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This
specification supplements Section 1010, 1011 and 1012 of the Regulations which provides for the
issue of Basic, General, Intermediate, Advanced, Senior, Part-Time
I, Part-Time II and Auxiliary Certificates to Law Enforcement
Officers meeting prescribed standards of training, education
and experience.
Requirements
- General
Provisions
- To
be eligible for the award of a certificate, each applicant
must be a law enforcement officer appointed by a law
enforcement unit located within the State of Arkansas,
(Refer to Regulation 1001(9).
- Each
applicant shall meet the Commission's prescribed minimum
standards for employment established pursuant to Regulation 1002 except those Full-Time law
enforcement officers who were employed before January
1, 1978. Those persons are "grandfathered" and exempt
from meeting any selection or training requirements,
provided they have been continually employed by the
same agency since December 31, 1977. (See Act 1472 dated
July 1, 1999 for changes relating to grandfathered officers)
- Each
applicant should attest that he subscribes to the Law
Enforcement Code of Ethics.
- All
applications for an award of the Basic, General, Intermediate,
Advanced or Senior Certificates shall be completed on
the Form F-7, Application for Award of Law Enforcement
Officer Certificate.
- In
addition to the requirements set forth above for the
award of a General, Intermediate, Advanced or Senior
Certificate, each applicant shall have completed the
designated education and training combined with the
prescribed law enforcement experience.
- Education
and training must be supported by copies of transcripts,
certificates, diplomas, or other verifying documents
attached to the application. Each training document
must verify the number of classroom hours claimed.
- Educations
Points
- Each
semester credit unit granted by a college or university,
approved in accordance Specification S-8, paragraph (a), operating
on a semester schedule, shall equal one education point.
- Each
quarter credit unit granted by a college or university,
approved in accordance with Specification S-8, paragraph (a), operating
on a quarter schedule, shall equal .75 education point.
- Training
Points
Twenty
(20) classroom hours of police training approved by the
Commission shall equal one training point.
- Basic,
Refresher, Supervisory, Middle Management, Executive,
or Specialized courses certified, sponsored, or presented
by the Commission will be acceptable for training credit.
- The
Commission may approve departmental or other in-service
training which is recorded and documented in the personnel
files of the trainee's department. These records must
confirm successful completion and must include the date
completed, course or subject title, sponsoring agency,
classroom training hours and/or college credit hours.
(See Form F-10 for sample training log form.)
- Training
completed in other states, military police training,
and other specialized training, if properly documented
and approved by the Commission as being required and/or
useful to the department, may be allowed.
- With
proper documentation Certified Instructors may claim
course completion credit for the first time the law
enforcement class is instructed.
- College
credits earned in law enforcement related subjects may
be counted for either training points or education points,
whichever is to the advantage of the applicant.
- Law
Enforcement Experience
Experience
acquired as a sworn law enforcement officer employed full-time
and having statutory authority to enforce state or federal
criminal, traffic or highway laws may be approved. Experience
acquired with a police agency whose standards are lower
than minimum standards established by the Commission will
be rejected.
Law
Enforcement experience claimed is subject to staff evaluation
and final approval of the Commission.
- Eligibility
Quetions
When
determination of "eligibility of certification" of persons
defined in Act 452 of 1975, becomes necessary for establishing
qualifications to apply for, file for, or hold certain
positions or elective office, as required by law, the
following procedures shall apply:
- The
applicant shall submit a letter to the Commission requesting
voluntary participation in the certification program.
The Commission also reserves the right to initiate the
exploration of eligibility.
- Any
person approved for certification will be required to
meet the minimum standards for employment or appointment
as defined in Regulation 1002 and the training requirements
established or approved by the Commission.
- The
acceptance of previous military police experience will
be determined on an individual basis. That experience
which is limited to the enforcement of the Uniform Code
of Military Justice is not acceptable as being the equivalent
experience of a federal, state, county, or municipal
law enforcement officer who enforces the criminal, traffic
or highway laws of the Federal Government or a state.
- The
Basic Certificate
In
addition to the requirements set forth in Section 1 of
this specification, the following are required for the
award of the Basic Certificate:
- Shall
have completed a probationary period of not less than
twelve (12) months with his present department. (Refer
to Regulation 1003).
- Shall
have successfully completed the required Basic Police
Training Course (Refer to Specification S-9) or the equivalent as
determined by the Commission.
- The
General Certificate
In
addition to the requirements set forth in Section 1 of
this specification, the following are required for the
award of the General Certificate:
- Shall
possess the Basic Certificate.
- Shall
have satisfactorily completed the Basic Police Training
Course approved by the Commission and have acquired
the following combinations of education and training
points combined with the prescribed years of law enforcement
experience:
|
Education
Points and/or Training Points
|
15
|
23
|
30
|
38
|
|
AND
|
&
|
&
|
&
|
&
|
|
Years
of Experience
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
- The
Intermediate Certificate
In
addition to the requirements set forth in Section 1 of
this specification, the following are required for the
award of the Intermediate Certificate:
- Shall
possess or be eligible to possess a General Certificate.
- Shall
have satisfactorily completed six (6) hours of College
English or its equivalent from a college or university,
approved in accordance with Specification S-8, paragraph (a) with at
least a 2.0 grade average on a 4.0 point scale. (Note:
Equivalency will be determined in writing from the English
Department Head of the college or university granting
credit for the course).
- Shall
have acquired the following combinations of education
and training points combined with the prescribed years
of law enforcement experience:
|
Education
Points and/or Training Points
|
30
|
45
|
60
|
75
|
Associate
Degree
|
|
AND
|
&
|
&
|
&
|
&
|
&
|
|
Years
of Experience
|
8
|
7
|
6
|
5
|
4
|
- The
Advanced Certificate
In
addition to the requirements set forth in Section 1 of
this specification, the following are required for the
award of the Advanced Certificate:
- Shall
possess or be eligible to possess the Intermediate Certificate.
- Shall
have acquired the following combinations of education
and training points combined with the prescribed years
of law enforcement experience and have attained the
college level indicated with an overall grade average
of at least 2.0:
|
Semester
Hours
|
6
|
15
|
30
|
45
|
Associate
Degree
|
Bachelor's
Degree
|
|
Training
Hours
|
420
|
360
|
300
|
240
|
210
|
210
|
|
Years
of Experience
|
16
|
14
|
12
|
10
|
8
|
6
|
- The
Senior Certificate
In
addition to the requirements set forth in Section 1 of
this specification, the following are required for the
award of the Senior Certificate:
- Shall
possess or be eligible to possess the Advanced Certificate.
- Shall
have acquired the following combinations of education
and training points combined with the prescribed years
of law enforcement experience and have attained the
college level indicated with an overall grade average
of at least 2.0:
|
Semester
Hours
|
30
|
45
|
Associate
Degree
|
Bachelor's
Degree
|
Master's
Degree
|
|
Training
Hours
|
720
|
600
|
480
|
360
|
240
|
|
Years
of Experience
|
18
|
15
|
12
|
9
|
6
|
- Part-time
I Law Enforcement Officer
(Authorized
to be employed 20 or more, but less than 40 hours per
week) Refer to Regulation 1001 (21).
The
following is required for the award of this certificate.
The applicant shall have:
- Completed
the minimum standards for employment or appointment
as outlined in Regulation 1002;
- Satisfactorily
completed the prescribed Basic Police Training or its
equivalent, as required for Full-Time law enforcement
officers; (See Specification S-9).
- Completed
the twelve (12) months probationary period with the
employing department. (See Regulation 1003).
- Application
for award of this certificate will be made on Commission
Form F-7.
- Part-time
II Law Enforcement Officer
(Authorized
to be employed less than 20 hours per week) Refer to Regulation 1001 (22).
The
following is required for the award of this certificate.
The applicant shall have:
- Completed
the minimum standards for employment or appointment
as outlined in Regulation 1002;
- Satisfactorily
completed the prescribed Part-Time Basic Police Training
Course consisting of not less than 100 hours or its
equivalent;
- Completed
the twelve (12) month probationary period with the employing
department.
- Application
for award of this certificate will be made on Commission
Form F-7.
- Auxiliary
Law Enforcement Officer
(This
supplements Regulation 1011)
- Requirements
- An
Auxiliary law enforcement officer is any reserve,
volunteer, mounted patrol and other similar terms
in common usage and refers to persons appointed
and who receives no salary or wages for the performance
of any duties.
- To
be eligible for award of this certificate an Auxiliary
law enforcement officer must:
- Meet
the minimum standards for employment or appointment
as outlined in Regulation
1002.
- Complete
the twelve (12) month probationary period with
its appointing department as prescribed in Regulation 1003.
- Satisfactorily
complete not less than 100 hours of Commission
approved law enforcement training prior to being
appointed as an Auxiliary officer.
- Satisfactorily
complete a Commission approved Firearms Qualification
Course equivalent to the Firearms Qualification
Course required for Full-Time Law Enforcement
Officers.
- General
Information
- An
Auxiliary law enforcement officer who does not meet
the minimum standards for employment or training
shall not take any official action as a law enforcement
officer and any action taken shall be held as invalid.
- All
persons who were serving as Auxiliary law enforcement
officers prior to March 24, 1993 must be a citizen
of the United States, at least 21 years of age and
never entered a plea or found guilty of a felony
at any time.
- All
persons serving as Auxiliary law enforcement officers
prior to the effective date of the Act shall have
one (1) year to complete or have completed the training
requirements or its equivalent as determined by
the Commission.
- Certificates
Remain Property of the Commission
Certificates
remain the property of the Commission, and the Commission
shall have the power to recall or revoke any certificate
as provided in the Act.
- The
Commission may revoke the certification of any law enforcement
officer after written notice and hearing, based upon
a finding that the officer falsified any information
required to obtain certification or has been discharged
from employment as a law enforcement officer for conduct
or involvement in any act which is prohibited by law.
- Recommendations
to the Commission from a department head for recalling
certification of an officer will be supported by a letter
of justification. Upon receipt of the recommendation
and letter of justification the matter will be reviewed
by the Commission and upon approval the recall action
will comply with the State Administrative Procedures
Act.
- The
certification of any law enforcement officer shall expire
if the officer does not serve as a law enforcement officer
for six (6) consecutive months.
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