Several states require police officers to complete specific training and certifications before they can begin working. These requirements are similar to professional licenses.

A law enforcement officer certificate is issued to newly hired sworn police officers by their state police officer standards and training (POST) board or other certifying agency.

Statutory Requirements

The statutory requirements for law enforcement certifications are established at the state level and vary from state to state. These statutory qualifications generally include minimum educational levels for employment as a police officer and the amount of experience required.

In addition, many states have laws that disqualify a person from becoming a police officer if certain criminal records or character issues are found. Other statutory requirements may also include physical and psychological examinations.

A law enforcement agency should establish and maintain a personnel evaluation system that meets the agency’s needs. Such a system fosters fair and impartial personnel decisions and promotes and maintains performance. An independent rater should establish, maintain, and regularly review it. This practice is supported by court decisions and provides a clear basis for measuring an individual’s job performance. The chief law enforcement officer must oversee this function and ensure that it is done correctly.

Certification Requirements

Law enforcement certifications are an excellent way to bolster your credentials and enhance your career progression. They are also a great tool to help you stand out from other applicants in the recruitment process.

Various specialized areas offer certifications, including crime scene investigation, juvenile justice, corrections, and more. Some certificates are available as online courses, while others require in-person attendance and hands-on training.

Some states set minimum qualifications and training standards statewide, while others permit local departments to establish additional requirements. Whether you pursue a state-wide or local certification, education beyond high school is highly recommended for aspiring police officers.

Officers in criminal justice often need to learn how to de-escalate crises and manage their emotions, especially when working under high-stress and high-pressure conditions. Using scenario-based training to sharpen your communication skills is essential for any law enforcement professional, whether on patrol or managing your agency’s day-to-day operations.

Training Requirements

Law enforcement officers need ongoing training to stay current on laws, regulations, and best practices. The frequency and duration of this training depending on the requirements of each law enforcement agency.

Officers also have the opportunity to refresh their knowledge during in-service and roll-call training. These opportunities help officers convey new policies and tactics to their colleagues and reinforce skills they learned in previous recruit or specialized training courses.

In addition to the formal yearly training content that officers receive, some law enforcement agencies also let their unit leaders dictate what types of training are required for their police units. This approach is seen as a more flexible and realistic way of addressing the needs of individual officers.

Additionally, some law enforcement agencies let instructors specialize in particular components of training, such as shooting or self-defense. These approaches provide a more significant opportunity for realism in the training sessions and can increase the effectiveness of the learning experience.

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Requirements for Recertification

Officers certified as law enforcement officers must complete in-service requirements throughout their career holding that job function. This includes attendance at all supervised field training and classroom instruction.

In addition, police officers must keep a notebook of course content and supervised field training, which the course director evaluates. Failure to do so will result in a loss of certification.

However, recertification is not a requirement for all law enforcement officers, and many former or current officers have recertified to work at different agencies without being aware of their previous decertification. Documents obtained by The Intercept and New York Focus under New York’s Freedom of Information Law show that state regulators have decertified 27 former NYPD officers and then rehired them at other public safety agencies, often without being informed about their prior transgressions.

Cuomo’s reforms would ban recertification, but they are a half-measure that experts say is insufficient to protect the public. Moreover, they do not track officers’ rehires as closely or transparently as they do for doctors and lawyers.