Most “remedial training” isn’t about training.

It’s about avoiding accountability.

And everyone in the room knows it.

A couple of years ago, I was visiting another service for what was supposed to be a routine discussion — vehicles, equipment, exercises, the usual. On my way out, the training sergeant pulled me aside.

“Got five minutes? Come see this footage.”

It was a spot audit. Rush hour. Two-lane to four-lane transition. The driver weaving through traffic, clipping sidewalks, running red lights.

And the vehicle being pursued?

A stolen cube van.

Not a high-performance getaway car. Just a box on wheels - or perhaps more succinctly, a “chocolate bar” on wheels.

I asked the obvious question.

“Suspension? Hours? re-assignment?”

Nope.

Divisional leadership considered it “fixable with remedial training.”

The problem? This was his third round of remedial training.

The Sarge was looking to me for suggestions and I remember looking at the sergeant and saying:

“If leadership isn’t going to support the policy and procedures, there’s nothing your instructors can do during a remedial session that will change anything.”

He didn’t argue.

He just nodded.

Because he already knew.

Training has a role. But when someone repeatedly violates policy, ignores procedure, and demonstrates poor judgment, the issue isn’t skill.

It’s attitude.

And sometimes, it’s a culture.

You can’t fix that with another workbook or PowerPoint.

This is where the system breaks down.

Training delivers the message.
Policy outlines expectations.
But supervision and leadership have to reinforce both.

When that chain isn’t aligned, remedial training becomes a placeholder — not a solution.

We often rely on phrases like:
“All’s well that ends well.”
“No news is good news.”

But those usually mean the same thing:

Nobody got hurt. This time.

Recent Line-of-Duty Death trends reinforce the risk. Traffic-related incidents continue to account for roughly 30–40 officer fatalities annually, with single-vehicle crashes making up a significant portion. Injuries number in the hundreds each year — many involving preventable decision-making errors.

The pattern is clear: behavior that goes uncorrected eventually shows up in statistics.

Real change doesn’t start with another training block.

It starts with alignment:

Without that, we aren’t correcting behavior — we’re counting on luck.

When training, policy, and leadership aren’t aligned, remedial sessions become symbolic instead of corrective. The risk isn’t just one driver — it’s the precedent it sets.

Have you recognized this at your organization?