12 NCAC 10B .1002          GENERAL PROVISIONS

(a)  In order to be eligible for one or more of the professional awards, a sheriff or deputy sheriff shall first meet the following preliminary qualifications:

(1)           be an elected or appointed sheriff or be a deputy sheriff who holds valid General or Grandfather Certification. A deputy sheriff serving under a probationary certification is not eligible for consideration. Any justice officer subject to suspension or revocation proceedings or under investigation for possible decertification action by the Commission or the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission is not eligible for professional awards for the pendency of the proceeding;

(2)           be familiar with and subscribe to the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics as promulgated by the International Association of Chiefs of Police; and

(3)           if the applicant is a deputy sheriff, be a full-time sworn law enforcement officer of a North Carolina Sheriff's Office, as certified in writing by the sheriff; or be a full-time law enforcement officer of an agency who must be sworn by the sheriff in order to perform his duties as certified in writing by the Sheriff.

(b)  Employees of a North Carolina Sheriff's Office who have previously held general or grandfather law enforcement officer certification but are presently, by virtue of promotion or transfer, serving in non-sworn positions not subject to certification are eligible to participate in the Professional Certificate Program. Eligibility for this exception requires continuous employment with the sheriff's office from the date of promotion or transfer from a sworn, certified position to the date of application for a professional certificate.

(c)  Only training or experience gained in an officer's area of expertise is eligible for application to this program.

(d)  Certificates shall be awarded based upon a formula that combines formal education, law enforcement training, and actual experience as a law enforcement officer. These professional certificates are appropriate for sworn sheriffs and full-time deputy sheriffs. Points are computed in the following manner:

(1)           each semester hour of college credit shall equal one education point and each quarter hour shall equal two-thirds of an education point. No correspondence or vocational courses shall be credited towards education points unless an accredited institution, as set out in 12 NCAC 10B .1004(b), credits the course(s) towards a degree;

(2)           twenty classroom hours of commission-approved law enforcement training shall equal one training point; and

(3)           experience as a sworn law enforcement officer as defined in Rule .0103(19) of this Subchapter is acceptable for consideration.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 17E-4;

Eff. January 1, 1989;

Amended Eff. January 1, 2013; January 1, 2006; August 1, 2000; August 1, 1998; February 1, 1998; January 1, 1992; January 1, 1991; January 1, 1990;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. March 6, 2018;

Amended Eff. December 1, 2023.