Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T)

Facts about P.O.S.T Board

Requirements

Chancellor's Policy

WHAT THE P.O.S.T. BOARD IS

A national trend toward promoting a full professional status of peace officers resulted in the creation of the Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board in 1977. The Minnesota POST Board is a leader in its field as it is presently the only licensing board for peace officers anywhere in the country. The trend toward establishing higher boards in other states will soon follow POST's lead.

POST came into existence on July 1, 1977 to replace its predecessor, the Minnesota Peace Officer Training Board, which had more limited powers than the current Board, and was not a licensing agency. In addition to receiving authorization to draw up its own set of standards, POST was empowered to administer licensing examinations, handle complaints and conduct studies.

The 1977 legislature made additional changes in the training requirements for peace officers. This grew out of a generally expressed desire to decentralize police training, which formerly took place almost exclusively in the Twin Cities metro area. The decision-making bodies also wished to make fuller use of our state's excellent state university and community college systems. This reflects the national trend toward more broadly educated peace officers and affirms the belief that education is vitally important in helping the new peace officer exercise his or her profession effectively in today's world. In addition, requirements were established at that time for the continuing education of peace officers as a condition for license renewal.

There is no mistaking the fact that the licensing of peace officers is desirable for law enforcement and the public alike. Peace Officers can take pride in the recognizable professional status that licensing helps create. The public sees licensing as a meaningful response to its own often publicized misgivings about police regulation. The overall effect of licensing is high quality law enforcement personnel and public confidence in its police.

Entering the Law Enforcement Profession

Traditionally, a person had only to secure employment with a law enforcement agency to become a peace officer. During the initial year of employment, the new officer was sent to a basic training course at the expense of the employer.

Changing times and the new economic realities have resulted in the phasing out of this kind of training. Local government bodies became increasingly reluctant to absorb the training costs of their peace officers, and the responsibility has now come to rest squarely on the shoulders of the potential officer. There is nothing unusual or unfair about this when you consider that aspirants to other professions have always had to personally finance their own lengthy training and education. The shift away from subsidized training for peace officers coincides with an overall change in emphasis from narrow training goals to the broader ideals of a general education.

The prospective peace officer now follows one of the routes to licensing outlined below.

The Two or Four Year College Route

The steps in this route are (in order):

Completion of a law enforcement program at a two or four year POST certified institution. There are more than 20 such institutions in Minnesota. Students must also complete a course in first aid (EMT, EMS, First Responder or Emergency Response) during this stage of their education.

Clinical Skills course. This is approximately 7-10 weeks in length and is offered in Alexandria and Hibbing.

Successful completion of the POST licensing test.

Individual is hired by a law enforcement agency.

The Vocational-Technical Route
Completion of a two-year POST-certified law enforcement program that includes both academic and clinical skills training.

Successful completion of the POST licensing test.

Individual is hired by a law enforcement agency.

Out-of-State Officers
Peace officers who have been trained in another state or by a federal law enforcement agency can become licensed in Minnesota. Due to the nature of our reciprocity agreement with other states, POST does not recognize military or security guard training in this context. Persons who successfully complete professionally recognized peace officer pre-employment education, which the Board has deemed comparable to the basic course are eligible to take the Peace Officer Reciprocity Licensing Examination. Questions about out-of-state training may be directed to the POST Board by telephone or in writing. The route to licensing for out-of-state peace officers is:

1. Successful completion of the Reciprocity Licensing Examination.
2. Individual is hired by a Minnesota law enforcement agency.
3. Individual applies for a license and pays the required fee.

Selection Standards for Hiring New Peace Officers
The POST Board requires that local agencies apply certain minimum selection standards when hiring new peace officers. The authority to establish these standards is contained in the state statutes. The following is a summary of the POST selection standards.

1. Applicant is a citizen of the United States.
2. Applicant possesses a valid Minnesota driver's license.
3. Applicant completes a comprehensive written application.
4. Applicant must not ever have been convicted of a felony.
5. Applicant must submit to a thorough background investigation.
6. Applicant must pass a thorough physical examination.
7. Applicant must pass a psychological examination by a licensed psychologist.
8. Applicant must pass a physical strength and agility exam to measure job-related skills.
9. Applicant must pass a written examination to demonstrate mental skills.
10. Applicant must pass an oral examination to demonstrate job-related communication skills.

Applicant, then, is eligible for licensing.

Note that the hiring agency may apply any additional standards of its own over and above the POST selection standards. It is generally up to the hiring agency to determine what mental and physical standards its own personnel will have.

Continuing Education
POST believes that continued professional education plays an essential role in ensuring a high level of effective law enforcement in the state. Such education is now a requirement of all peace officers for license renewal. The current POST requirement for continuing education is 48 hours of classroom instruction in POST Board approved courses every three years. Officers can choose from a wide variety of courses in meeting this requirement. Specific information may be obtained from the Continuing Education Unit of POST.

Standards of Conduct
The POST Board believes that self-regulation by law enforcement agencies in disciplinary matters is highly important if public confidence in police is to be maintained. POST is not a disciplinary body. It will become involved with incidents of alleged police misconduct only in order to determine whether or not sanctions against an officer's license should be applied.

Such sanctions against a licensee will take place only after a formal hearing process has established that one of the following violations has occurred:

1. The officer has been convicted of a felony.
2. The officer has been convicted of an offense as stated in Minn. Stat. 214.10.
3. The officer has used unauthorized deadly force as defined in Minn. Stat. 609.066.
4. The officer has made a false material statement under oath to the POST Board which he or she does not believe to be true.
5. The officer has made a false material statement to the POST Board while obtaining or renewing a license.
6. The officer has failed to comply with the POST Board's requirements for continuing education.
7. The officer has failed to pay the licensing fee.
8. The officer has violated any of the POST Board rules as stated in Minnesota Rules, parts 6700.0100 - 6700.2600.

Part-Time Peace Officers
A part-time peace officer is defined as a peace officer who works an average of 20 hours a week or less on a yearly basis.

Since 1979, part-time peace officers have been required by law to be licensed and to meet certain minimum requirements. The selection standards for hiring part-time peace officers are:

1. Psychological evaluation.
2. Physical examination.
3. Felony/background check.

These must be completed within six months of an individual's appointment. Part-time peace officers must complete a POST-approved firearms course and an advanced first-aid course within 12 months of their appointment.

The licensing examination for part-time officers is based on training material developed by the POST Board. It is given several times a year at locations throughout the state.

Conclusion
The peace officer and prospective peace officer in Minnesota should view training and licensing requirements as an affirmation of the professional status of their chosen field. The POST Board is dedicated to ensuring that only the best qualified individuals are hired into law enforcement and that the best possible training is given to them, not only at the beginning of their careers, but for as long as they wear the badge. Strong confidence in the skill and character of the men and women who serve to protect and uphold the law is essential to gaining public respect and cooperation and for maintaining morale within the ranks of the individual departments themselves. All of the POST Board's activities are directed toward building and maintaining that confidence.

I know that prior to receiving approval from the Department of Criminal Justice to complete a clinical skills program, I must, upon graduation from clinical skills, be eligible to: Complete an associate and/or a baccalaureate degree.

Complete all requirements for the major in Criminal Justice Studies (CJS) or have an approved program of study in the Criminal Justice graduate program.

Undergraduate students must complete the following courses:

CJS 421  Peace Officer Standards and Training: Administration, Parts 1, 4, 6, 7

CJS 422  Peace Officer Standards and Training: Statutes, Parts 2, 3, 5

CJS 431 Criminal Procedure

HETS 391  Traffic Law Enforcement License ( Hibbing students only)

Graduate students must be accepted into the Criminal Justice Graduate Program and be assigned a faculty advisor at St. Cloud State University to attend the summer skills program. Additionally, prior to attending skills, students must complete the following courses:

CJS 521  Peace Officer Standards and Training: Administration, Parts 1, 4, 6, 7 (2 Cr.)

CJS 522  Peace Officer Standards and Training: Statutes, Parts 2, 3, 5 (2 Cr.)

CJS 530  Criminal Law (4 Cr.)

CJS 531  Criminal Procedure (4 Cr.)

CJS 677  Framing and Analyzing Research Problems (4 Cr.)

STAT 521 Regression Analysis (3 Cr.)
or
APSY 678 Introduction to Graduate Statistics (3 Cr.)

Both undergraduate and graduate students must have appropriate certification in one of the following:

Emergency Response

EMS First Responder(crash injury management)

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

Minn. Rules 6700.0700 Minimum Selection Standards
The applicant shall be a citizen of the United States.

The applicant shall possess a valid Minnesota driver's license; or in case of residency therein, a valid driver's license from a contiguous state; or eligibility to obtain either license.

The applicant shall complete a comprehensive written application.

The applicant shall submit to a thorough background search including, but not limited to, searches by local, state and federal agencies, to disclose the existence of any criminal record or conduct which would adversely affect the performance by the applicant of peace officer duties.

The applicant shall not have been convicted of a felony in this state or in any other state or federal jurisdiction or of any offense in any other state or federal jurisdiction which would have been a felony if committed in Minnesota.

The applicant shall be fingerprinted for the purpose of disclosure of any felony convictions. Fingerprint cards shall be forwarded to the appropriate divisions of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The chief law enforcement officer shall immediately notify the board if a previous felony conviction is discovered.

A licensed physician or surgeon shall make a thorough medical examination of the applicant to determine that the applicant is free from any physical condition which might adversely affect the performance of peace officer duties.

An evaluation shall be made by a licensed psychologist to determine that the applicant is free from any emotional or mental condition which might adversely affect the performance of peace officer duties.

The applicant shall pass a job-related examination of the applicants's physical strength and agility to demonstrate the possession of physical skills necessary to the accomplishment of the duties and functions of a peace officer.

The applicant shall successfully complete an oral examination conducted by or for the agency to demonstrate the possession of skills necessary to the accomplishment of the duties and functions of a peace officer.