New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
Title 9 - EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
Subtitle U - Division of Criminal Justice Services
Chapter I - Law Enforcement Services
Subchapter A - Municipal Police Training Council
Article 2 - Municipal Police Training Program
Part 6025 - Basic Course For Peace Officers
Section 6025.6 - Time limits for completion of the basic course for peace officers

(a) No person appointed as a peace officer after September 1, 1980 shall exercise the powers of a peace officer unless such person has been awarded a certificate by the commissioner attesting to the satisfactory completion of the basic course prescribed in section 6025.3 of this Part within 12 months of appointment.

(b) Attendance is required of each officer at all sessions of the basic course, except for valid reasons. The course director is authorized to determine the validity of, and excuse, absences of not more than 10 percent of the total hours of instruction as provided for in the curriculum of the course. An absentee from any scheduled class session shall make up such absence as required by the course director. However, no officer may be issued a certificate of completion without receiving the full program of instruction in firearms, the defense of justification (use of physical force/deadly physical force), and physical agility/arrest techniques.

(c) A peace officer who is unable to satisfactorily complete the full curriculum of a basic course due to excessive absences may apply for authorization to complete the requirements of that curriculum in an alternately approved basic course. Such applications shall be subject to the approval of the course director. If the course director approves the application, it must be forwarded to the commissioner by the course director. The commissioner may authorize such officer to make up required hours at another basic course in satisfaction of the requirements for a certificate of completion. Such determination shall be subject to review and approval by the counsel at its next scheduled meeting subsequent to such determination.

(d) Each peace officer enrolled in a basic course shall keep a notebook. The notebook shall contain an outline of major points and pertinent information for each topic presented. The course director will evaluate notebooks based upon criteria such as content, organization, regularity of entries, accuracy and legibility.

(e) The taking and passing of written examination(s) is required of each officer prior to issuance of a certificate of completion. If a series of examinations is required by the course director, the candidate must achieve a total passing average for the series. The course director shall assemble examination material, give and supervise examination(s) and grade the examination(s). The course director and sponsoring agency shall retain the examination papers as required by the appropriate schedule for records retention and disposition promulgated by the Commissioner of Education. Such records must be available for inspection by members of the council or the commissioner.

(f) Upon certification by a course director stating that a peace officer has satisfactorily completed all basic course requirements, the commissioner shall issue a certificate of completion to such peace officer.