Regulation 1005 (d)(4) was enacted to ensure that specific classifications of peace officers would be required to complete manipulative skills training with the Perishable Skills Program (PSP). The section is clear as to the rank and individuals this applies to; however, specific language dealing with the assignment of the officer and the wording of “routinely” has created confusion in the field.
The regulation has been subject to interpretation, causing some agencies to opine that specific classifications of peace officers are not required to attend PSP training based solely on assignment, and not the nature of the job those individuals perform.
The regulation also lists three specific assignments of patrol, traffic or investigation, which creates questions as to why just those three assignments are specifically mentioned.
Wording also currently allows those individuals to be exempted from all PSPs, including driver training, tactical firearms, and communication, not solely the arrest and control component of perishable skills.
POST staff is frequently asked to clarify whether certain individuals can be exempt from the PSP requirements based on a variety of situations. Staff often must interpret the intent and meaning of this section, on a case-by-case situation, causing some inconsistency among various agencies.
A process currently exists for an agency to request all staff to be exempted on a specific perishable skill, based on the function of that agency, requiring written approval by the Executive Director of POST. An example would be a District Attorney Investigation agency who drives vehicles not equipped with emergency equipment could request an exemption to the driving PSP.
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