81-1414. Law enforcement officers; certificate or diploma; when required; issuance; waiver.

(1) On and after January 1, 1972, law enforcement officers already serving under permanent appointment shall not be required to meet any requirement of subsection (2) of this section as a condition of tenure or continued employment.

(2) On and after January 1, 1972, no person shall receive appointment as a law enforcement officer unless he or she has been awarded a certificate or diploma by the commission attesting to satisfactory completion of the minimum curriculum of the training center as established by the council or has been awarded a certificate or diploma attesting to satisfactory completion of a training program which the council finds equivalent thereto. Any person who has not been awarded such a certificate or diploma may receive an appointment conditioned on satisfactory completion of such training if he or she immediately applies for admission to the training center or any training academy and enrolls in the next available basic training class. If such training is not completed within one year after the appointment, the person's employment shall not be renewed by a political subdivision appointment or otherwise and such person shall no longer be recognized as a law enforcement officer, except that in cases of extreme hardship, upon application by the officer, the council may grant a waiver to allow the officer to complete the basic training program as soon as is practicable after the one-year time allowance. Any individual who is not certified in accordance with this section and has worked as a law enforcement officer for multiple law enforcement agencies or political subdivisions shall have his or her time of employment aggregated in order to determine if he or she has worked for more than one year. If that law enforcement officer's aggregate time of employment exceeds one year, that officer shall not be recognized as a law enforcement officer for any political subdivision until he or she has satisfactorily completed such certification training. For purposes of this section, the council shall deem the successful completion of the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs basic police training program as administered by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center to constitute such equivalent training, and officers certified by virtue of such equivalent training may exercise full law enforcement authority exclusively on tribal lands.

(3) Law enforcement officers who are promoted in rank shall satisfactorily complete such council-approved training within one year of such promotion.

(4) At the direction of the council, the director shall issue a certificate or diploma attesting to a compliance with the requirements of subsection (2) or (3) of this section to any applicant who presents evidence of satisfactory completion of a council-approved training program.

Source

Annotations

Under the facts of this case, a certificate for satisfactory completion of a training program relative to this section is not a condition precedent to a police officer's execution of official duties as a law enforcement officer. State v. Harney, 237 Neb. 512, 466 N.W.2d 540 (1991).