Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024
(1) Subject to the
provisions of A.C.A.
12-9-106(e),
no individual shall serve, be employed or otherwise function as a law
enforcement officer in this State who is not certified by the Commission at the
appropriate classification for the position held by the individual. The
Commission has determined that it is in the best interest of the State of
Arkansas for the temporary employment period to be restricted further than that
stated in A.C.A.
12-9-106(e).
Accordingly, an individual may serve, be employed or otherwise function as a
law enforcement officer for a term of nine (9) months from initial employment
or appointment as a law enforcement officer provided the provisions in
Regulation 1002, Subsection
3 (a-k) are met and verified on
the Initial Employment Report (F-1) submitted by the employing agency.
Furthermore, the Commission has determined that it is in the best interest of
the State of Arkansas to extend this period by a maximum of three months for an
absolute maximum of twelve (12) months. Therefore, upon the finding of
extraordinary circumstances, the Commission, by majority vote, may extend this
period by a maximum of three (3) months, for an absolute maximum period of
twelve (12) months. (See Regulation 1008 for exceptions.) All requests for
extensions must be submitted and received by the Commission prior to the end of
the nine (9) month period, or any extension thereof. No individual who has been
decertified by the Commission shall be eligible to serve, be employed or
otherwise function as a law enforcement officer in this State unless the
Commission shall have by majority vote agreed that the individual shall again
be eligible to so serve.
(3) Every
officer employed by a law enforcement unit shall:
(a) Be a citizen of the United States. (See
Specification S-1)
(b) Be at least
21 years of age. (See Specification S-1)
(c) Be fingerprinted and a search initiated
of state and national fingerprint files to disclose any criminal record.
Procedure is prescribed in Specification S-2, Fingerprint Record
Check.
(d) Be free of a felony
record. A felony record shall mean having entered a plea of guilty, been found
guilty, or otherwise having been convicted of an offense, the punishment for
which could have been imprisonment in a federal penitentiary or a state
penitentiary. The fact that an individual has received a pardon, or their
record has been expunged shall not release the individual from having a felony
record for the purposes of this regulation, (See Specification S-2)
(e) Be of good character as determined by a
thorough background investigation as prescribed in Specification S-3, The
Background investigation.
(f) Be a
high school graduate or have passed the General Education Development (GED)
Test indicating high school graduation level. (See Specification S-4)
(g) Be examined by a licensed physician and
meet the physical requirements prescribed in Specification S-5, Physical
Examination.
(h) Be interviewed
personally prior to employment by the department head or his representative, or
representatives to determine such things as the applicant's motivation,
appearance, demeanor, attitude and ability to communicate. Commission Form
F-11, Qualifications Appraisal Guide, or other appropriate form may be used to
record the interview, (See Specification S-6)
(i) Be examined by an individual licensed to
practice psychiatry or psychology and qualified to perform such evaluations in
the State of Arkansas, who after examination finds the officer to be competent
and recommends the agency hire the individual. (See Specification
S-7)
(j) Possess a valid driver's
license.
(k) Successfully complete
a CLEST firearms qualification and review departmental policies, specifically
policies covering the use of force, criminal law, and emergency vehicle
operations. (No officer may carry a firearm in the course of employment or in
the performance of official duties until this requirement is met and documented
on the initial Employment Report (F-1) submitted to the Office of Law
Enforcement Standards.
(I) For
continued employment, must successfully complete a minimum of sixteen (16)
hours of CLEST certified training annually, to include firearms qualification
and Racial Profiling.
1003.
PROBATIONARY PERIOD
(1) Every officer employed or appointed below
the level of department head shall satisfactorily complete a probationary
period of not less than twelve (12) months with the employing
department.
1005.
MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR TRAINING (FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME I OFFICERS)
(1)
Basic Police Training Course
(f) If an officer fails to satisfactorily
complete the required training in a total of twelve (12) months from the
original date of employment or appointment, he shall not be eligible to be
retained as a law enforcement officer in this State.
1010.
CERTIFICATION OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS (ALL OFFICERS)
(1)
CERTIFICATION REQUIRED
No individual shall serve, be employed or otherwise function as a
law enforcement officer in the state who is not certified by the Commission at
the appropriate classification for the position held by the individual, except,
an individual may serve, be employed or otherwise function as a law enforcement
officer for a term of nine (9) months from his initial employment or
appointment as a law enforcement officer. Upon the finding of extraordinary
circumstances, the Commission, by majority vote, may extend this period by a
maximum of three (3) months, for an absolute maximum period of twelve (12)
months. (See Regulation 1008 for exceptions.) All requests for extensions must
be submitted and received by the Commission prior to the end of the nine (9)
month period, or any extension thereof.
(3) Certificates remain the property of the
Commission and the Commission shall have the power to revoke or recall any
certificate as provided in the Act.
(a) The
Commission may revoke the certification of any law enforcement officer after
written notice and hearing for any of the following reasons:
(i) The law enforcement officer was separated
from his or her employment due to a failure to meet the minimum qualifications
for employment or appointment as a law enforcement officer.
(ii) The law enforcement officer left
employment due to conduct or involvement in any act which is punishable by
law.
(iii) The law enforcement
officer was separated from employment for a violation of the Rules or
Regulations of the law enforcement agency for which he was employed.
Specification S-9
TITLE: THE BASIC POLICE TRAINING COURSE
The minimum amount of training for which certification will be
granted in the Basic Police Training Course shall be 480 hours.
REQUIREMENTS
1. Successful completion of a minimum of 480
hours of instruction at a certified training school.
4. To be eligible for retention on a
permanent basis an officer must register for a CLEST approved Basic Training
Course upon employment and satisfactorily complete a CLEST approved Basic
Police Training Course or its equivalent within nine (9) months or with an
approved extension, a total of twelve (12) months from the date of employment.
Any requests for a three (3) month extension not received by the Commission
prior to completion of the nine month (9) period will not be considered. (For
exception, see Regulation 1008)
