Bethany Torres

Bethany is an active-duty police officer with the San Jose Police Department with assignments in the department’s Specialist Program, UAS Pilot Program, and the Bureau’s Robbery and Gang Investigation Academies. Her time working street-level narcotics taught her that the success of any investigation starts at the patrol level, whether it is a call for service or a proactive stop. That insight now shapes how she teaches both recruits in the academy and FTO in Savage Training Group classes.

Since becoming a Field Training Officer, Bethany has developed and refined a high-quality training plan that blends real-world practicality with structure and clarity, especially for recruits who are struggling. She believes in a team-based approach to training, where the primary FTO works alongside knowledgeable teammates to help a recruit build the skills, adaptability, and judgment they will need to succeed independently.

Bethany is also a strong advocate for critical thinking. She pushes her recruits to follow cases from the very first contact to the final resolution, giving them a sense of ownership and reinforcing the importance of quality and integrity in every step of the process.

Her contributions to the Field Training Program have led to meaningful improvements, including updated documentation formats now used department-wide. For Bethany, the reward comes from seeing new officers thrive and knowing she has helped FTOs and recruits alike invest in their careers, strengthen their skills, and prepare for the moment they are the ones training the next generation.

One of the best parts about having Bethany be a part of our cadre is that she is a working FTO who understands exactly what our students have to deal with every day on the street. Our students get the benefit of learning what training strategies she used last week on a patrol and you can ‘t get much more current and relevant than that!

Where you’ll see Bethany teach: