9-1-704. Qualifications for employment as a peace officer; loss of certification for felony conviction; termination from employment.

(a) Within fifteen (15) days after the appointment, termination, resignation or death of any peace officer or dispatcher, written notice thereof shall be given to the commission by the employing agency.

(b) No county, sheriff, mayor, municipality, state agency or any other person authorized by law to appoint peace officers in this state shall appoint any person as a peace officer who does not meet the following qualifications. The person shall:

(i) Be a United States citizen;

(ii) Be an adult;

(iii) Be fingerprinted. Local, state and national fingerprint files shall be searched to determine if the applicant has a criminal record;

(iv) Not have been convicted of a crime for which he could have been imprisoned in a federal penitentiary or state prison;

(v) Hold a high school diploma or evidence of an equivalent achievement;

(vi) Have good moral character as determined by a background investigation. The hiring agency shall complete a background investigation as defined by the commission of any applicant for employment as a peace officer before the applicant may be employed or begin training as a peace officer;

(vii) Be free of any physical, emotional or mental conditions which might adversely affect his performance of duty as a peace officer. Physical condition shall be evaluated by a person licensed to practice medicine. Emotional and mental conditions shall be evaluated by a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist;

(viii) Pass an oral interview examination by the hiring agency.

(c) Notwithstanding any general, specific or local law or charter to the contrary, no person shall receive an original appointment on a permanent basis or hold an appointment on a permanent basis as a peace officer unless the person has been awarded a certificate by the director attesting to his satisfactory completion of an approved peace officer basic training program.

(d) No person shall be appointed as a peace officer on a permanent basis for more than one (1) year unless within one (1) year from the date of appointment he is awarded a certificate by the director attesting that he satisfactorily completed a commission approved peace officer's basic training program.

(e) No person shall be appointed as a detention officer on a permanent basis for more than one (1) year unless within one (1) year from the date of appointment he is awarded a certificate by the director attesting that he satisfactorily completed a commission approved detention officer basic training program.

(f) Every person who is appointed as a part-time or reserve peace officer shall forfeit his position unless within two (2) years from the date of his appointment he is awarded a certificate by the director attesting that he satisfactorily completed a commission approved peace officer basic training program.

(g) Notwithstanding subsections (c) through (e) of this section, the commission may waive the basic peace officer training program and certify those applicants who can pass a written examination provided by the commission and an oral interview attesting to the applicant's ability in law enforcement. The applicant shall prove that he satisfactorily completed a basic peace officer training program which in the commission's opinion is comparable to that required by this section before waiver is granted.

(h) A person who is convicted of a felony after his appointment as a peace officer is ineligible for continued employment as a peace officer. If the person has been certified under this section, his certification shall be automatically revoked on the date of his conviction. The director shall notify the person and the person's employing agency upon revocation of certification under this subsection.

(j) In the case of termination of a peace officer, the employing agency shall notify the commission and the officer, in writing, of the termination, setting forth in detail the facts and reasons for the termination. If the officer is terminated for failure to comply with this act, or rules promulgated under it, the notice shall so specify. Any officer who has been terminated may present a written statement to the commission responding to the claims made against him or setting forth the facts and reasons for the termination as he believes them to be, and that statement shall become a permanent part of the file. A potential employer may contact the commission to inquire as to the facts and reasons an officer was terminated from any previous employing agency. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, the commission shall, upon request provide to the potential employer all pertinent information which is in its possession.

(k) Upon receipt from the department of family services of a certified copy of an order from a court to withhold, suspend or otherwise restrict a certificate issued by the commission, the commission shall notify the party named in the court order and the employing agency of the withholding, suspension or restriction of the certificate in accordance with the terms of the court order. No appeal under the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act shall be allowed for a certificate withheld, suspended or restricted under this subsection.