Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 132 - Commission of Law Enforcement Standards and Training › Rule 132.00.13-002 - Minimum Standards for Employment or Appointment or Continued Employment

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 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.