Policy

Policy 1. The intent of the Legislature in enacting the Law Enforcement Officers Training Program (LEOTP) was clearly to establish standards for the selection and training of law enforcement officers as soon as possible upon beginning the officer's career. This action was for the benefit of all the people of the state in that trained officers could better meet the needs of a complex society. Due to that very complex nature of today's society, coupled with the ever- increasing demands for the services of the law enforcement professional, the need for competent, capable and credible officers has never been greater. The issue of competence has become a hotly debated topic in the nation's courts as the incidence of litigation against law enforcement officers for negligence continues to rise unabated. To further exacerbate matters, law enforcement agencies, towns, cities, counties and even state levels of government are being named by litigants for negligence and violation of civil rights. Simply stated, the potential penalty for failure to do the right thing at the right time is so great that the state and local governments cannot afford to ignore the risks. In a large measure, training and standards reduce the risk potential for failure on the part of law enforcement officers. The Board's policy is to ensure that the established standards are enforced to the maximum extent practically possible and that officers receive needed training throughout their careers. As a part of ensuring that standards are met, the Board will strive to encourage agencies and officers to achieve compliance by utilizing every asset and resource available to the Board.