The South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council is authorized to:
(1) receive and disburse funds, including those hereinafter provided in this chapter;
(2) accept any donations, contributions, funds, grants, or gifts from private individuals, foundations, agencies, corporations, or the state or federal governments, for the purpose of carrying out the programs and objectives of this chapter;
(3) consult and cooperate with counties, municipalities, agencies, or official bodies of this State or of other states, other governmental agencies, and with universities, colleges, junior colleges, and other institutions, concerning the development of police training schools, programs, or courses of instruction, selection, and training standards, or other pertinent matters relating to law enforcement;
(4) publish or cause to be published manuals, information bulletins, newsletters, and other materials to achieve the objectives of this chapter;
(5) make such regulations as may be necessary for the administration of this chapter, including the issuance of orders directing public law enforcement agencies to comply with this chapter and all regulations so promulgated;
(6) certify and train qualified candidates and applicants for law enforcement officers and provide for suspension, revocation, or restriction of the certification, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the council;
(7) require all public entities or agencies that employ or appoint law enforcement officers to provide records in the format prescribed by regulation of employment information of law enforcement officers;
(8) provide by regulation for mandatory continued training of certified law enforcement officers, this training to be completed within each of the various counties requesting this training on a regional basis.
(9) provide by regulation for mandatory continued training of certified law enforcement officers to recognize post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma and stress-related disorders in other officers. The council also is authorized to establish a mechanism to recommend participation in the South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program (SC LEAP) for officers involved in an incident resulting in death or serious bodily injury; and
(10) appoint attorneys employed by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy to sit as hearing officers for contested case hearings. The attorneys are authorized to submit hearing officers' recommendations to the council.
HISTORY: 2006 Act No. 317, Section 1, eff May 30, 2006; 2008 Act No. 335, Section 14, eff June 16, 2008; 2014 Act No. 225 (H.3958), Section 1, eff June 2, 2014; 2017 Act No. 46 (S.173), Section 2, eff May 19, 2017; 2018 Act No. 215 (H.4479), Section 1, eff May 18, 2018.
Effect of Amendment
The 2008 amendment in the introduction substituted "South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council" for "Director of the Criminal Justice Academy".
2014 Act No. 225, Section 1, reenacted the section with no apparent change.
2017 Act No. 46, Section 2, added (9), providing for training of officers to recognize post-traumatic stress disorder in other officers, and made nonsubstantive changes.
2018 Act No. 215, Section 1, added (10), providing for the appointment of attorneys employed by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy to sit as hearing officers for contested case hearings.