1. The Board on Law Enforcement Officer
Standards and Training is responsible for the establishment of an appropriate
training program for constables in the field of law enforcement at the
Mississippi Law Enforcement Officer' Training Academy or such other training
programs that are approved by the Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards
and Training pursuant to Section
45-6-9.
According to the statute, constables have the same duties and responsibilities
enumerated in the definition of a law enforcement officer as found in §
45-6-3(c)
of the Mississippi Code as annotated. During a constable's term of office, each
constable shall attend and, to the extent to which he is physically able,
participate in a curriculum having a duration of two (2) weeks which addresses
the nature and scope of specific duties and responsibilities of a constable and
which includes firearm use and safety training.
Note: §
45-6-3
excludes elected officials from the definition of the term "law enforcement
officer" thereby ensuring such officials would not be required to meet the
provisions of the Law Enforcement Officers Training Program (LEOTP). Although
constables shall be treated as law enforcement officers for the purposes of
accomplishing the mandated training requirement of the Constable Training and
Identification Act of 1986, constables are excluded from all other requirements
of the LEOTP.
A. The Board of Law
Enforcement Officers Standards and Training shall develop a program of
continuing education training for constables to attend consisting of eight (8)
hours annually. The program shall be divided equally between firearms training
and safety and instruction in both substantive and procedural law. The training
will be conducted by the Mississippi Constables Association, and appropriate
parts of the program may be conducted by members who have been certified by the
Board to conduct the training program. The cost of travel, tuition and living
expenses in attending the continuing training shall be paid out of the Law
Enforcement Officers Training Fund created in Section
45-6-15.
1. No constable elected prior to January 1,
2000, shall be required to comply with the continuing education requirements of
this paragraph
2. However, any
constable may elect to attend the annual training and shall be reimbursed
therefor as provided in this paragraph.
3. The provisions of this subsection shall
not apply to a constable who has received a certificate from the Board on Law
Enforcement Officers Standards and Training evidencing satisfaction of
subsections (3) and (4) of Section
45-6-11,
or who is exempt from the requirements of subsections (3) and (4) of Section
45-6-11
by the provisions of subsection (1).
