Section 45-6-19 - Continuing education requirement for municipal police chiefs and officers(1) The chief of police of any state agency, county, municipality, public two-year or four-year college or university and any extension thereof in the State of Mississippi, and the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District, is required to annually complete twenty (20) hours of executive level continuing education courses which are approved by the Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training. Any new chief of police having never previously served in that capacity, is required to complete forty (40) hours of executive level continuing education courses for his first year of service. Such education courses may be provided by an accredited law enforcement academy or by the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police.(2) Any law enforcement officer of any state agency, county, municipality, public two-year or four-year college or university and any extension thereof in the State of Mississippi, and the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District, is required to annually complete a specified number of hours, as stated in this subsection, of continuing education courses which are approved by the Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training. The following number of hours of continuing education courses is required for law enforcement officers specified in this subsection based upon the number of years following July 1, 2004: 0-2 years after July 1, 2004....................8 hours of annual training
3-4 years after July 1, 2004...................16 hours of annual training
5 or more years after July 1, 2004........24 hours of annual training
Such education courses may be provided by an accredited law enforcement academy or by the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police.
(3) The Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training shall reimburse each state agency, county, municipality, public two-year or four-year college or university and any extension thereof or the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District for the expense incurred for chiefs of police and state agency, county, municipal , public two-year or four-year college or university and any extension thereof and the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District law enforcement officers in attendance at approved training programs as required by this section.(4) Any chief of police or state agency, county, municipal , public two-year or four-year college or university and any extension thereof and the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District law enforcement officer who fails to comply with the provisions of this section shall be subject to having his certification as a chief of police or state agency, county, municipal , public two-year or four-year college or university and any extension thereof and the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District law enforcement officer revoked by the Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training, in accordance with Section 45-6-11.(5) The Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training is authorized to institute and promulgate all rules necessary for considering the revocation of any municipal chief of police or state agency, county, municipal , public two-year or four-year college or university and any extension thereof and the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District law enforcement officer who does not comply with the provisions of this section, and may grant, for sufficient cause shown, an extension of time in which compliance with the provisions of this section may be made.(6) Any chief of police or state agency, county, municipal , public two-year or four-year college or university and any extension thereof and the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District law enforcement officer who is aggrieved by any order or ruling made under the provisions of this section has the same rights and procedure of appeal as from any other order or ruling of the Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training.Laws, 1993, ch. 413, § 1; Laws, 2004, ch. 418, § 1, eff. 7/1/2004.Amended by Laws, 2024, ch. 477, HB 691,§ 3, eff. 7/1/2024.