master’s degree only. At the same time, in the Main School of Fire Service some persons without required academic degrees were hired as academic assistants or assistant professors. Besides, too few lecturers were employed there, considering the workload. The teachers had to take upon themselves extra classes which in some cases tripled the number of hours they normally made.
Since 12 years the Minister of the Interior (MI) has not defined the principles or technical terms of using practice shooting ranges in the Police and Border Guard. In the past, NIK drew the MI’s attention to that situation twice. As a consequence, the Chief Commander of the Police decided that the police officers should use 20 shooting ranges. The situation of 8 shooting ranges where the BG officers had their practice has not been regulated at all.
