2019 Tennessee Code
Title 38 - Prevention and Detection of Crime
Chapter 8 - Employment and Training of Police Officers
Part 1 - General Provisions
§ 38-8-107. Certification of officers -- In-service training by employing agency.
(a) The commission shall issue a certificate of compliance to any person who meets the qualifications for employment and satisfactorily completes an approved recruit training program. All officers employed on and after July 1, 2017, must:
(1) Enroll in an approved recruit training program within six (6) months of their date of employment;
(2) Successfully complete an approved recruit training program as required by this part; and
(3) Successfully complete an annual in-service training session appropriate for their rank and responsibilities.
(b) Failure of an individual officer to successfully complete the in-service training requirement will result in the officer's loss of eligibility for the pay supplement in § 38-8-111. Failure of this individual officer to successfully complete another in-service training session within one (1) year will result in loss of certification. Each employing agency participating in the commission's training program must file a letter of intent with the commission stating its commitment to mandatory training for all law enforcement officers. Failure of several officers from one (1) employing agency shall be cause for the commission to examine that agency's training policy and may result in the agency's being declared out of compliance with state standards and thereby not eligible to participate in the commission's training programs at no cost. Any travel expense shall be borne by the employing agency.
(c) The commission may issue a certificate to any person who has received training in another state if the commission determines that such training is at least equivalent to that required by the commission for approved police education and training programs in this state and when such person has satisfactorily complied with all other requirements of this chapter.
(d) The commission shall also issue a certificate of compliance to any person employed as a campus police officer or public safety officer; provided, that the person meets the qualifications for employment as a police officer and satisfactorily completes an approved recruit training program as required by this part. To retain such certification, the campus police officer or public safety officer shall also successfully complete an annual in-service training session appropriate for the officer's rank and responsibilities.
(e) The commission shall also issue a certificate of compliance to any person seeking to be commissioned as a railroad police officer pursuant to § 65-6-133; provided, that the person meets the qualifications for employment as a police officer and satisfactorily completes an approved recruit training program as required by this part. To retain this certification, the railroad police officer shall also successfully complete an annual in-service training session appropriate for the officer's rank and responsibilities.
