Executive summary. Georgia Public Safety Training Center / prepared for the Budgetary Responsibility Oversight Committee ; Performance Audit Operations Division, Department of Audits and Accounts

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Prepared For The Budgetary Responsibility Oversight Committee

Georgia Public Safety Training Center August 2001

Russell W. Hinton, State Auditor

Performance Audit Operations Division 254 Washington St. S.W.

Department of Audits and Accounts

Atlanta, GA 30334-8400

Purpose and Background
The purpose of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) is to develop, deliver, and facilitate training, which promotes professionalism and competency within the ranks of Georgia's public safety agencies. The GPSTC is a comprehensive training complex designed to address the training needs of state public safety, local public safety and judicial organizations. GPSTC is a 620acre complex located in Forsyth and has several types of facilities including academic and administrative facilities, driver training and firearm facilities, and firefighter and correctional training facilities.

The training is provided by GPSTC's own General Instructional Services Division, the Georgia Police Academy (GPA) and the Georgia Fire Academy (GFA). The General Instructional Services Division offers programs that are often open to all public safety personnel. The GPA offers advanced and specialized programs designated for law enforcement officers. The GFA provides programs for basic, advanced, and specialized firefighting. Several state agencies also have their training academies or training personnel located at the GPSTC.

The 10 regional academies serve as the primary training facilities for local law enforcement personnel. Currently, six of the 10 regional academies operate under a contract between the GPSTC and a sponsoring agency. The remaining four regional academies are under the direct control of the GPSTC.

The City of Atlanta, Cobb County, DeKalb County, and Gwinnett County operate departmental police academies, with training usually limited to department personnel. The departmental academies offer basic, in-service, advanced, and specialized training. The local law enforcement agencies operating the departmental academies generally require more than 400 hours of basic training; therefore, the 400-hour basic law enforcement course is integrated into their extended basic training program.

The training courses offered by the GPSTC and its contracted regional/departmental academies are tuition free to certified peace officers, emergency medical services personnel, and operational firefighters who are employed by state, county, or municipal public safety agencies in Georgia. Training courses offered through the public safety training delivery system are Basic Law Enforcement, In-service Training, Advanced/Specialized Training, Basic Firefighter Training, Basic Jail Officer Training, and Basic Communications Officer Training.

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Georgia Public Safety Training Center

Evaluation Issues and Findings
Issue: Comment on the validity of the Results-Based Budget (RBB) goals and desired results for the GPSTC.
The GPSTC's fiscal year 2002 Results-Based Budgeting (RBB) goal and desired results are valid indicators of its effectiveness. However, the desired results and the benchmarks used for measurement could be improved. In addition, there are several factors that adversely impact the validity of the RBB data.
Issue: Evaluate the reliability of the RBB data.
The evaluation found that there are several factors that adversely impact the reliability of the RBB data. These are correctness (calculation of the correct % improvement from pre-test to post-test), completeness (checking to make certain all courses that should be in the database are actually in the database), and security (the RBB database is accessible to anyone with access to the network).
Issue: Describe how the GPSTC calculates the reimbursement to municipalities, counties, or state public safety agencies for expenditures on tuition, meals, and lodging which are incurred in training peace officers (35-5-5(d)) and to determine the extent fees (35-5-5(b)) charged to local and state government agencies for the training of their peace officers are not offset by an appropriation.
The Georgia Public Safety Training Center provides training free of charge to eligible public safety personnel within the state of Georgia but does charge fees to private citizens, out-of-state residents, and federal agencies to offset the cost of training. Since the GPSTC typically does not charge fees for the services they provide, they do not reimburse municipalities, counties, or state public safety agencies for expenditures on tuition, meals and lodging except in limited instances.
Issue: Determine the impact on the GPSTC's budget as the regional academies are moved under the GPSTC.
The GPSTC does not anticipate that its capital outlay budget will be impacted to any large extent when control of the regional academies is moved from the sponsoring agencies to GPSTC. However, this conversion will have an immediate impact on GPSTC's normal operating budget. The GPSTC needs to perform a long-term (5-10 years) facilities study to determine future capital outlay expenditures in reference to operating the regional academies. In addition, the GPSTC needs to provide State decision makers with updated estimates on how much it will cost to convert the remaining three regional academies.

For additional information or to request a copy of the Program Evaluation, please contact Paul E. Bernard, Director, Performance Audit Operations Division, at 404-657-5220.

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