Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 132 - Commission of Law Enforcement Standards and Training › Rule 132.00.15-011 - Regulation 1002 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, 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. 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.
(2) Verification of minimum
		  employment standards must be maintained by the employing department.
(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) Home school diplomas will not substitute for the
		  above unless approved by the Commission.
(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.
(m) Be free of a
		  misdemeanor domestic violence conviction, in accordance with
		  18
		  USC section 922,