The Georgia Mandate Law Enforcement Training Act

Title 35, Chapter 8 of the Georgia State Code contains the Georgia Mandate Law Enforcement Training Act. This Act establishes the minimum standards and training requirements for a peace officer in Georgia. Individual law enforcement agencies may require candidates to meet additional standards and/or receive additional training.

P.O.S.T. Council

The Law Enforcement Training Act first establishes the Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Council. This council is responsible for maintaining the standards of the Act and for certifying peace officers, trainers and training programs. The Act further establishes rules of operation for the council, including meeting frequency and procedure. The P.O.S.T. council must report on its activities to both the governor and the general assembly on at least an annual basis.

Council Members

The council is composed of 19 voting members and 5 advisory members. Members are unpaid but may be reimbursed for expenses. Council members are appointed by the governor and must consist of at least one chief of police, two municipal police officers, one county sheriff, one city manager or mayor and one county commissioner. In addition, two peace officers must always be seated on the council. Council officers, including a chairman, vice-chairman and secretary/treasurer, must be elected annually.

Basic Training

The Act mandates that all peace officers must attend and pass a basic training class. To be admitted to basic training, candidates must be 18 years of age, be a U.S. citizen and have earned a high school diploma or equivalent. Candidates must be fingerprinted and must pass a background check, an entry exam and both physical and mental examinations. P.O.S.T. certifies several training academies in Georgia, but other training may be approved by the council if they are deemed comparable.

Other Certifications

P.O.S.T. also certifies other public safety positions such as police chaplains, jailers, juvenile corrections officers, bomb technicians, 911 communications operators and animal control officers. In addition, P.O.S.T. manages special certifications for peace officers such as speed detection devices, TASARs and other electronic control weapons. Requirements for these certifications are provided within the Code.

Disciplinary Action

The Act provides the P.O.S.T. council the power to take disciplinary action against or refuse certification to any peace officer or applicant. Grounds for these actions include a failure to abide by all rules and laws of the Georgia Mandate Law Enforcement Training Act, failure to demonstrate the required skills and abilities of a peace officer, felony conviction, fraud and mental incompetency. The council may revoke an officer's certification with cause, but may elect to restore it if certain conditions are met. The council may also take civil action against any officer or law enforcement agency that knowingly violated the rules set out by the Code.

References

• Georgia Code
• Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council