35-8-20.    Training requirements for police chiefs, department heads, and wardens; compensation and expenses; waiver of requirements.

(a) During calendar year 1985 and during each calendar year thereafter, the chief of police or department head of each law enforcement unit and wardens of state institutions shall complete 20 hours of training as provided in this Code section.

(b) The training required by subsection (a) of this Code section shall be completed in sessions as selected and provided by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and the Georgia Prison Wardens Association which have been recognized by the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council.

(c) The council is authorized to expend funds appropriated or otherwise available to it for paying the costs of such training other than travel expenses and salaries of police chiefs or department heads of law enforcement units and wardens of state institutions undergoing training and shall expend such funds for purposes of compensating a training officer to administer the course of training and conduct any business associated with the provisions of this Code section.

(d) The salary and travel expenses of a chief of police or department head of a law enforcement unit or a warden of a state institution taking the required training shall be paid by the law enforcement unit by which he is employed.

(e) Any chief of police or department head of a law enforcement unit or a warden of a state institution who does not fulfill the training requirement of this Code section shall lose his power of arrest.

(f) A waiver of the requirement of training provided in this Code section may be granted by the Peace Officers Standards and Training Council, in its discretion, upon the presentation of evidence by a chief of police or department head of a law enforcement unit or a warden of a state institution that he was unable to complete such training due to medical disability, providential cause, or other reason deemed sufficient by the council. (Code 1981, 35-8-20, enacted by GA.L. 1984, P.1210, 1; GA.L. 1985, p.149, 35.)

Effective date - This code section became effective July 1, 1984.

The 1985 amendment, effective February 12, 1985, substituted "The training required by subsection (a) of this Code section" for "This training" at the beginning of subsection (b).

 

 35-8-20.1

(GCA 92A-21 18.1) Newly appointed chiefs of police and heads of law enforcement units required to attend law enforcement chief executive training class

(a) Any newly appointed chief of police or department head of a law enforcement unit whose term of employment commences after December 31, 1992, shall complete a minimum of 60 hours of law enforcement chief executive training at the next scheduled law enforcement chief executive training class sponsored by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police following his or her appointment. Such training shall be in addition to the basic training required of peace officers in Code Section 35-8-9.

(b) The training required by subsection (a) of this Code section shall be completed in sessions as selected and provided by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police which have been recognized by the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council.

(c) The council is authorized to expend funds appropriated or otherwise available to it for paying the costs of such training other than travel expenses and salaries of police chiefs or department heads of law enforcement units undergoing training and shall expend such funds for purposes of compensating a training officer to administer the course of training and conduct any business associated with the provisions of this Code section.

(d) The salary and travel expenses of a chief of police or department head of a law enforcement unit taking the required training shall be paid by the law enforcement unit by which he is employed.

(e) Any newly appointed chief of police or department head of a law enforcement unit who does not fulfill the training requirement of this Code section shall lose his power of arrest.

(f) Any newly appointed chief of police or department head of a law enforcement unit who satisfactorily completes the training required by subsection (a) of the Code section shall be exempted for the year in which he completes such training from the training required by subsection (a) of Code Section 35-8-20.

(g) A chief of police or head of a law enforcement department who successfully completes the training required by subsection (a) of the Code section will not be required to repeat such training if he terminates an appointment and is subsequently reappointed to the same or another department.

(h) A waiver of the requirement of training provided in this Code section may be granted by the Peace Officers Standards and Training Council, in its discretion, upon the presentation of evidence by a newly appointed chief or department head of a law enforcement unit that he was unable to complete such training due to medical disability, providential cause, or other reason deemed sufficient by the council.

(i) Any chief of police or department head of a law enforcement unit who is exempted from the training required by subsection (a) of the Code section may choose to attend such training in lieu of the training required by Code Section 35-8-20 for any year.

(Acts 1989, p. 1637; p. 1780, eff. April 28, 1993.)