Professional Certificate & Service Award Programs
The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission offers several Professional Certificate/Service Award Programs to:
- Recognize the competence of sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, detention officers and telecommunicators
- Foster increased interest in college education and professional law enforcement training programs
- Attract highly qualified people into a law enforcement career
Eligibility for professional certificates is determined by a formula that combines formal education, law enforcement training and actual experience as a justice officer.
The following components are considered for each of the professional certificate programs.
Education
- Each semester hour of college credit equals one point.
- Each quarter hour equals two-thirds of a point.
- No correspondence or vocational courses shall earn education points unless an accredited institution counts the course(s) toward a degree.
- Applicants holding degrees, however, are not awarded additional points for these degrees. Instead, they must meet the point requirements through completion of law enforcement training.
Training
- Twenty hours of Commission-approved training gained in an officer’s area of expertise equals one point.
- BLET is not credited towards a detention officer’s or a telecommunicator’s training point total
- Correctional or Jailer training is also not credited towards a deputy’s training points.
Credit for completion of basic training courses is limited as follows:
- Basic Law Enforcement Training – 8 points
- Detention Officer Certification Course – 4 points
- Telecommunicator Certification Course – 2 points
Experience
Credited experience varies with each Program as specified below.
- Professional Certificate Program for Reserve Deputy Sheriffs – Deputy sheriffs who do not currently serve in a full-time sworn law enforcement position, but who do serve as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff, are acceptable for consideration. An officer who is ineligible to receive equivalent certification through the Professional Certificate Program for Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs (above) may receive a certificate under this program if they substitute one year of full-time service for one year of reserve service.
- Professional Certificate Program for Detention Officers – Only full-time experience as a member of a correctional or detention facility in North Carolina is acceptable for consideration.
- Professional Certificate Program for Telecommunicators – Only full-time experience as a telecommunicator certified by this Commission is acceptable for consideration.
- Sheriffs’ and Justice Officers’ Service Award Program – An applicant may qualify for the Intermediate Service Award if he or she is an elected or appointed sheriff; or is a deputy sheriff, detention officer, or telecommunicator holding a valid general or grandfather certification, and has a minimum of 15 or 20 years of service as a full-time, certified justice officer.
- Reserve Justice Officers’ Service Award Program – An applicant may qualify for this Intermediate Service Award if he or she is a reserve deputy sheriff, detention officer or telecommunicator holding a valid general or grandfather certification, and has a minimum of 15 years of reserve service or a combination of full-time and reserve service as a certified justice officer.An applicant may qualify for the Advanced Reserve Service Award if he or she is a reserve deputy sheriff, detention officer, or telecommunicator holding a valid general or grandfather certification, and has a minimum of 20 years of reserve service or a combination of full-time and reserve service as a certified justice officer.
Applications and Brochures
- Application for Fulltime Professional Certificate or Service Award
- Application for Reserve Deputy Professional Certificate or Reserve Justice Officer
- Professional Certificate Application Workbook
- Brochure Fulltime Deputy or Sheriff Professional Certificate or Service Award
- Brochure Fulltime Detention Professional Certificate or Service Award
- Brochure Fulltime Telecommunicator Professional Certificate or Service Award
- Brochure Reserve Deputy Professional Certificate or Reserve Justice Officer Service Award
- Training and Experience Applicable to Professional Certificates
- Alternative Training Methodologies