Anderson County Sheriff's Officer offering Basic Peace Officer Certification class

Palestine Herald-Press
by FROM STAFF REPORTS
November 16, 2023 at 11:25 AM

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office is teaming with the East Texas Police Academy at Kilgore College to conduct a Basic Peace Officer Certification class in Palestine in 2024. The class, to be held at the Sheriff’s Office training room, will consist of 775 hours of instruction. Typically the BPOC meets from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with some evenings/nights required for specific training events.

Courses conducted outside of Kilgore are required to travel to Kilgore for certain training events lasting up to a week in duration, including firearms and police professional driving. Depending on scheduling, the daytime BPOC is typically five to seven months in duration. The Palestine class is scheduled to start on Feb. 20, 2024.

Following successful completion of the BPOC, those meeting the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement licensing requirements will be eligible to take the peace officer licensing test. BPOC tuition is $2,000, plus a non-refundable, $75 facility-use fee. Grant funding may be available for students depending on their sponsorship/employment status.

The ETPA serves the pre-service and in-service training needs of officers, agencies, and communities in Northeast Texas. The ETPA provides an array of classes throughout the East Texas Council of Governments and ARK-TEX Council of Governments service areas. Licensed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement as a Law Enforcement Academy, the ETPA is contracted to provide basic licensing and continuing education training courses.

Questions regarding the BPOC should be directed to the ETPA in Kilgore at 903-983-8663. Additional information is available at https://accesskc.kilgore.edu/