Powers and duties of commission - 53 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2164

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     § 2164.  Powers and duties of commission.
        The powers and duties of the commission shall be as follows:
            (1)  To establish and administer the minimum courses of
        study for basic and in-service training for police officers
        and to revoke an officer's certification when an officer
        fails to comply with the basic and in-service training
        requirements or is convicted of a criminal offense or the
        commission determines that the officer is physically or
        mentally unfit to perform the duties of his office or
        determines that a police officer subject to section 2166.1
        (relating to prohibition on political activity) has engaged
        or participated in the conducting of political or election
        campaign activity in violation of that section.
            (2)  To approve or revoke the approval of any school
        which may be utilized to comply with the educational and
        training requirements as established by the commission.
            (3)  To establish the minimum qualifications for
        instructors, to approve or revoke the approval of any
        instructor and to develop the requirements for continued
        certification.
            (4)  To promote the most efficient and economical program
        for police training by utilizing existing facilities,
        programs and qualified Federal, State and local police
        personnel.
            (5)  To make an annual report to the Governor and to the
        General Assembly concerning the administration of the
        Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Program and
        the activities of the commission, together with
        recommendations for executive or legislative action necessary
        for the improvement of law enforcement and the administration
        of justice.
            (6)  To require every police officer to attend a minimum
        number of hours of in-service training as provided for by
        regulation, unless the officer's employer files a show cause
        document with the commission requesting additional time for
        the officer to comply with the in-service training
        requirements. Approval of this request shall be made by the
        commission on a case-by-case basis.
            (7)  To require all police officers to undergo a
        background investigation to determine the individual's
        suitability for employment as a police officer. This
        investigation shall be completed prior to the employment of
        the officer and shall include a criminal history check, a
        credit check, personal interviews and any other applicable
        means of determining eligibility. An applicant who has been
        convicted of a felony or serious misdemeanor shall not be
        eligible for employment as a police officer.
            (8)  To require minimum standards for physical fitness,
        psychological evaluation and education as prerequisites to
        employment as a police officer.
            (9)  To appoint an executive director to administer the
        training program established by this subchapter. The position
        of executive director shall be filled by the commission which
        shall select the best qualified person from a list of three
        persons nominated by the chairman. The person who receives a
        simple majority of those members present and voting shall
        become the executive director. If the commission rejects all
        nominees, then the process shall be repeated until a person
        is selected. The executive director shall be directly
        responsible to the commission and may be dismissed only by
        two-thirds vote of the commission. The executive director
        shall employ a sufficient staff, including professional,
        administrative and clerical personnel, to perform the tasks
        of the office, including the preparation of an annual budget.
            (10)  To consult and cooperate with universities,
        colleges, community colleges and institutes for the
        development of specialized courses for police officers.
            (11)  To consult and cooperate with departments and
        agencies of this Commonwealth and other states and the
        Federal Government concerned with police training.
            (12)  To certify police officers who have satisfactorily
        completed basic educational and training requirements as
        established by the commission and to issue appropriate
        certificates to those police officers.
            (13)  To visit and inspect approved schools at least once
        a year.
            (14)  To make such rules and regulations and to perform
        such other duties as may be reasonably necessary or
        appropriate to implement the education and training program
        for police officers.
            (15)  To grant waivers of mandatory basic training to
        police officers who have successfully completed previous
        equivalent training or who have acceptable full-time police
        experience, or both.
     (Dec. 30, 2002, P.L.2001, No.230, eff. imd.)

        2002 Amendment.  Act 230 amended par. (1).
        References in Text.  Section 2166.1, referred to in par. (1),
     is repealed.
        Cross References.  Section 2164 is referred to in sections
     2168, 2169 of this title.

Last modified: November 27, 2007