Wyo. Code R. 015-0009-9
Peace Officers Standards & Training Commission
Chapter 9: Minimum Standards for Instructors
Effective Date: 05/09/1994 to 05/20/2002
Rule Type: Superceded Rules & Regulations
Reference Number: 015.0009.9.05091994
(a) Any person serving as a training officer in a law enforcement agency or an accredited criminal justice training course or program in or for the State of Wyoming shall first be certified by the director as an instructor.
(b) The director shall certify instructors, pursuant to W.S.9-1-703(b)(iii). Certification will be made on the basis of documented qualifications as set out in this chapter and shown on the applicant's application for certification.
(c) The director may deny, or the commission may suspend or revoke an instructor's certification when the director of the commission finds that person:
(d) Prior to the commission's action suspending or revoking certification, or the director's denial of certification, the director shall notify the individual involved of the deficiency prompting the action. If the deficiency is of such nature that it can be easily corrected, the director may assist the individual in correcting the deficiency before final action is required. If, however, the instructor or applicant is found to be in violation of these Rules and the director's informal efforts have failed or have been deemed inappropriate the commission's suspension or revocation or the director's denial will be final.
(a) To qualify for general instructional assignments, an applicant shall satisfactorily demonstrate to the director a combination of education and experience in criminal justice as well as proficiency in the instructional process satisfactory to the director. At a minimum, the applicant shall meet the following requirements for general instructor certification.
(i) Is a high school graduate, or has passed the General Education Development Test (GED) indicating high school equivalency, and has acquired five (5) years of practical experience as a peace officer or as an administrator or specialist in a field relevant or related to the criminal justice system; or
(ii) Has been awarded an associate degree from an accredited college and has acquired two (2) years of practical experience as a peace officer or an administrator or specialist in a field relevant or related to the criminal justice system; or (iii) Has been awarded a baccalaureate degree and has acquired one (1) year of practical experience as a peace officer or an administrator or specialist in a field relevant or related to the criminal justice system; and
(iv) Will be employed as an instructor on a full-time basis, or instruct a minimum of eighty (80) hours per year.
(b) Completion of an instructor training course or equivalent training approved by the commission shall also be required for general instructor certification.
(c) Certification as a general instructor shall remain effective for two (2) years from the date of issuance. The instructor must apply for recertification at or before the end of the two (2) year period.
(d) Those instructors who have been certified as general instructors shall be deemed qualified to instruct at schools or academies which have been certified by the commission to provide commission mandated courses.
(a) The director may certify as a professional lecturer a person in a formally recognized profession, e.g., medicine, law, psychology, who by virtue of formal academic graduate degrees and professional experience has developed special expertise in a subject area material to the presentation of criminal justice training or educational programs.
(b) To be eligible for certification, an applicant shall:
(i) Be properly licensed or certified by the legally recognized licensing agency for the designated profession to actively engage in the specified profession;
(ii) Have acquired a minimum of one (1) year of practical experience in the designated profession and area of expertise; and
(iii) Obtain the endorsement of the director of a commission-recognized academy or school or the administrator, or his representative, of a department conducting in-service training, who must:
(A) Recommend the applicant’s certification as a professional lecturer;
(B) Describe the applicant’s expected participation, topic areas, duties, and responsibilities in criminal justice conducted by the academy, school, or department;
(C) Describe the attributes showing the applicant to be a beneficial contributor to the delivery or presentation of a criminal justice training; and
(D) Specify the professional subject area and training course or courses in which certification is requested.
(c) Certification as a professional lecturer shall remain effective for two (2) years from the date of issuance. The lecturer must apply for recertification at or before the end of the two (2) year period.
(d) A certified professional lecturer may participate in repetitions of the same training course or courses for which certification is granted so long as there are not changes therein which alter the topical areas, duties, and responsibilities of the lecturer.
(a) The director may certify as a practitioner lecturer those persons who, in the opinion of the director, have developed specific motor skills and abilities by virtue of special training, practical experience, and demonstrated expertise.
(b) To qualify for certification as a practitioner lecturer in a topic area, the applicant shall:
(i) Show the specialized training or experience of the applicant in the specific topic of skill for which certification is sought, by;
(A) Documenting the completion of supplemental training in the specific topic area from an organized recognized, and generally acknowledged institution, agency, or company which frequently presents such training programs in the ordinary course of its business or activities; or
(B) Showing evidence of a minimum of three (3) years of practical, progressive experience in the specific topic area, including prior instruction assignments in the skill area for which the applicant is seeking certification; and
(ii) Obtain the endorsement and recommendation of the applicant’s administrator which:
(A) Specifically designates the applicant’s area of expertise;
(B) States the topical areas and criminal justice training courses in which the applicant is expected to participate; and
(C) Outlines the responsibilities and method of supervision of the applicant.
(c) Certification as a practitioner lecturer shall remain effective for a period of two (2) years from the date of issuance. The lecturer shall apply for recertification at or before the end of the two (2) year period of certification.
(d) The commission strongly recommends that practitioner lecturers attend and complete an approved instructor training course since their specialized training ordinarily would not provide information concerning psychology, methodology, fundamentals of instruction, and communication skills needed to impart knowledge in a consistent manner.
(e) To qualify for practitioner lecturer recertification applicant must provide documentation of twenty (20) teaching hours per year.
(a) The director may approve persons to participate in the presentation or delivery of a criminal justice training course as a guest participant. Categories of person who may be approved as a guest participant include, but are not limited to, private citizens, victims of crime, actors, prisoners, probationers, parolees, ex-offenders, and juvenile offenders.
(b) To apply for approval as a guest participant, the applicant’s administrator shall specify the person’s topic area, duties and responsibilities, the attributes qualifying the applicant as a guest participant in a specified training course, and the means by which the school director or department administrator will supervise the person’s participation in the course.
(c) Approval as a guest participant remains effective only for the duration of the specific training course or program in which the guest participant is utilized. Approval must be renewed each time the person’s participation is sought, even if the subsequent participation is a repeat of the program for which approval was originally granted. The renewal may be initiated by telephone or written communication to the director; however, the director must issue a written authorization prior to the person’s participation in any accredited training program.
(d) If a guest participant is scheduled to participate for more than two (2) hours in any training session, he must submit a lesson outline to the director.