Going Deeper - Police Misconduct

New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Police and Peace Officer Decertification
A police or peace officer’s basic training certificate is immediately invalidated when an officer is removed for cause by their employer for incompetence or misconduct, or they have resigned or retired while a disciplinary process that could result in their removal has commenced. 

Employers are required to report these removals, resignations and retirements to the Division of Criminal Justice Services, which maintains the state’s Central Registry of Police and Peace Officers. Any records and other documentation related to those actions are maintained by employers. All decisions to hire, discipline and/or fire officers are made by employers and subject to local and state laws and collective bargaining agreements, if applicable.

New York State regulations outline an employer’s reporting obligations to DCJS. They also prohibit application or issuance of an equivalency training certificate if officers have been removed for cause or have resigned or retired while a disciplinary process that could result in their removal has commenced:

The Division of Criminal Justice Services provides decertification information to the National Decertification Index, which is maintained by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training and is available to potential police or peace employers. 

Decertification of basic training does not preclude an individual from seeking future employment as a police or peace officer. A new employer must ensure, however, that the individual retakes and successfully completes basic training within one year of being hired. State-mandated basic training for municipal police officers is more than 700 hours, while state-mandated basic training for peace officers depends on the peace officer’s job title. Police and peace employers also may require additional training hours that exceed the state’s requirements. 

Criteria for individuals designated as police or peace officers are detailed in state Criminal Procedure Law Articles 1 and 2. Regulations establishing the decertification process took effect on Oct. 26, 2016. 

The Excel document accessible through the link that follows is an official record of information as reported by police and peace officer employers to the Division of Criminal Justice Service, which updates this spreadsheet monthly. As noted, the agency also shares this information with the National Decertification Index.

Employers with questions about their reporting obligations, or potential employers seeking an officer’s training status should contact the Office of Public Safety at the Division of Criminal Justice Services: OPS.RecordsMgt@dcjs.ny.gov or (518) 457-2667.

Members of the media seeking additional information should contact the agency’s Public Information Office at pressinfo@dcjs.ny.gov or (518) 457-8828.