Assigned to GOV FOR
COMMITTEE
Assigned to GOV FOR
COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Third Legislature, Second Regular Session
Purpose
Reorganizes the membership of the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (Board).
Background
The duties of the Board include prescribing reasonable minimum qualifications for officers to be able to enforce the laws of Arizona. Qualifications consist of being a United States citizen, having physical, mental and moral fitness, and also encompass the practices for the recruitment, appointment and retention of all officers. The Board must also prescribe minimum training courses and standards for training facilities for law enforcement officers (A.R.S. § 41-1822). Unless certified by the Board, no person may exercise the authority to perform the duties of an officer (A.R.S. § 41-1823).
The Board currently consists of the following members: 1) two sheriffs, one from a county with a population more than 200,000 persons and one from a county with less than 200,000 persons; 2) two chiefs of city police, one from a city with a population of more than 60,000 persons and one from a city with less than 60,000 persons; 3) a college faculty member in public administration; 4) the Attorney General; 5) the Director of the Department of Public Safety (DPS); 6) the Director of the Department of Corrections (DOC); 7) one member employed to administer county or municipal correctional facilities; 8) two certified law enforcement officers with a rank of patrolman or sergeant; and 9) two public members. All members are appointed by the Governor and serve three year terms unless a member vacates the office that qualified them for appointment (A.R.S. § 41-1821).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Removes the requirement that the following persons serve on the Board:
a) a college faculty member in public administration or a related field;
b) the Attorney General;
c) the Director of DOC; and
d) a member employed in administering county or municipal correctional facilities.
2. Specifies that any current member of the Board, with exception of the Attorney General and the Director of DOC, may serve the remainder of their term.
3. Requires the Board to include five retired law enforcement officers who retired with the rank of patrolman or sergeant, rather than two certified officers currently serving as a patrolman or sergeant.
4. Specifies that the retired law enforcement officers must have extensive knowledge of and experience in representing officers in use of force incidents and discipline and the major cases and laws that relate to law enforcement officer due process rights.
5. Requires the Board to consist of three, rather than two, public members not associated with law enforcement and who do not have criminal records.
6. Requires the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives to each appoint one of the three public members.
7. Requires one of the appointed sheriffs to be from either Maricopa or Pima County.
8. Requires one of the appointed chiefs of city police to be from either Phoenix or Tucson.
9. Makes technical and conforming changes.
10. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 5, 2018
JO/ZD/lat