David J. Harris & Associates, LLC.
Field Training Opportunities
ftoschool@gmail.com
425-426-6350
David J. Harris is the owner and lead instructor of Field Training Opportunities. David has 42 years of law enforcement experience, having worked with three different agencies and in two different states. He recently retired as a Sergeant with the Lynnwood Police Department in Washington state, where he has served for over 25 years.
During his tenure with the Lynnwood Police Department, Sergeant Harris was instrumental in the development and implementation of the San Jose Model (SJM) of field training. He also served as the Field Training Coordinator responsible for the training and evaluation of new Field Training Officers (FTO’s). He served as the supervisor of the Traffic Section and trained to the level of Reconstruction. His co-lateral supervisory assignments included the FTO Program, Reserve Officer Program, Administrative Sergeant, K-9 Unit Supervisor, Hostage Negotiation Team Commander for the North Sound Metro SWAT, and Commander of the South Snohomish County Honor Guard.
David began his career in 1981 with the Hawthorne Police Department (HPD), located in southern California. During his career at HPD, he held assignments in Traffic, Patrol, and K-9.
David moved to Washington State in 1992 where he was employed with the Western Washington University Police Department. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was instrumental in the development of the agency’s Field Training Program, which was derived from the SJM of field training.
David is a lifetime member the National Association of Field Training Officer’s (NAFTO). He served as the Director of the Washington Chapter for over 10 years. David also served on NAFTO’s National Board and is a past President. David has been an active member of NAFTO since 1999.
David is a certified instructor with the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC), holding several Instructor Certifications. He is certified to instruct CJTC’s Basic 40-hour Field Training Officer Academy course, in addition to the FTO “Train the Trainer” course. David was a senior member of the FTO Instructor Cadre, where he has instructed the Basic FTO Academy in Washington State for over 20 years.
David recognized the importance of a formal training program for those assigned to instructing new officers and/or deputies. In 2018, David formed Field Training Opportunities, specializing in the instruction of the SJM of field training. Since then, he has instructed the Basic FTO class in several states to include Louisiana, Idaho, Washington and Arizona.
Our curriculum is recognized by the Washington, Arizona, and Alaska’s Police Officer Standards and Training Boards.
Teaching is a passion for David and assisting in the development of law enforcement trainers is his goal.