2023 Tennessee Code › Title 38 - PREVENTION AND DETECTION OF CRIME (§§ 38-1-101 — 38-14-101) › Chapter 8 - EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING OF POLICE OFFICERS (§§ 38-8-NEW — 38-8-312) › Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 38-8-NEW — 38-8-134) › Section 38-8-107 - Certification of officers - In-service training by employing agency - Decertification check

(a)
The commission shall issue a certificate of compliance to any person who meets the qualifications for employment and satisfactorily completes an approved recruit training program. All officers employed on and after July 1, 2017, must:
(1)
Enroll in an approved recruit training program within six (6) months of their date of employment;
(2)
Successfully complete an approved recruit training program as required by this part; and
(3)
Successfully complete an annual in-service training session appropriate for their rank and responsibilities.
(b)
Failure of an individual officer to successfully complete the in-service training requirement will result in the officer's loss of eligibility for the pay supplement in §
38-8-111
. Failure of this individual officer to successfully complete another in-service training session within one (1) year will result in loss of certification. Each employing agency participating in the commission's training program must file a letter of intent with the commission stating its commitment to mandatory training for all law enforcement officers. Failure of several officers from one (1) employing agency shall be cause for the commission to examine that agency's training policy and may result in the agency's being declared out of compliance with state standards and thereby not eligible to participate in the commission's training programs at no cost. Any travel expense shall be borne by the employing agency.
(c)
The commission must evaluate the qualifications of a person certified as a law enforcement officer in another state by reviewing the person's training in the other state, practical experience in law enforcement, and education. After evaluating the person's training, experience, and education, the commission may issue a certificate if the person has satisfactorily complied with all other requirements of this chapter.
(d)
The commission shall also issue a certificate of compliance to any person employed as a campus police officer or public safety officer; provided, that the person meets the qualifications for employment as a police officer and satisfactorily completes an approved recruit training program as required by this part. To retain such certification, the campus police officer or public safety officer shall also successfully complete an annual in-service training session appropriate for the officer's rank and responsibilities.
(e)
The commission shall also issue a certificate of compliance to any person seeking to be commissioned as a railroad police officer pursuant to §
65-6-133
; provided, that the person meets the qualifications for employment as a police officer and satisfactorily completes an approved recruit training program as required by this part. To retain this certification, the railroad police officer shall also successfully complete an annual in-service training session appropriate for the officer's rank and responsibilities.
(f)
The commission shall not issue a certificate or otherwise certify a person who is decertified in another state if the person's decertification is the result of criminal or other misconduct. Prior to requesting certification for a person, an employing agency must complete a check of the National Decertification Index, or other database, as part of a thorough investigation conducted by the employing agency.
Amended by 2023 Tenn. Acts, ch. 27, Secs.s 1, s 2 eff. 3/10/2023.
Amended by 2017 Tenn. Acts, ch. 151, s 3, eff. 7/1/2017.
Acts 1981, ch. 455, § 7; T.C.A., § 38-11-107; Acts 1983, ch. 270, §§ 7, 8; 1990, ch. 1094, § 3; 1993, ch. 374, § 3; 2002, ch. 795, § 1; 2009 , ch. 190, § 2; 2009 , ch. 372, § 2.