Iowa Code r. 501-3.1 - Certification through training required for all law enforcement officers
(1) All law
enforcement officers must be certified through the successful completion of
training at an approved law enforcement training facility in order to remain
eligible for employment. As a condition precedent to enrollment in a certifying
training program, the Iowa law enforcement academy must be provided with
verification by the enrollee's hiring agency that the minimum standards for
Iowa law enforcement officers have been met as provided in rule
501-2.1 (80B), except for a
person elected or appointed as sheriff who may choose to be exempted from the
requirement of subrule 2.1(6), and may determine not to participate in physical
training and who shall then be eligible only for certification as provided in
subrule 3.1(2). Officers must be certified within one year of their employment,
except sheriffs who must be certified within one year of taking office. (See
rule 501-3.8 (80B) for certification
by testing requirements.)
(2) A
person elected or appointed sheriff who otherwise successfully completes a
basic training course except for the physical training requirements, as
provided by Iowa Code section
331.651(1),
shall be granted certification limited to and valid only for the position of
sheriff of the county in which the person was elected or appointed.
(3) The academy council may, at the council's
discretion, extend the one-year time period in which an officer must become
certified for up to 180 days after a showing of "undue hardship" by the officer
or the officer's hiring agency. To be considered for an extension of the
one-year certification period, the person or agency requesting the extension
must initiate the request in writing, not less than 10 days prior to the
council meeting at which it is to be discussed, and then make a presentation to
the council at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the council. Extensions
shall not be liberally granted and shall only be granted after a showing that
all other alternatives to an extension have been considered and
rejected.
(4) In accordance with
Iowa Code section 80B.17, the one-year time period
in which an officer must become certified is automatically extended for up to
180 days for an officer who is enrolled in training within 12 months of initial
appointment. For purposes of this subrule, "enrolled" means physically present
in and currently attending a basic certification training class.
(5) The time period within which a person
must achieve certification as a law enforcement officer in the state of Iowa as
specified in rule 501-3.1 (80B) shall commence on
the day a person is first employed as a regular law enforcement officer in the
state of Iowa. Any subsequent changes in a law enforcement officer's employment
status, including transfers to a different employing agency, shall not toll or
otherwise extend the certification period.
(6) Should a person employed as a law
enforcement officer fail to achieve certification within the time period or any
extensions allowed by rule
501-3.1 (80B), that person shall
not be eligible for employment as and shall not serve as a regular or a reserve
law enforcement officer in the state of Iowa for a period of not less than 12
months from the date the time period in which to achieve certification
specified in rule 501-3.1 (80B) expired, or from
the date that the person was last employed as a regular law enforcement officer
in the state of Iowa, whichever comes first.
Notes
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