Section 626.8468 Part-Time Peace Officers; Cap on Number Per Agency; Expanded Training Required; Continuing Education

MINNESOTA STATUTES AND CODES

Section 626.8468 Part-Time Peace Officers; Cap on Number Per Agency; Expanded Training Required; Continuing Education

626.8468 PART-TIME PEACE OFFICERS; CAP ON NUMBER PER AGENCY; EXPANDED TRAINING REQUIRED; CONTINUING EDUCATION.

Subdivision 1.Cap on number of part-time peace officers per agency.

(a) A law enforcement agency that employed a licensed part-time peace officer or that was in the process of training an individual to become a licensed part-time peace officer on or before February 1, 1999, may continue to do so. No agency may employ more part-time peace officers than it employed in calendar year 1996, 1997, or 1998, except the State Fair Police Department may employ up to 15 licensed part-time peace officers.

(b) After January 1, 2000, the board may issue additional part-time peace officer licenses to a law enforcement agency that employs a part-time peace officer and that demonstrates to the board an extraordinary and temporary need for the additional license.

(c) If a local unit of government dissolves a law enforcement agency that employs a part-time peace officer authorized under this subdivision and contracts with another law enforcement agency to provide law enforcement services, the law enforcement agency contracted with may add that number of part-time positions to the agency's maximum under this subdivision if the agency hires or offers employment to all full-time peace officers employed by the dissolved agency at the time of dissolution. The employment offered must be of comparable responsibility and salary.

Subd. 2.Expanded training required.

Each person seeking initial licensure as a part-time peace officer shall successfully complete the competency training described in section 626.8462. Before issuing a part-time peace officer license or allowing a person to take the examination described in section 626.8462, the board shall ensure that the applicant has successfully completed the training. The chief law enforcement officer of the agency employing or seeking to employ the applicant shall submit proof to the board that the applicant has successfully completed the training before the applicant may take the examination.

Subd. 3.Continuing education.

All licensed part-time peace officers shall comply with continuing education standards required by the board. The officers may receive reimbursement for the costs of this education from the peace officers training account described in section 357.021, subdivision 7.