Officer Requirements

1. The person shall be a United States citizen.
2. The person shall be at least twenty-one (21) years of age, except that person may attend an academy if he/she will be twenty-one prior to graduating.
3. The person shall be a high school graduate or have successfully completed a General Education Development (GED) examination.
4. The person shall have undergone a complete background investigation, which meets the standards of Section R13-4-106 except that an applicant may begin an academy before the results of the fingerprint check are returned.  However, the person shall not graduate from the academy and the agency shall not receive reimbursement for the person's training expenses until a qualifying fingerprint check return is obtained.  
5. The person shall have undergone a medical examination, which meets the standards of AAC Section R13-4-107 within one year before appointment. An agency may make a conditional offer of appointment before the medical examination.  If the medical examination is more than 180 days before appointment, the person shall submit a written statement indicating that the person's medical condition has not changed since the examination. 
6. The person shall not have been convicted of a felony or any offense that would be a felony if committed in Arizona. 
7. The person shall not have been dishonorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces. 
8. The person shall not have been previously denied certified status, have certified status revoked, or have current certified status suspended. 
9. The person shall not have illegally sold, produced, cultivated or  transported marijuana for sale.
10. The person shall not have illegally used marijuana for any purpose within the past three (3) years.
11. The person shall never have illegally used marijuana other than for experimentation. 
12. The person shall never have illegally used marijuana while employed or appointed as a peace officer. 
13. The person shall not have sold, produced, cultivated, or transported for sale any dangerous drug, narcotic or marijuana. 
14. The person shall not have illegally used a dangerous drug or narcotic, other than marijuana, for any purpose within the past seven (7) years. 
15. The person shall never have illegally used dangerous drug or narcotic other than for experimentation. 
16. The person shall never have illegally used dangerous drug or narcotic while employed or appointed as a peace officer. 
17. The person shall not have a pattern of abuse of prescription medication. 
18. The person shall undergo a polygraph examination that meets the requirements of R13-4-106, unless prohibited by law. 
19. The person shall not have been convicted of or adjudged to have violated traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles with such frequency within the past three years that indicates disrespect for traffic laws and a disregard for the safety of other persons on the highway. 
20. The person shall have read the Code of Ethics and affirmed by signature the person’s understanding and agreement to abide by the Code. 

Arizona Administrative Code R13-4-105, Paragraph B, defines the use of an illegal drug presumed to be not for experimentation if:

A.    The use of marijuana exceeds a total of twenty (20) times or exceeds five (5) times since the age of 21 years; or

B.    The use of any dangerous drug or narcotic, other than marijuana, in any combination exceeds a total of five (5) times, or exceeds one time since the age of 21 years.

**  The Board may deny, cancel, suspend or revoke certification based on the causes listed in Rule R13-4-109.   Please contact the Certifications and Standards Unit concerning any person listed that is within a Rule 109 category.

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1. Failure to follow Background Packet instructions.
2. Participation in any serious crime, or any behavior, which OVPD, in its sole discretion, deems serious or inappropriate.
3. Any misdemeanor conviction involving narcotics, drugs, marijuana which OVPD in its sole discretion deems serious, excessive or inappropriate.
4. Since the age of 18, not have been convicted of domestic violence.
5. Any illegal use of opiate narcotics, hallucinogens, and/or other dangerous drugs (Includes LSD, PCP, Peyote, Mescaline, Codeine, heroin, morphine, opium, psilocybin, cocaine, hash, speed, “X” or Ecstasy, barbiturates, etc.) exceeding one (1) time.  Due to AZ POST criteria changes, lateral officer drug use will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
6. Any history of disregard for traffic laws with such frequency so as to indicate disrespect for traffic laws and a disregard for the safety of other persons on the highway.
7. Negligence in maintaining financial responsibility.

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