Peace Officer Certification in Minnesota
I. INTRODUCTION
II. GENERAL LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS
III. SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
IV. POST EXAM & RELATED REQUIREMENTS
V. POST-RELATED STUDENT FORMS
VI. CONTACT INFORMATION
The licensure of local or statewide law enforcement officers (e.g., police officers, deputy sheriffs and state patrol officers) is governed by the authority of the Board of Peace Officers Standards and Training ("POST") in St. Paul, Minnesota. Since 2000, Hamline University’s criminal justice program has been approved by the POST Board as a provider of academic training for those seeking to become peace officers in the State of Minnesota.
The Coordinator of Hamline’s program is Professor of Practice Glenn Hardin, whose office is Robbins Science Center 04 (phone: 651-523-2839 [office] and email: ghardin01@hamline.edu). Students are encouraged to communicate with Professor Hardin concerning matters relating to law enforcement licensure.
These materials are designed primarily for those students seeking licensure in Minnesota. In addition to the licensing requirements described in these materials, large agencies, such as the Minnesota State Patrol or others, may require newly hired officers to successfully complete such agency’s own training course or academy as a condition of employment.
Even those students who might ultimately desire to seek employment in other jurisdictions may wish to strongly consider Minnesota licensure as a means of being more "employable" in other states. For example, the State of Wisconsin currently accepts Minnesota certification as equivalent pre-employment training allowing newly licensed Minnesota peace officers to be immediately hired by Wisconsin law enforcement agencies. Those agencies might also require such newly hired officers to attend a relatively brief training course (e.g., 3 weeks or so in length) covering issues relating specifically to Wisconsin law. In addition, other states look favorably upon Minnesota licensure and may also require a relatively brief training course similar to that currently required by some Wisconsin agencies. Students should contact directly the licensing agency outside of Minnesota to determine the requirements for licensing then currently in place.
It is important that students take personal responsibility for being familiar with the requirements of the POST Board and therefore should carefully read and understand the information contained in these materials and further detailed on the POST Board’s website listed in Section VI below. The requirements for licensure are clear and the POST Board is generally not willing to provide any exception to its requirements, including the timely submission of materials relating to licensing examinations.
Students should bring to the Hamline POST Coordinator’s attention any concerns or questions as soon as they arise in order to reduce the possibility of complications or delays with respect to the student’s licensing and/or POST exam eligibility.
Students are also responsible to check for the posting of information relating to POST matters in the bulletin board area near the Hamline POST Coordinator's office. Finally, it is the responsibility of the individual student to provide current address and telephone number/email information to the Hamline POST Coordinator, including information to reach a student after the completion of a school year (e.g., that of a family member, such as a parent).
The administrative rules of the POST Board include the following minimum selection standards for licensure as a peace officer in Minnesota:
A. The applicant must be a United States citizen.
B. The applicant must possess a valid Minnesota driver’s license (or if a resident of a contiguous state, a valid driver’s license from that state) or be eligible for either of such driver’s licenses.
C. The applicant must complete a comprehensive written examination (the "POST exam").
D. The applicant must submit to a thorough background search (this is usually completed by a law enforcement agency as part of its hiring process).
E. The applicant must not have been convicted of a felony in Minnesota or of a similar offense under federal law or the laws of another jurisdiction. Important: please note that certain other criminal convictions less severe than a felony may also be an absolute bar to licensing--such convictions are detailed in the form entitled "Minimum Admissions Standards--Criminal Conviction Data Verification" available from the POST Board).
F. The applicant must be fingerprinted for the purpose of a background check.
G. The applicant must complete a thorough medical examination to determine that the applicant is free from any physical condition that might adversely affect the performance of peace officer duties (this is usually completed by a law enforcement agency as part of its hiring process). Note: a POST Skills course provider may also require a pre-enrollment physical to ensure the student is free from any physical condition that might adversely affect the student’s performance in such training.
H. An applicant must complete a psychological evaluation to determine that the applicant is free from any emotional or mental condition that might adversely affect the performance of peace officer duties (this is usually completed by a law enforcement agency as part of its hiring process). Note: a POST Skills course provider may also require a pre-enrollment psychological examination to ensure the student is free from any emotional or mental condition that might adversely affect the student’s performance in such training.
I. The applicant must successfully complete a physical strength and agility examination and an oral examination relating to communications skills (these are usually completed by a law enforcement agency as part of its hiring process).
These foregoing standards are more fully described form entitled "Minimum Selections Standards For Peace Officer Licensure--Advisory Form" that is available from the POST Board.
To be eligible to take the POST exam, students must satisfactorily complete the learning objectives of the required Minnesota Professional Peace Officer Education ("PPOE"). Important: Students should view these learning objectives at the POST Board web page. It is extremely important that students familiarize themselves with these learning objectives as they provide the structure for the POST exam itself. Students who are enrolled at Hamline can complete the PPOE requirements in the following fashion:
A. Academic Component.
Students can complete the academic component by successfully completing the current requirements for the B.A. Major: Criminal Justice. Careful attention should be paid to course selection and those courses that are not offered each semester. The following courses are required:
CJFS 1120--Crime and Justice in America
LGST 1440/3440--Mock Trial OR LGST 3680—Evidence
SOC/CJFS 3250--Juvenile Justice/Juvenile Delinquency
SOC 3350--Racial and Cultural Minorities
SOC/CJFS 3750--Criminology
LGST/CJFS 3670--Legal Interviewing
LGST/CJFS 3810--Criminal Law and Practice
LGST/CJFS 3820--Constitutional Issues in Criminal Procedure
CJFS 3880--Current Issues in Criminal Justice
CJFS 5660--Capstone and Internship in Criminal Justice
All or a portion of the foregoing academic component may be completed by a student at another institution (provided that such academic study is completed and/or transferred in accordance with Hamline’s academic policies). For example, a student may have completed all or most of the course work as a student at an accredited community college and then enrolled as a four-year degree-seeking student at Hamline. Any student transferring any coursework towards a degree to be issued by Hamline must provide the Hamline POST Coordinator with a copy of a credit evaluation worksheet completed by the Hamline Registrar’s Office reflecting such transferred coursework. In addition, students may be required to provide copies of course syllabi and other supporting documentation in connection with such transfer coursework. Special Note Concerning Non-Degree Seeking ("Certificate") Students: Students who may have already obtained a bachelor’s level degree or higher (referred to under POST rules as "Certificate" students) must still satisfy the academic component described above. Interested prospective students should contact the Hamline POST Coordinator to discuss their particular expectations, but generally such students would need to meet Hamline’s admissions requirements and could complete the required coursework described above in two academic semesters.
B. First Responder Component.
Students are also required to successfully complete an officially recognized first aid course in First Responder, Emergency Medical Technician or Emergency Response. The Minnesota EMS regulatory board (EMSRB) lists approved courses at http://www.emsrb.state.mn.us/. Choose First Responder from the list of upcoming courses. Students must provide the Hamline POST Coordinator with a copy of their required first responder certification (e.g., a photocopy of their First Responder card) for inclusion into each student’s POST file maintained at Hamline.
C. Skills Component.
Site Locations
The hands-on skills training component of the PPOE requirements ("POST Skills") is currently not offered at the four-year colleges and universities in Minnesota, but is instead provided by a limited number of two-year institutions. Complete information concerning the current providers is found on the POST Board’s website listed in Section VI below. Skills training courses currently vary between 8 and 15 weeks. It is important that students ensure that they have flexibility in their other commitments (e.g., employment or school) to arrange for changes that may occur in a proposed Skills training schedule. Students should also be prepared to adjust their schedules to those of the academic calendars of the Skills providers, which may not match Hamline’s academic calendar.
POST Skills training is currently available to Hamline students the summer months at Alexandria Technical and Community College ("ATCC") in Alexandria, Minnesota. Also, by special arrangement, Hamline students may be able to obtain POST Skills training during the fall, spring or summer (currently it is quite difficult to obtain summer session training) at Hennepin Technical College (HTC) in Brooklyn Park. Because HTC is designed to primarily serve students enrolled at public ("MnSCU") colleges and universities in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area, students from Hamline should contact the Hamline POST Coordinator concerning eligibility for POST Skills training at HTC several months in advance of any anticipated enrollment. In addition, HTC currently requires students who have attended four-year institutions such as Hamline to enroll prior to Skills training in two other courses at HTC. Thus, advance planning is extremely important. Students should also work through the Hamline POST Coordinator if they wish to attend POST Skills training at ATCC. Please keep in mind that this location generally also needs several months advance notice of intended enrollment in order to accommodate Hamline students and the satisfaction of certain pre-enrollment requirements (e.g., approval by the Hamline POST Coordinator, physical and psychological testing, non-refundable deposits).
Prior Approval by Hamline POST Coordinator.
All Hamline students wishing to enroll in POST Skills training must be approved in advance by the Hamline POST Coordinator. Students wishing to attend such training should have completed most of the academic component of the PPOE requirements prior to enrollment in POST Skills (or completing such academic requirements while simultaneously enrolled in POST Skills). Thus, it is expected that students would enroll in POST Skills near the conclusion of their academic careers with little academic coursework remaining prior to taking the POST exam. For this reason, students who have Junior standing and have not fulfilled any of the PPOE academic requirements should not anticipate being approved for PPOE Skills enrollment.
Costs & Student Aid.
Students attending POST Skills generally are enrolled as students at the host college (e.g., for 12 to 15 semester credit hours during the particular semester when the Skills course is being offered). Students may be eligible for financial aid to cover tuition costs. However, students should contact the financial aid office at Hamline to complete the necessary financial aid forms.
Students should anticipate POST Skills tuition, fees and related expenses normally assessed to MnSCU students. In addition, students should expect that they would have to make a non-refundable deposit several months in advance of the POST Skills training starting date, with the balance typically due when the POST Skills training commences. Students should contact the Skills provider directly for its current policies in this regard.
D. Degree Required.
In addition to the completion of the academic and skills components, a student must have obtained a "postsecondary degree" before being eligible to take the POST exam, which includes Associate of Arts (or Science) or Bachelor of Arts (or Science) degrees. The POST Board requires that the Hamline POST Coordinator have an original, official transcript indicating that the student has a degree issued before the student is eligible to take the POST exam. Because of this requirement, meeting the deadlines imposed for a particular POST exam date may be difficult. The Hamline POST Coordinator will use all reasonable efforts to timely complete the certification of students for POST exam eligibility, but students should anticipate that there may be instances and circumstances beyond the Coordinator’s control which may necessitate the delay of sitting for a particular POST exam.
The POST exam is currently given six times each calendar year, on the third Friday of each even-numbered month (e.g., in February, April, June, August, October and December) and generally administered somewhere in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. However, the registration deadline for each exam is 2 weeks prior to each scheduled exam date. Students should also verify the current examination schedule listed on the POST Board’s website.
A. Application.
Students are required to submit an application, together with a non-refundable fee directly to the POST Board. Application forms can be obtained from the POST Board. Make certain to keep a copy of all correspondence sent to the POST Board and important matters such as this application should be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by some other means ensuring delivery (e.g., personally deliver yourself, or by FedEx or similar delivery service with tracing capabilities).
B. Certification of Completion Roster (Sign-Off).
The Hamline POST Coordinator will submit directly to the POST Board the certification of students who are eligible to take the POST exam.
Students who are relying on either a Hamline transcript or a transcript from another institution (showing degree issued) in order to satisfy the "degree issued" POST requirement are responsible for the delivery of such certified original transcript (showing "degree issued") to the Hamline POST Coordinator. In the event you intend to rely on another institution’s degree for this purpose, please notify the Hamline POST Coordinator of this fact well in advance of any upcoming POST exam date. Also please note the information above concerning deadlines.
Any student who does not satisfactorily complete a POST exam is eligible to retake the examination on the next scheduled POST exam date, provided that the Hamline POST Coordinator has approved the student’s retaking to the POST exam (which requires the signature of the Coordinator on the application for retaking the POST exam) and timely delivery of the application and the necessary fee by the student to the POST Board.
The Hamline POST Coordinator has available the various forms required by the POST Board for persons wishing to become peace officers in the State of Minnesota. Students should reasonably expect to complete these forms as soon as they indicate a desire to obtain licensing as a peace officer in the State of Minnesota, at the very latest several months prior to enrolling in a POST Skills training course. Copies of these completed forms will be maintained in the student’s POST file at Hamline.
Minnesota POST Board
1600 University Avenue, Suite 200
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55104-3825
Telephone: 651-643-3060
Website: https://dps.mn.gov/entity/post/Pages/default.aspx
First Responder Courses
Minnesota EMS Regulatory Board (EMSRB)
Website: www.emsrb.state.mn.us
Choose First Responder from the list of course titles
POST Skills Providers:
(check POST Board’s website for additional/updated information)
Alexandria Technical and Community College
Law Enforcement Program
1601 Jefferson Street
Alexandria, MN 56308
Contact: Mr. Scott Berger, POST Coordinator
Telephone: 320-762-4479
Email scottb@alextech.edu
Hennepin Technical College
9000 Brooklyn Blvd
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
Contact: Ms. Mylan Masson, POST Coordinator
Telephone: 763-657-3700
Email: mylan.masson@hennepintech.edu