MTSU presents statewide job-task analysis identifying 380 essential duties for Tennessee officers

Middle Tennessee State University researchers on April 17 presented the first statewide job task analysis (JTA) for Tennessee law enforcement, identifying 380 validated tasks that the university recommends as core to entry-level officer training.

Dr. Ben Stickel and the MTSU team described a multi-step study that included literature review, 61 virtual focus groups with roughly 172 officers and deputies, and a statewide survey that drew approximately 717 respondents from patrol, investigations, K9, SWAT, traffic and other functions. Using a combined frequency-and-criticality scoring method, researchers validated 380 tasks out of an initial list of 458 as meeting the threshold for inclusion in entry-level training.

The study organized validated tasks into 55 categories and highlighted common, high-priority areas such as responding to domestic violence, use-of-force decision-making, crisis intervention for mental-health incidents, traffic enforcement, and basic investigative procedures. The researchers recommended that POST and state academies use the JTA to align basic training and testing with duties officers perform on day one of patrol.

"We strove to empirically give you a good idea of what exactly a police officer, sheriff's deputy does day to day in this state," Dr. Stickel said. He described the report as a foundation for a model basic training curriculum and urged periodic updates every five to seven years to reflect evolving job demands.

POST leaders and commissioners praised the work and said the JTA would inform next steps, including stakeholder-driven development of a model basic training curriculum and continued partnership with MTSU. The research team delivered printed binders of the report to the commission during the meeting.

Speakers

- Dr. Ben Stickel, Middle Tennessee State University (project lead) - Dr. Carter Smith, MTSU team (present)

Authorities

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Actions

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Clarifying details

[{"category":"focus_groups","detail":"Number of virtual focus groups conducted","value":61,"units":"count","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Dr. Ben Stickel"},{"category":"focus_group_participants","detail":"Approximate total number of officers participating in focus groups","value":172,"units":"count","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Dr. Ben Stickel"},{"category":"survey_respondents","detail":"Survey sample size across the state","value":717,"units":"count","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Dr. Ben Stickel"},{"category":"validated_tasks","detail":"Number of tasks meeting inclusion threshold for entry-level training","value":380,"units":"count","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Dr. Ben Stickel"}]

Proper_names

[{"name":"Middle Tennessee State University","type":"organization"},{"name":"Tennessee POST Commission","type":"agency"}]

Provenance

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salience":{"overall":0.88,"overall_justification":"Statewide study that may influence academy curricula, testing, and training standards; potential long-term impact on law-enforcement preparation.","impact_scope":"statewide","impact_scope_justification":"Findings apply to all Tennessee law enforcement academies and basic training standards.","attention_level":"high","attention_level_justification":"Study informs possible changes to statewide training and testing programs and is likely to guide POST policy and curriculum development.","novelty":0.70,"novelty_justification":"First statewide JTA for Tennessee and a sizable, rigorous effort with high participation.","timeliness_urgency":0.65,"timeliness_urgency_justification":"Provides foundation for near-term curriculum development and legislative or administrative follow-up.","legal_significance":0.35,"legal_significance_justification":"Helps make training and testing defensible but does not itself change statute.","budgetary_significance":0.20,"budgetary_significance_justification":"Potential future resource implications for academies depending on curriculum changes."} ,