The Nevada Commission on POST is the regulatory agency that establishes and maintains the laws, regulations, and acts as the governing authority for the behavior, hiring, certification and training for law enforcement personnel in state. In 1965, the 53rd session of the Nevada State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 390, which established a five member Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Trai
ning (POST). The bill declared the purpose of POST: “…to raise the level of competence of state and local law enforcement officers by adopting rules, establishing minimum standards relating to the physical, mental and moral fitness of officers.” This was the beginning of what POST has become today. In 1969, it became the POST Committee under the Crime Commission, and in 1981 it was moved to the Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety. In 1999, the Commission became a stand-alone agency under the Office of the Governor, and in 2005, the Commission expanded to its present size of nine Commissioners. Throughout the years, there have been many changes affecting criminal justice agencies in Nevada. In 1987, peace officers were placed into three categories: Category I encompassing general law enforcement officers; Category II for specialized limited enforcement duties; and, Category III for correction and confinement officers. Also in 1987, POST established the 24-hours annual continuing education requirement for all categories of peace officer. Over the years, reciprocity with other states has made it easier to certify officers wishing to transfer to Nevada, and the maximum number of months that an officer can be out of law enforcement before being mandated to attend an academy was changed from 24 to 60 months. The Nevada Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training is the regulatory agency that establishes and maintains the laws, regulations, and acts as the governing authority for the behavior, hiring, basic and professional certification, course certification, and training requirements for all law enforcement officers in the state. The nine-member Commission is composed of law enforcement officials that are appointed by the Governor. The Commission holds regularly scheduled public workshops and meetings in various locations around the state to discuss and revise laws and regulations, hear issues addressing the law enforcement community, and render judgment regarding officer behavior; which may result in suspension or revocation of POST certification. The functions of the Commission are instrumental in providing Nevada’s citizenry with highly qualified law enforcement officers as well as providing the foundation for the state’s law enforcement agencies to maintain the highest standards of public safety, with the aim of reducing the risk of liability, law suits, and community dissatisfaction. POST continues to actively improve the services it provides for Nevada’s law enforcement community. For the past year, POST has been aggressively embracing computer technology to enhance the accuracy of their data collected on officers and improve communication with the law enforcement agencies. Several electronic forms are now available for agencies to submit information to POST regarding personnel changes, officer training, and course certification. The implementation of this direct information collection has streamlined the processes and has been proven to be efficient and beneficial to both the agencies and POST in maintaining current and accurate officer information.
