The Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission hereby gives notice:
That on October 27, 2011, the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission has issued an order.
On September 21, 2011, the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, received a petition for a permanent waiver of subsection 11B-27.00212(14), F.A.C., by the Florida Atlantic University Police Department on behalf of 30 officers for firearms requalification period ending in 2008. Subsection 11B-27.00212(14), F.A.C., requires officers to requalify with a firearm under the supervision of a CJSTC-certified firearms instructor every two years on a course of fire mandated by Commission rule. Notice of receipt of the petition was published in the Florida Administrative Weekly Vol. 37, No. 35, on September 2, 2011.
The petition supported the requested waiver by stating that the officers did successfully complete the course of fire, however, the instructors conducting the course of fire were not CJSTC certified firearms instructors during the 2008 reporting cycle. Petitioner stated that the agency’s officers will suffer a substantial hardship if their certifications are rendered inactive as a result of this situation. Petitioner further stated that it would violate the principles of fairness to fail to recognize that the officers affected by this situation did successfully complete the requirement simply because their instructors were not CJSTC certified firearms instructors for their requalification shoots during the 2008 reporting cycle.
On October 27, 2011, at its regularly scheduled business agenda meeting held in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, the Commission found that the Petitioner’s situation is unique. The Petitioner demonstrated that the strict application of the Commission’s rules in this case would violate the principles of fairness. The Petitioner’s officer had, in fact, completed the Commission’s course of fire and achieved a passing score. The only deficiency in the officer’s firearms requalifications was that the Petitioner’s officer is a CJSTC-certified firearms instructor and that he signed his own form CJSTC 86A. The Commission found that the purposes of the underlying statute, to ensure that officers receive adequate and timely retraining, will be met by granting this waiver request. The Commission granted the Petitioner’s waiver.
A copy of the Order or additional information may be obtained by contacting:
Grace A. Jaye, Assistant General Counsel, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, P. O. Box 1489, Tallahassee, FL 32327 or by telephoning (850)410-7676.