12 NCAC 09B .0203          ADMISSION OF TRAINEES

(a)  The school shall not admit any individual as a trainee in a presentation of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course who is not a citizen of the United States.

(b)  The school shall not admit any individual younger than 20 years of age as a trainee in any non-academic basic criminal justice training course. Individuals under 20 years of age may be granted authorization for early enrollment as trainees in a presentation of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course with prior written approval from the Director of the Standards Division. The Director shall approve early enrollment if the individual will be 20 years of age prior to the date of the State Comprehensive Examination for the course.

(c)  The school shall give priority admission in certified criminal justice training courses to individuals holding full-time employment with criminal justice agencies.

(d)  The school shall not admit any individual as a trainee in a presentation of the "Criminal Justice Instructor Training Course" who does not meet the education and experience requirements for instructor certification under Rule .0302 of this Subchapter within 60 days of successful completion of the Instructor Training State Comprehensive Examination.

(e)  The school shall not admit an individual, including partial or limited enrollees, as a trainee in a presentation of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course unless the individual, within one year prior to admission to the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course, scores at or above mastery level on the NROC Edready^TM Skills Inventory for English or places into course DRE 098 or above at a North Carolina Community College as a result of taking the Reading and English component of the North Carolina Diagnostic Assessment and Placement test as approved by the State Board of Community Colleges on October 17, 2014, (http://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/state-board-community-colleges/meetings/october-17-2014), or has taken the reading component of a nationally standardized test and has scored at or above the tenth grade level or the equivalent. For the purposes of this Rule:

(1)           Partial or limited enrollee does not include enrollees who hold or have held within 12 months prior to the date of enrollment, general certification pursuant to 12 NCAC 09C .0304.

(2)           A "nationally standardized test" means a test that:

(A)          reports scores as national percentiles, stanines, or grade equivalents; and

(B)          compares student test results to a national norm.

(f)  The school shall not admit any individual as a trainee in a presentation of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course unless the individual has provided to the School Director a medical examination report, completed by a physician licensed to practice medicine in North Carolina, a physician's assistant, or a nurse practitioner, to determine the individual's fitness to perform the essential job functions of a criminal justice officer. The Director of the Standards Division shall grant an exception to this standard for a period of time not to exceed the commencement of the physical fitness topical area when failure to receive the medical examination report is not due to neglect on the part of the trainee.

(g)  The school shall not admit any individual as a trainee in a presentation of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course unless the individual is a high school, college, or university graduate or has received a high school equivalency credential recognized by the issuing state. High school diplomas earned through correspondence enrollment in an entity that charges a fee and requires the individual to complete little or no education or coursework to obtain a high diploma shall not be recognized toward the educational requirements.

(h)  The school shall not admit any individual trainee in a presentation of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course unless the individual has provided the School Director one of the following types of record checks in the manner set forth in Paragraph (i) of this Rule:

(1)           a written notification, known as a "Criminal Record Conviction History for B.L.E.T. Enrollment," Form F-25, located at https://www.ncdoj.gov/About-DOJ/Law-Enforcement-Training-and-Standards/Criminal-Justice-Education-and-Training-Standards/Forms-and-Publications.aspx, from a department head stating that a criminal record check for local and state records has been conducted and no criminal convictions as listed in Paragraph (j) of this Rule were found that prohibit the individual trainee's enrollment in a presentation of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course. The hiring agency or the individual trainee shall also provide certified court documentation for each criminal conviction;

(2)           a certified criminal record check for local and state records, and certified court documentation for each criminal conviction. For the purpose of this Rule "Certified court documentation" and "record check" mean a document with either a raised seal or other visible verification that the document is authentic as a copy of the court's official record as authorized by law;

(3)           if the individual trainee has only resided in North Carolina since obtaining the age of majority, provide a fingerprint-based criminal history background check known as a "Right to Review" performed by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. For the purpose of this Rule "Resided in" means any place the trainee has lived, worked, attended school, or participated in an internship. The individual shall also provide certified court documentation for each criminal conviction;

(4)           a fingerprint-based criminal history background check known as a "Right to Review" performed by a federal agency including all locations where the trainee has lived since obtaining the age of majority. The individual shall also provide certified court documentation for each criminal conviction; or

(5)           trainees who have served in the United States Armed Forces, in addition to one of the types of criminal records checks listed in Subparagraphs (1) through (4) of this Paragraph shall provide a copy of their Certificate of Discharge, DD Form 214, that shows their "Character of Service" and "Narrative Reason for Separation." Individuals showing a "Character of Service" as "Bad Conduct" or "Dishonorable" shall provide certified copies of their court-martial proceedings to include the final disposition. Trainees shall also provide documentation to show that they have requested their official military personnel file, which shall be provided upon receipt.

(6)           A trainee who has been naturalized as a United States Citizen is exempt from providing the criminal record checks for locations where they resided outside of the United States prior to naturalization.

(7)           A trainee who has resided outside the United States, other than those described in Subparagraph (5) and (6), who cannot obtain a criminal record check from any location outside the United States shall document the following, to be forwarded to the Standards Division for review on a case by case basis:

(A)          the name of the agencies contacted,

(B)          the date the agencies were contacted,

(C)          the contact information for the agencies contacted, and

(D)          the reason the information cannot be provided.

(i)  Documents obtained in accordance with Paragraph (h) of this Rule shall meet the following requirements:

(1)           any records provided shall fall within the time period beginning when the trainee obtains the age of majority and continuing through the date of application;

(2)           any records provided shall include all locations where the trainee has resided since obtaining the age of majority; and

(3)           any records provided shall include all legal names utilized by the trainee since obtaining the age of majority.

(j)  The school shall not admit any individual as a trainee in a presentation of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course who has been convicted of the following:

(1)           a felony;

(2)           a crime for which the punishment could have been imprisonment for more than two years;

(3)           a crime or unlawful act defined as a Class B Misdemeanor within the five year period prior to the date of application for employment, unless the individual intends to seek certification through the North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission;

(4)           four or more crimes or unlawful acts defined as Class B Misdemeanors, regardless of the date of conviction;

(5)           four or more crimes or unlawful acts defined as Class A Misdemeanors, except the trainee may be enrolled if the last conviction date occurred more than two years prior to the date of enrollment; or

(6)           a combination of four or more Class A Misdemeanors or Class B Misdemeanors regardless of the date of conviction, unless the individual intends to seek certification through the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission.

(k)  Individuals charged with crimes specified in Paragraph (j) of this Rule may be admitted into the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course if such offenses were dismissed or the person was found not guilty, but completion of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course does not ensure that certification as a law enforcement officer or justice officer through the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission will be issued. Every individual who is admitted as a trainee in a presentation of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course shall notify the School Director of all criminal offenses the trainee is arrested for or charged with, pleads no contest to, pleads guilty to, or is found guilty of, and of all Domestic Violence Protective Orders (G.S. 50B) that are issued by a judicial official after a hearing that provides an opportunity for both parties to be present. This includes all criminal offenses except minor traffic offenses and includes any offense of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Impaired (DWI). A "minor traffic offense" is defined, for the purposes of this Paragraph, as an offense where the maximum punishment allowable by law is 60 days or fewer. Other offenses under G.S. 20 (Motor Vehicles) or similar laws of other jurisdictions that shall be reported to the School Director are G.S. 20-138.1 (driving while under the influence), G.S. 20-28 (driving while license permanently revoked or permanently suspended), G.S. 20-30(5)(fictitious name or address in application for license or learner's permit), G.S. 20-37.8 (fraudulent use of a fictitious name for a special identification card), G.S. 20-102.1 (false report of theft or conversion of a motor vehicle), G.S. 20-111(5)(fictitious name or address in application for registration), G.S. 20-130.1 (unlawful use of red or blue lights), G.S. 20-137.2 (operation of vehicles resembling law enforcement vehicles), G.S. 20-141.3 (unlawful racing on streets and highways), G.S. 20-141.5 (speeding to elude arrest), and G.S. 20-166 (duty to stop in event of accident). The notifications required under this Paragraph shall be in writing and specify the nature of the offense, the court where the case was handled, the date of the arrest or criminal charge, the date of issuance of the Domestic Violence Protective Order (50B), and the final disposition and the date thereof. The notifications required under this Paragraph shall be received by the School Director within 30 days of the date the case was disposed of in court. The requirements of this Paragraph are applicable at all times during which the trainee is enrolled in a Basic Law Enforcement Training Course. The requirements of this Paragraph are in addition to the notifications required under 12 NCAC 10B .0301 and 12 NCAC 09B .0101(8).

(l)  The school shall not admit any individual as a trainee in the presentation of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course unless the individual has provided to the School Director:

(1)           copies of all active Domestic Violence Orders of Protection and Civil Non-Contact Orders issued to the individual; or

(2)           a signed and dated written statement from the individual certifying that no such active Orders exist related to the individual.

(m)  The school shall not admit any individual as a trainee in the presentation of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course unless the individual has provided to the School Director a copy of their valid driver's license.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 17C-6; 17C-10; 93B-9;

Eff. January 1, 1981;

Amended Eff. January 1, 2019; April 1, 2018; January 1, 2017; February 1, 2016; November 1, 2015; March 1, 2015; January 1, 2015; June 1 ,2012; February 1, 2011; June 1, 2010; December 1, 2004; July 1, 2004; August 1, 2002; August 1, 2000; January 1, 1995; March 1, 1992; July 1, 1989; January 1, 1985;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. May 25, 2019;

Amended Eff. July 1, 2020.