National Certification Program

NCP Benefits

In 2015, the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training developed a National Certification program (NCP) for Law Enforcement continuing education.

The fire and emergency medical disciplines each have established standards for ongoing recertification training. However, in the criminal justice field, each state’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) had their own unique process for awarding in-service or continuing education credit for officers attending vendor provided training. This process ranged from a complete review of training curriculum in a few states, to no review at all by others. Until now there has not been a uniform national standard for police and corrections continuing education to ensure training quality. As a result, departments risk spending money on training that may be outdated, of poor quality, not legally defensible or even dangerous.

In 2015, IADLEST, in partnership with POST organizations around the nation launched a new program designed to eliminate many of the problems associated with a lack of standardization within criminal justice training. The IADLEST National Certification Program (NCP) establishes minimum standards for vendors providing law enforcement continuing education and ensures the training content meets those quality standards. The standards are designed to meet or exceed any individual state certification requirements ensuring that training achieving National Certification is accepted by all participating POST organizations around the nation for in-service or advanced training credit.

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1. WHY IS THIS GOOD?

Third party validation from experts who know the topics they are reviewing is key.
- Expert review and validation may help mitigate liability.
Our assessed training involves a more rigorous process than any one state currently does.
- All state POSTS can feel secure knowing the training courses surpass their requirements for certification.
- Additionally, for the few states that do not currently certify courses, this provides an incredible resource that law or current budgets may otherwise prevent.
An Online Training Record database for all oﬃcers is included.
- All officers participating in an NCP course will have their attendance recorded and stored in the officers’ online training record.
- Out of state officers can easily transfer their training records, and money is saved by reducing the need to retake training an oﬃcer may have taken previously.
- Provides a single authoritative source for oﬃcer training records that simplifies access to records for POST organizations and oﬃcers.
Ongoing feedback about the quality of all of the certified courses is available.
- All students have the opportunity to provide feedback upon course completion.
- Critical feedback serves as another check on provided training, helping to ensure the training stays fresh and continues to meet the highest standards of quality.
- Quality courses rise to the top, helping to get all our oﬃcers the best training available and helping Training Oﬃcers easily ﬁnd the best courses for their oﬃcers.
Training providers save on the costs of getting their course certiﬁed by multiple states.

2. WHAT’S IN IT FOR MY STATE OR ORGANIZATION?

The training your oﬃcers are getting is the best in the nation.
Agencies save money by not having to use their organization’s personnel to review training.
Reduced liability costs from bad training year after year.
In many cases, the course approval process is quicker with the NCP, ensuring officers meet their annual in-service and advancement requirements.

3. WHY SHOULDN’T I WAIT?

National certification unifies us making us all “Greater as One.” Currently at 37 states and growing.
Several states are already working on legislation to make this mandatory.
All 50 states recognize IADLEST National Certification training, regardless of their participating status.
If a particular state still requires a provider lesson plan for evaluation due to rules or legislative requirements, IADLEST will send them the information requested and assure all officers receive training credit for taking a nationally certified course.
Being a part of the certification process early lets you have a voice in this program.

4. REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAINING PROVIDERS

Training providers must:

List their certified courses in the National Catalog for easy access.
Present information about the course to conduct a proper assessment.
Provide a list of trainers who will be teaching the courses to ensure competency and security.
Renew their course certification every two years.

5. NEXT STEPS

Let us know if your state or organization will accept the NCP.
Help us spread the word so we can get all of the agencies in the US signed up to gain access to the new National Training Catalog. Add a link on your agency’s site directing providers and oﬃcers to the NCP http://iadlest‐org so they can start signing up.
Let IADLEST add your state or organization in support of this new national standard to the NCP website at http://iadlest‐org.