31 Miss. Code. R. 301-14.3

Current through December 10, 2024

Rule 31-301-14.3 - Procedures

1. An institution or facility operated for the purpose of training law enforcement officers or any officials covered by this act shall submit a formal application to the Board for review and approval. Training requiring Board-approval conducted prior to accreditation of the training facility shall not be Board certified. An institution making application for Board-approved training shall meet all the criteria stated in this section to ensure continuity among approved facilities.

A. Administrative Requirements

1. Administrative staffing - Accredited facilities must provide full-time minimal staffing as follows

a. Director of Training - Academies certified to conduct Board-approved law enforcement training shall designate a full-time, salaried employee who shall be responsible for actions of the facility. The Director's responsibilities will include at the minimum the following:

1. Scheduling and presentation of training programs,

2. Selection and training of staff,

3. And preparation, maintenance and timely filing of BLEOST reports and records.

b. Training- Officer - Academies certified to conduct Board-approved law enforcement training shall designate an individual (or individuals) who shall be responsible for assisting the Director of Training. The training officer must hold an instructor certificate as issued by the Board

c. Support Staff - Academies certified to conduct Board-approved law enforcement training shall designate adequate individuals to support all training activities and Board requirements.

2. Academy Policy and Procedures Manual - All accredited facilities must maintain an academy policy and procedures manual.

a. This manual should provide guidance to all staff of the facility in the following policy areas:

1. Admission and readmission or release to another academy,

2. Use and storage of firearms,

3. Use and storage of mock weapons

4. Hours of operation of the academy

5. Policy regarding class hours, breaks, etc.,

6. Policy regarding student conduct and classroom procedures

7. Classroom rules and regulations,

8. Dress and uniform regulations of staff and students,

9. Testing and grading procedures

10. Student code of conduct barring lying, cheating, stealing or tolerance of others who commit such acts, disciplinary hearing composition and procedures within the academy,

11. Policy for reporting absences

12. Policy for posting of class schedule, changing posted schedules, timely submission of schedule changes and assuring all items are rescheduled as needed.

b. The manual should provide emergency operation plans to cover accidents or mishaps concerning:

1. Firearms and firing range,

2. Driver training and driving range

3. Physical fitness and facilities

4. Medical,

5. Fire,

6. And natural disaster

3. Academy Records - Accredited facilities must provide documentation of all activities of Board-approved programs. Records shall reflect the entire period for which a Board-approved training program was conducted and shall when appropriate be prepared in advance of program.

a. Academy Administrative Record - All accredited facilities shall maintain an Academy Administrative Record to conduct Board-approved training programs. The Academy Administrative Record must contain the following information:

1. A copy of the " Academy Accreditation Application", as submitted and approved by the Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training

2. The "Academy Accreditation Certification"

3. Copies of the BLEOST Monitoring Reports

4. A copy of the "Instructor Application" form on each instructor employed,

5. The "Instructor Certificates",

6. A copy of the instructors' training records,

7. The "Performance Objectives" for all Board-approved training conducted at the facility.

8. Any revision to the "Performance Objectives' shall be retained along with the original Performance Objectives (including the date of change),

9. And a copy of the written policy concerning the academy's procedure for the security of examinations

b. The Academy Administrative Record shall also contain a copy of the "Student Handbook". The handbook should contain at the minimum the following information

1. The rules and regulations of the academy

2. The identification of the academy staff, their duties and responsibilities

3. A copy of the Law Enforcement Officer Training Program

4. The academic requirements,

5. The firearms requirements

6. The physical fitness requirements,

7. And any information for which the student will be held accountable

c. Class (School) Record - All accredited facilities shall maintain a Class Record for each Board-approved training program. The Class Record must contain the following information:

1. Class Schedule - giving specific hour of instruction, subject matter to be covered during the time period, and the instructor conducting the training. This schedule, list of instructors and new instructor applications must be submitted to and approved by BLEOST ten (10) working days prior to class being conducted, the schedule must be posted at the academy, any changes to the schedule must be submitted as they occur to the Board to include rescheduling of original items. A final schedule with all amendments shall be submitted within 10 working days after the end of the course.

2. Entrance roster of students and their agencies submitted to the Board within 10 working days of the class start and updated with entrance fitness scores and submitted 5 working days after the class start.

3. Master copy of all tests (answer key must be stored separate from test) that were administered to students in this class, include any performance testing documentation

4. Attendance record of students and explanation for non-attendance

5. A student who is absent for more than five percent (5%) of Board-approved training as a result of illness and /or emergency and/or required court appearance (s) and/or military duty may be dismissed without prejudice from the class. The academy director shall make this determination upon review of student's training record,

6. Completed copy of the "Course Curriculum Instruction Approval Form" which includes all learning goals and performance objectives used during this class. The instructor shall complete the form ensuring his/her compliance with the instruction of the required learning goals and performance objectives for class being conducted,

7. Final roster of students completing the class and their ranking copy submitted to the Board within 10 working days after the completion of the class

8. Written documentation of any student dismissal for conduct, failure or withdrawal from the academy. Documentation should include name, department, date, time, reason for dismissal or withdrawal and a copy submitted to the Board within 10 working days after completion of the class,

9. Copy of all correspondence to and from the Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training concerning this class,

10. Copy of "Student Handbook"

11. And student's evaluation of the program

d. Student Record - All accredited facilities must maintain a Student Record for each student attending Board-approved training. The Student Record must contain the following:

1. Copy of Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training "Training Packet", received and reviewed prior to the start of any fitness activities and copy submitted to the Board within 5 working days after the start of the class.

2. Documentation of student's orientation to the "Student Handbook",

3. Student's performance results on examinations, performance testing or any other means of evaluating the students capabilities, and copies of score sheets submitted to the Board and the agency within 10 working days after the end of the course,

4. Documentation of any and all counseling with the student while in attendance,

5. Copy of any disciplinary action taken against the student,

6. Authorization for student to take medication or for limited participation in structured program

7. Copy of documentation of injury or accident concerning the student

8. Copy of all correspondence between academy and student and/or department,

9. Authorization of student to be absent from class, and

10. Copy of all awards and certificates bestowed upon the student

e. Safety Requirements - All accredited academies are charged with the health and safety of all students while in training. Therefore, all academies shall comply with the following:

1. All full-time professional staff shall have current First-Aid and CPR certification

2. Every academy shall meet or exceed the fire and sanitation codes requirements of their locality

3. Every academy shall be inspected on an annual basis by the appropriate public health and/or safety officials

4. Every academy shall have a written emergency operation plan concerning

5. Firearms and firing range

6. Driver training and range

7. Physical training and facilities

8. Medical

9. Fire, and

10. Natural disaster.

B. Physical Requirements

1. Physical Facilities - It shall be the responsibility of the accredited academy to provide the following minimum physical facilities for training.

a. Office Areas - There shall be adequate, comfortable and dedicated areas for administrative duties of the staff to facilitate the administration of the Law Enforcement Officer Training Program,

b. Administrative Equipment

1. Dedicated telephone system

2. Means to reproduce written documents on-site, and

3. Additional office equipment as needed to perform common administrative duties

c. Record Storage Area

1. There shall be adequate space and method for storage of required academy records,

2. And this area must be secure and accessible by authorized persons only

d. Classroom Facility - Two (2) comfortable, well lit, classrooms dedicated to law enforcement training which will seat at least 25 adult students in each room. Students shall have desks, tables or other acceptable work areas in the classroom.

e. Audio-visual and other instructional equipment necessary to provide effective training must be dedicated to the law enforcement training facilities:

1. Overhead projector

2. 16 mm projector 3 Projector screen

4. Transparency maker

5. Video-tape recorder, playback unit and monitor

6. Chalk/marker board at least 20 square feet (4' x 5'),

7. And additional training aids to conduct Board-approved courses (e.g., handcuffs, CPR mannequins, mock weapons, etc.)

f. Resident Housing (Residential Accreditation)

1. Student will be provided on site resident housing and twenty-four (24) hour supervision for basic course.

2. Resident housing shall consist of sleeping quarters, personal hygiene areas, day room and laundry room.

3. All necessary linen, etc will be provided by the academy

4. Resident housing shall be approved by the local fire authorities annually

5. Residential housing shall be inspected and approved by the public health department and/or other responsible authority annually.

g. Resident Dining (Residential Accreditation)

1. All meals will be provided to the students at the academy or on-site during field training exercises.

2. Students will be provided three meals each full day of training

3. Student meals must be reviewed and approved by a registered dietitian

4. Resident dining facilities shall be inspected by the public health department and/or other responsible authority annually

h. Reference Library

1. The academy shall provide an on-site library facility for students to review reference materials concerning law enforcement subjects

2. The library shall provide current state code reference materials, copies of landmark court decisions, current publications of law enforcement professional journals and additional text material determined appropriate by the academy director

3. The library shall be made available to students at scheduled periods

4. The library shall be kept current with the latest material at all times

i. Firearms (Range) Facility

1. The range shall have a bullet impact area, or berm, which is a minimum of fifteen feet high and of sufficient material to stop all bullets without ricochets. Berm must enclose three (3) sides of the range

2. The range shall have a minimum of twenty (20) firing positions and a range control tower of sufficient height to allow the range officer clear and unrestricted vision of all firing points and all areas within the confines of the berm.

3. The range shall have a public address system capable of transmitting instructions to all areas of the range, so that shooters on the firing line can hear commands while shooting with their ear protectors in place

4. There shall be a complete, industrial-type first aid kit with immediate accessibility to the students or instructors on the range.

5. Rest rooms and drinking water must be either available at the range or within close proximity to the range

6. There shall be telephone or radio communication immediately available to the range instructors

7. Signs warning, "SHOOTING RANGE - WARNING - KEEP OUT", or similar warning shall be conspicuously posted around the perimeter of the range.

8. The range shall have clearly identifiable means to indicate when live fire is being conducted at the range

9. The range shall provide each student with ear and eye protectors while on the firing line. The academy shall determine under what circumstances wear is appropriate.

j. Driver Training Range

1. The driver training range area shall be not less than 100,000 square feet

2. The area shall be free of any utility poles, curbs, fencing or any traffic hazards.

3. The driving surface shall be of asphalt or concrete material

4. The driving area shall be level with no obstructions within twenty (20) feet of the edge of the track area.

5. The surface shall be smooth with no "pot holes" or severe cracks that would impede safe conduct of planned driving activities.

6. The driving range shall have appropriate support equipment. Example traffic cones, stop watches, etc.

7. There shall be a complete, industrial-type first aid kit with immediate accessibility of the students or instructors on the range.

8. The driving range shall have operational fire suppression equipment on-site or within close proximity to the driving range.

9. Rest rooms and drinking water must be either available at the range or within close proximity to the driving range.

10. There shall be telephone or radio communication immediately available to the driving instructors.

k. Physical Fitness Center

1. The Physical Fitness Center shall provide shelter from environmental elements

2. The Center shall be air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter

3. The Center shall have ample protective material for use to prevent injury from contact with the floor or walls during scheduled training activity.

4. The area shall have adequate space for safe participation for a minimum of twenty (20) students.

5. There shall be a complete, industrial-type first aid kit with immediate accessibility to the students or instructors in or near the Physical Fitness Center.

C. Classification of Accreditation - An institution approved for Board-approved training will receive an academy classification as determined by the Board. Classification will be referred to as Residential, Non-Residential Full-time and Part-Time or Reserve

1. Residential

a. Meets all requirements stated in this procedure to conduct Board-approved training,

b. Certified to provide full-time or part-time basic and in-service law enforcement training on a continuing basis to any student to comply with the LEOTP,

2. Non - Residential Full-Time

a. Meets all requirements stated in this procedure to conduct Board-approved training, except for resident housing (Chapter-14, Procedures-1, Subsection- b, Paragraph-1, Subparagraph-f) and resident dining (Chapter-14, Procedures-1, Subsection-b, Paragraph-1, Subparagraph-g),

b. Certified to provide full-time or part-time basic, basic refresher and in-service law enforcement training on a continuing basis to any student to comply with the LEOTP.

3. Part-Time or Reserve

a. Meets all requirements stated in this procedure to conduct Board-approved training, except for resident housing (Chapter-14, Procedures-1, Subsection-b Paragraph-1, Subparagraph-f) and resident dining (Chapter-14, Procedures-1, Subsection-b, Paragraph-1, Subparagraph-g),

b. Certified to provide basic part-time or reserve, basic refresher and in-service law enforcement training on a continuing basis to any student to comply with the LEOTP,

D. Awarding and Maintenance of Accreditation - The Accreditation shall be awarded for a five-year period for all full time residential and non-residential facilities and two years for all part-time or reserve facilities. The Board may approve or disapprove accreditation based upon the following criteria:

1. Completion of application

2. Continuing compliance with accreditation requirements

3. Continuing quality of physical facilities

4. Continuing fiscal responsibility of applicant

5. Current training needs of the state as determined by the Board

6. And the evaluation of announced and unannounced compliance monitoring visits or additional data the Board may require to complete the accreditation process.

E. Revocation of Accreditation - The Board may decide to either revoke or not renew the accreditation of a training facility upon showing just cause, which includes, but is not limited to:

1. Administrative error in accreditation

2. Falsification of any information on the application

3. Facility becomes inadequate

4. Academy is no longer required to meet the training needs of the state

5. Academy fails to correct, upon notification, any non-compliance with Board-approved training guidelines, rules or regulations,

6. Academy fails to make reports or falsely reports to the Board

7. When an academy fails to conduct one Board-approved basic law enforcement training course during the calendar year,

8. And any other action detrimental to professional law enforcement training

31 Miss. Code. R. 301-14.3

Miss Code Ann. § 45-6-7

Adopted 9/16/2019