La. Admin. Code tit. 22 § III-4715

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section III-4715 - Instructor Qualifications

A. Full-time academy instructors must meet the following qualifications:

1. shall possess at least 60 semester hours college or may substitute practical experience in law enforcement and/or corrections as listed in Paragraph A.2;

2. each two years full-time experience may be substituted for each 30 semester hours of college. Any combination of above will be acceptable;

3. shall have completed the instructor development course conducted by the council.

4. shall have completed at least two years full-time practical experience in law enforcement and/or corrections field, which must be over and above any experience used as a substitute for college.

B. Specialized instructors for defensive tactics, firearms, and corrections shall meet the following qualification:

1. shall be a full-time employee of a public criminal justice agency with at least two years full-time continuous, practical law enforcement experience, and pertain to firearms, defensive tactics, and corrections instructors;

2. shall have recommendation of an academy director or agency head;

3. shall successfully complete all aspects of adult learning model training (except for Defensive Tactics instructors)

4. shall attend POST-sponsored instructor retrainers as required by POST. Update workshops for corrections instructors shall be held annually (effective July 1, 2005).

C. Special guest instructors shall meet the following qualifications:

1. shall have advanced knowledge or expertise in the area in which they are instructing;

2. shall not certify students in defensive tactics, firearms or corrections fields.

D. POST Firearms Instructors

1. Eligibility

a. All applicants must be a Level 1 basic peace officer that is full time and must have two years of full time practical law enforcement experience and be POST certified or grandfathered in under the current POST law.

b. If an instructor changes full time employment status (retires, part time or reserve), he/she is no longer a current POST certified firearms instructor. Only full time officers are eligible to be current POST certified firearms instructors. Only POST firearms instructors can teach, score targets and sign any paperwork.

2. Qualification Day for POST Firearms Instructor School

a. Each agency is allowed to submit two names for consideration. The nomination form must be signed by the academy director or agency head (sheriff/chief).

i. The three courses of fire are:

(a). bullseye (80 percent);

(b). FBI Tactical Revolver Course (80 percent); and

(c). POST Qualification Course (90 percent).

ii. These courses must be shot with an approved duty weapon.

c. A written exam will be administered on that day which will include basic firearms, safety, etc., as taught in basic training.

d. A minimum score of 80 percent is acceptable on the written exam, Bullseye and FBI Tactical Revolver Course.

e. A minimum score of 90 percent is acceptable for the POST Qualification Course. Only one attempt at qualifying at each course and the written test is acceptable. Pre-qualifications scores (on qualification day) are for admission purposes only and are not counted toward grade point average in the school.

3. POST Firearms Instructor School:

a. Students will be required to attend all sessions of training and must qualify on all courses of fire.

b. There will be a written exam each Friday with 80 percent constituting a passing grade.

c. All students must maintain at least an 80 percent grade point average throughout the course in order to successfully complete the course and graduate.

i. Grade points will be divided among the various segments of the school:

(a). written exams;

(b). oral and written presentations; and

(c). range qualifications.

ii. It is not possible for a student to fail both written examinations and still pass the course.

E. Retrainers for POST Firearms Instructors

1. Attendance at the firearms retrainers is required to maintain POST firearms instructor certification. This class is mandatory.

2. If for any reason instructor misses a retrainer two years in a row, their POST firearms instructor certification is revoked. The instructor must attend another firearms instructor school (classroom portion only-40 hrs.) to reactivate their certification.

3. The firearms retrainer is held at least twice every year at different locations.

4. If a POST firearms instructor misses the first retrainer, the instructor must be requalified with 90 percent (at least 108) within 90 days by a POST staff member or the POST firearm instructor designee.

5. If a POST firearms instructor is medically excused from the retrainer qualification, the instructor must requalify with 90 percent (at least 108) within 90 days by a POST staff member or the POST designee after released from their physician. This instructor must attend the classroom portion of the retrainer if physically able.

6. Any POST firearms instructor who fails to qualify the first time at the retrainer must shoot again and average the two scores. If the instructor fails to qualify with 90 percent (at least 108) with the averaged two scores, the instructor will be suspended for 90 days and allowed one opportunity to requalify by a POST staff member or the POST designee upon completion of suspension.

F. POST Corrections Instructors

a. Eligibility for Level 1 Corrections Instructors

i. All applicants must be both a Level 1 and Level 3 peace officer or be a Level 2 peace officer under the current law; and

ii. have two years minimum full time experience in supervising inmates in a jail or correctional facility; and

iii. Successfully complete the POST/ Corrections Instructors Course.

b. No out-of-state transfers are allowed for corrections instructor certification.

a. Eligibility for Level 2 Master Corrections Instructors

i. The applicant shall be a POST Corrections Instructor for at least two years; and

ii. be recommended by the head of the agency/department; and

iii. successfully complete the POST Master Corrections Instructor course.

b. The Level 2 Master Corrections Instructor can train and certify new Level 1 POST Corrections Instructors.

La. Admin. Code tit. 22, § III-4715

Promulgated by the Office of the Governor, Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice, LR 13:434 (August 1987), amended LR 25:664 (April l999), LR 31:2008 (August 2005), LR 32:1043 (June 2006), Amended LR 441008 (6/1/2018).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 15:1204 and R.S. 15:1207.