Connecticut State Police Officer Standards and Training Council

GENERAL NOTICE 05-2

To:                   Chief Law Enforcement Officers

                        Training Officers

                        Protective Services

                        Resident Troopers

From:                Thomas E. Flaherty

                        Executive Director

Date:                April 6, 2005

Subject:            Revised Regulations - Original Certification, Lateral Certification and Comparative Certification to the Position of Police Officer

The Police Officer Standards and Training Council has revised its Regulations of State Agencies, in particular, Sec. 7-294e-1(a) and Sec. 7-294e-2 (a) (3), (b), (c) (3) and (d) as required by statute.  These revisions were completed, reviewed and passed into law on March 22, 2005.  The Regulations have been posted on our website (www.post.state.ct.us) for your review.  If you do not have access to our website, you may write to our agency and request a copy.  In general, the changes were made to clearly define the term “Chief of Police” for training purposes, to specify the procedure for the granting of a full or partial waiver of the Police Basic Training requirement and to establish objective and uniform criteria for granting any waiver of regulations or procedures established by the council.

The revised Regulations read as follows with the new language in capitals.

Sec. 7-294e-1 (a) (2)

“Probationary candidate” means a police officer who, having satisfied preemployment requirements, has commenced employment with a law enforcement unit but has not SATISFACTORILY COMPLETED the training requirements provided for in Section 7-294d of the general statutes.

(3) “Comparative certification” means THE certification OF A CANDIDATE FOR a police officer position, who has served as a police officer in another state or in a law enforcement UNIT WITHIN THE STATE WHICH IS not subject to the statutes and regulations of the POLICE OFFICER STANDARDS AND TRAINING COUNCIL.


(5) “CHIEF OF POLICE” MEANS A POLICE OFFICER WHO HOLDS A POSITION AS THE

HEAD OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIT.

Sec. 7-294e-2 (a) (3)

Interrupted by not more than THREE years’ absence from the law enforcement unit where last appointed.

(b) IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE  THE LAST  APPOINTMENT AS A POLICE OFFICER OR SIMILAR POSITION IN A LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIT DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE COUNCIL MAY GRANT A FULL OR PARTIAL WAIVER OF THE POLICE BASIC TRAINING REQUIREMENT, SPECIFYING THE ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM, IF ANY, THE CANDIDATE WILL BE REQUIRED TO SATISFACTORILY COMPLETE.  A REQUEST FOR WAIVER OF THE REQUIREMENT OF POLICE BASIC TRAINING SHALL BE FORWARDED TO THE COUNCIL IN WRITING BY THE CHIEF OF POLICE OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIT CONCERNED, GIVING ALL PERTINENT INFORMATION.  IF THE REQUEST FOR A WAIVER ORIGINATES FROM A TOWN OR AGENCY FOR WHICH THERE IS NO CHIEF OF POLICE, OR CONCERNS THE POSITION OF CHIEF OF POLICE, THE REQUEST SHALL BE MADE BY THE CANDIDATE’S APPOINTING AUTHORITY.

(c) (3)THE COUNCIL MAY GRANT A FULL OR PARTIAL  WAIVER OF THE POLICE BASIC TRAINING REQUIREMENT, SPECIFYING THE ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM , IF  ANY, THE CANDIDATE WILL BE  REQUIRED TO SATISFACTORILY COMPLETE.  A REQUEST FOR WAIVER OF THE REQUIREMENT OF POLICE BASIC TRAINING SHALL BE FORWARDED TO THE COUNCIL IN WRITING BY THE CHIEF OF POLICE OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIT CONCERNED, GIVING ALL PERTINENT INFORMATION.  IF THE REQUEST FOR A WAIVER ORIGINATES FROM A TOWN OR AGENCY FOR WHICH THERE IS NO CHIEF OF POLICE, OR CONCERNS THE POSITION OF CHIEF OF POLICE, THE REQUEST SHALL BE MADE BY THE CANDIDATE’S APPOINTING AUTHORITY.

(d)  IN DETERMINING WHETHER TO WAIVE ALL OR A PORTION OF THE REQUIRED POLICE BASIC TRAINING PROGRAM, THE POLICE OFFICER STANDARDS AND TRAINING COUNCIL SHALL EVALUATE IN COMPARISON TO CURRENT STANDARDS THE QUALITY AND EXTENT OF THE CANDIDATE’S (1) PREVIOUS BASIC TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION AS A POLICE OFFICER; (2) FORMAL, PROFESSIONAL AND IN-SERVICE TRAINING AND EDUCATION IN LAW  ENFORCEMENT OR CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND;  (3)  LENGTH OF SERVICE AND FIELD EXPERIENCE AS A POLICE OFFICER.  THE COUNCIL MAY WAIVE THOSE PORTIONS OF THE POLICE BASIC TRAINING PROGRAM FOR WHICH A CANDIDATE DEMONSTRATES (A)  THE SATISFACTORY COMPLETION OF A SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT TRAINING OR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN ANOTHER STATE OR JURISDICTION, OR (B) A LENGTH OF SERVICE WITH FIELD EXPERIENCE SUFFICIENT TO ESTABLISH A PRACTICAL MASTERY OF THE REQUIRED SKILLS, OR A SATISFACTORY COMBINATION OF BOTH.

The purpose of this revision is to amend or establish descriptions of certain individuals appointed to police positions, to add a definition for “chief of police,” to describe a process for providing POSTC certification for police officers from other jurisdictions and a procedure to abbreviate or eliminate the required training curriculum for those individuals whose backgrounds warrant such recognition.

If there are any questions about these revisions, please contact Gary Pfeifer, Compliance Officer at 203-238-6694 during normal business hours.