A measure to ensure that municipal police chiefs receive administrative training to better prepare them for their jobs and reduce employment turnover rates passed the Senate recently.

Senate Bill 516, authored by Senator Cliff Branan, requires that officers being considered for the position of police chief complete a course of training meeting at least the minimal criteria established by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) for police chief administration or successfully complete an approved police chief administrative school approved by the Council within a year of assuming their position.

"We have around 365 communities that experience about a twenty percent annual turnover rate of new police chiefs because they're simply not prepared for the administrative functions of the job such as collective bargaining, contracts, public relations, state and federal reporting, and various employment issues," said Branan, R-OKC. "This bill is an effort to prepare those new chiefs, so that we don't spend money on training them just to have them quit after a short period of time out of frustration."

Oklahoma is currently ranked 47th in the nation for peace officer certification requirements.

"In times of peace, training is a luxury. But in times of adversity, this type of training is a necessity," Branan continued. "We already have similar legislation on the books relating to sheriffs and we're simply mirroring that legislation in an effort to ensure that all our municipal law enforcement heads are adequately prepared for their jobs."

Branan noted that the new bill does not apply to currently employed police chiefs who are grandfathered under the measure.

The Senate passed the bill 33-12 and it is now awaiting consideration in the House County and Municipal Government Committee.

For more information contact:
Senate Communications Office - (405) 521-5774