Commissioning of Law Enforcement and Security Personnel : P-100

Policy/Guideline

1. Minimum Qualifications for Employment
   1. Any person employed as a campus police officer, public safety officer, or campus security officer, as those terms are defined in Tennessee Board of Regents Policy No. 5:01:07:00 shall meet the following minimum qualifications:
      1. At least eighteen years of age;
      2. A citizen of the United States;
      3. A high school graduate or possess equivalency;
      4. Not have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to or entered a plea of nolo contendere to any felony charge or to any violation of any federal or state laws or city ordinances relating to force, violence, theft, dishonesty, gambling, liquor or controlled substances, and not have been released or discharged under any other than honorable discharge from any of the armed forces of the United States;
      5. Have their fingerprints on file with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation;
      6. Have passed a physical examination by a licensed physician;
      7. Have a good moral character as determined by a thorough investigation conducted by the employing institution; and
      8. Be free of all apparent mental disorders as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV-TR) of the American Psychiatric Association. Applicants must be certified as meeting these criteria by a qualified professional in the psychiatric or psychological fields.
   2. In addition to the mandatory minimum qualifications outlined in sections (1) – (8) above, any person employed as a campus police officer or public safety officer must meet all the other minimum certification requirements of the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (the Commission).
2. Commissioning of Law Enforcement Officers
   1. Each individual hired as a campus police officer or public safety officer must receive certification from the Commission within the time limits required by T.C.A. § 38-8-101 et seq. pertaining to the Employment and Training of Police Officers and the rules and/or regulations promulgated pursuant to that statute in order to be commissioned by the institution.
   2. Any individual hired as a campus police officer or public safety officer shall remain on probationary status for six (6) months or until certification is received by the Commission, whichever is longer.
   3. Each campus police officer or public safety officer is required to fulfill in-service training requirements in accordance with the Official Rules and Regulations of the Tennessee Peace Officer's Standards and Training Commission, Chapter 1110-4-.01, et seq.
   4. Any campus police officer or public safety officer whose certification is denied, suspended or revoked by the Commission may be reassigned to duties for which certification is not required, such as the duties of a non-commissioned campus security officer pending that officer's appeal to the Commission of the denial, suspension or revocation.
      1. The decision of the Commission in those matters, or subsequent appellate decisions as provided in the Official Rules and Regulations of the Tennessee Peace Officer's Standards and Training Commission, Chapter 1110-2-.04 if pursued, shall be determinative of the individual's qualification to be commissioned by the institution.
3. Compliance with Rules and Regulations
   1. Each institution or school and campus police officer or public safety officer must comply with the requirements of the Commission pertaining to all phases of the hiring and certification of law enforcement officers as found in the rules and regulations promulgated for the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission published in the Official Rules and Regulations of the Commission, Chapter 1110 of the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Administrative Compilation.
   2. Failure to maintain certification shall be grounds for immediate termination as a commissioned campus police officer or public safety officer.