How do I request or schedule training?
Contact Scott Rosson, Supervisor of the Advanced Training Section of the Central Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, at Scott.Rosson@dps.arkansas.gov or call (501) 682-2260.
Can I attend the Academy and pay the expenses myself?
No. Attendance at the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA) is restricted to people who are employed by a law enforcement agency or accepted through the Veterans to Law Enforcement Program.
What is the Veterans to Law Enforcement Program?
The program allows qualified veterans to attend the Academy without being employed by a law enforcement agency. A veteran must have served at least six months active duty and meet other state and program requirements. Students are responsible for payment of all costs, however; most students have successfully used Veterans Administration Education Benefits to cover the cost of tuition, lodging, meals and other supplies for the 13-week Academy. Please contact Juan Reyes for additional information and how to apply.
How old do I have to be to be employed by a Law Enforcement Agency?
The minimum age to be employed as a law enforcement officer is 21. The minimum standards for employment or appointment by a law enforcement agency can be found in CLEST Rule 1002.
How long is your Basic Training Course?
The Basic Police Training Course is 13 weeks.
What is the maximum age for entry into law enforcement in Arkansas?
The Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and training does not have a maximum age limit.
What academic average do I have to maintain in order to successfully complete training?
In order to successfully complete training, a minimum academic average of 70% must be maintained.
What happens to students who fail an exam?
If a student fails to achieve the minimum grade (generally 70% or higher for some subject areas) on a course exam, the student is allowed to take a re-test. Failure to achieve the minimum grade on the re-test will result in dismissal from the Academy.
If I fail academically/firearms during Basic Training, can I come back and try again?
CLEST Regulation 1005 (f) states: If an officer fails to satisfactorily complete the required training in a total of nine (9) months from the original date of employment or appointment, he/she shall not be eligible to be retained as a law enforcement officer in this state. Re-appointment or re-employment as a law enforcement officer will be considered only after the person has been separated from law enforcement for at least twenty-four (24) months. Upon re-appointment or re-employment, an officer would be eligible to begin a new probationary period. Should the officer fail to meet the minimum training requirements a second time, he/she will not be eligible for certification as a Full-time, Part-time, Auxiliary or in any other law enforcement officer position.
If I get sick/injured during basic training, do I have to drop out?
This would depend on the seriousness of the illness or injury. Students attending Basic Police Training are required to participate in Physical Fitness, Defensive Tactics, Practical Exercises and Firearms Qualification. Should an illness or injury prevent the student from satisfactorily passing in these areas, it may be recommended that the department withdraw the student and allow them to return at another time to complete their Basic Training.
What if I attended a different state’s basic academy, a federal law enforcement training academy, or a military law enforcement training program?
CLEST Rule 1008 allows the Commission to grant a waiver upon presentation of documentary evidence that an officer has satisfactorily completed equivalent training. The training must have been approved or certified in the state where the training was received. Each request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis for reciprocity. If you attended a different state’s basic academy, a federal law enforcement training academy, or a military law enforcement training academy and have questions about qualifying for an Arkansas certification, please contact the Standards Office.
Can our Department conduct its own Radar Course?
Yes, as long as the course is taught by a certified police traffic radar instructor and the course curriculum has been approved by the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training.
How do I submit course attendance rosters to Standards?
Attendance rosters are now submitted through the portal. A list of Frequently Asked Portal Questions can be found HERE.
How do I acquire the Radar exam?
To receive the Radar exam, submit a request on department letterhead to the Training Supervisor at the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, P.O. Box 3106, E. Camden, AR 71711. Include the Certification number of the course, the date(s) of the class and the date(s) of the test. The exam will be mailed to you.
Do I have to send test scores to you from our Radar Course?
Yes. Test scores are submitted on Form F-18 (Attendance Roster) to the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training, #4 State Police Plaza Dr., Little Rock, AR 72209. (See Specification S-18.)
My radar operator certification has expired and I have been unable to find a course being offered. Do I have to attend the entire course again?
Radar certificates issued after March 3, 2016, do not have an expiration date. The radar refresher is no longer required. If your radar certificate has an expiration date, simply submit the F-7 form before the expiration date to have the certificate renewed. As long as you are not separated from a law enforcement status that is eligible for radar certification for more than three years, then the radar certificate will not expire. Please be aware that CLEST is no longer issuing a wallet card along with the certificate. In addition, the full radar class is now eight (8) hours.
What do I have to send to Standards to get my Radar Operator Certification?
Submit the Application for Award of Law Enforcement Officer Certificate Form (F-7) to the Standards Office. The F-7 form can be found on the CLEST website in the Standards section.
If I hold my own Radar Course, who provides the certificates for my students?
You can produce your own certificate or you may use the Notice of Course Completion Form (F-6), which can be found on the CLEST website. Please do not send the F-6 or the certificate to Standards. Credit for completing CLEST-certified courses is given from the Attendance Roster Form (F-18), which can also be found on the CLEST website.
Can our agency conduct it’s own Jailer Course?
Yes, as long as the course is taught by a certified instructor and the course curriculum has been approved by the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training.
What do I have to do to acquire the Jailer Exam?
To receive the Jailer Exam, submit a request on Department letterhead to the training supervisor at the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, P.O. Box 3106, E. Camden, AR 71711. Include the certification number of the course, the date(s) of the class and the date(s) of the test. The exam will be mailed to you.
Do I have to send test scores to you from our Jailer Course?
Yes. Test scores are submitted on Form F-18 (Attendance Roster) to the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training, #4 State Police Plaza Dr., Little Rock, AR 72209. (See Specification S-18.)
If I hold my own Jailer Course, who provides the certificates for my students?
A Notice of Completion Form ( F-6) can be used in lieu of a certificate for your students, or you can provide your own certificate. Please do not send the F-6 or the certificate to Standards. Credit for completing CLEST certified courses is given from the Attendance Roster Form (F-18), which can be found on the CLEST website.
What is required to become a Field Training Officer?
A Field Training Officer (FTO) must have a minimum of three years of experience as a full-time law enforcement officer, a General Certificate, and successfully complete a 32-hour CLEST-approved Field Training Officer course. Once you have met these requirements, apply to Standards for your FTO certificate. See CLEST Rule 1014 for further information.
What is required to become a certified instructor?
The CLEST rules for certification of instructors are contained in Rule 1016. If you meet all of the requirements, the application is made to the Standards Division on the Request for Instructor Certification Form (F-8).
Can our department conduct its own Firearms Instructor Course?
Yes, as long as the course is taught by a Certified Firearms Instructor and the course curriculum has been approved by the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training.
Who provides the exam for the Firearms Instructor Course?
The instructor providing the training will also provide the exam for the Firearms Instructor Course.
I am a certified instructor. Does that entitle me to teach anything our department requires or am I limited in what I can teach?
Instructor certification information is covered in CLEST Rule 1016 . If there is a question regarding what you are able to teach, contact the Standards Office at (501) 682-2260.
What do I have to send to Standards to certify a course?
CLEST Standards requires an outline and course description of the subject material being offered, a schedule of classes, brief background showing qualifications of instructors and the name of the school director or coordinator. Please see the Portal Frequently Asked Question section HERE for additional information.
Do I have to send applications to ALETA when our department conducts a course?
No. Applications for the course your department conducts should me maintained at your department.
How many hours of training are required annually for all law enforcement officers?
As of January 1, 2020, all classifications of law enforcement officers, including auxiliary officers, must complete 24 hours of CLEST-approved training annually. Firearms qualifications and racial profiling training are included in the 24-hour minimum standard requirement.
I just completed Instructor Development Training, where do I get copies of the Jailer/Radar Instructor Manuals and films?
To receive the Jailer/Radar Instructor Manuals, submit a request on department letterhead to the Training Supervisor at the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, P.O. Box 3106, E. Camden, AR 71711.
How often do you send new training schedules out to the departments?
All training information can be found on our website.
I will be attending an advanced course at ALETA-East Camden. Do I have to stay in the dorm?
No. Students attending advanced courses offered at ALETA are not required to stay in the Academy dorm. However, lodging and meal expenses outside the Academy are not paid for by the Academy.
What happens if I miss class time due to sickness/injury during training?
Students are allowed to miss only 10% of the overall instruction time due to illness/injury. Therefore, if the time missed exceeds the allotted 10%, you will have to be withdrawn from the class.
Can I attend any Academy courses before I attend a Basic Course?
It depends on the course you wanted to attend. Some courses that are offered by the Academy have a pre-requisite. Those pre-requisites must be met before any student is allowed to attend the class. Courses that do not have pre-requisites are open to all law enforcement personnel.
I would like for ALETA to conduct a course at our department. To whom do I make that request?
If you would like for ALETA to conduct a course at your department or in your area, write to the Training Supervisor at the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, P.O. Box 3106, E. Camden, 71711 and state which course you would like to have taught in your area.
I just hired an officer who was previously certified in Arkansas. Will they need to retake the Basic Academy?
If an officer is absent from employment as a full-time officer for less than 3 years, they will need no additional training to re-enter employment as a full-time officer. If they have been absent from employment as a full-time officer greater than three years but less than seven, they will have to take the 120-hour refresher course. If they have been absent from employment as a full-time officer for greater than seven years but less than 10, they have the option of taking the “Challenge Exam.” If they pass the challenge exam, they may take the 120-hour refresher course to regain full-time certification. If they fail the exam or choose not to take it, they must retake the full academy to regain full-time certification. If the officer has been absent from employment as a full-time officer for 10 years or longer, they must retake the full academy.
I just hired an officer who previously worked at a different agency. Can I use his new hire documents from that agency, or do I need to submit my own?
If the officer was separated no more than six months from the previous agency, the only new documents you will need to submit is a new F1 and a background check. We can use new hire documents from the previous agency as long as the gap in employment was less than six months. You will need to reach out to the agency and get copies of those documents to retain on file at your agency for audit purposes.
How long does an officer have to complete the Basic Academy/Part-Time Course, etc. from the time they are hired?
Officers must complete their basic certification course, whether that be the full academy for full-time officers or the part-time/specialized/auxiliary course for part-time/specialized/auxiliary officers within nine months of hire. Changing an officer’s status from full-time to part-time/specialized/auxiliary, etc. does not re-start their nine-month time limit. If you have questions about your officer’s time limit, please reach out to the Standards Office, and we can tell you exactly how long they have to complete their course.
Where do I get my Retired Firearms Card?
As of February, 2018, the Standards office no longer issues retired firearms cards. The card template can now be found at www.clest.org. Your firearms instructor is authorized to issue the card. The instructor will need your CLEST ID number and the CLEST course approval number to issue the card. Please note that your training must be submitted to Standards. In the event a law enforcement agency questions whether you have met the qualification requirement, the Standards Office will have the official record.
