POST refers training-conference records probe to informal hearings for two association figures

The Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission voted Jan. 6 to schedule informal hearings for two figures tied to the state’s training officers conference after an internal investigation found missing driver-training (EVOC) test records for 2022 and unresolved explanations about where those records went.

An investigator told the commission that he could find test materials for some years (2021 and 2023) but not for 2022, and that explanations provided — including that records were damaged in a vehicle accident — did not match other facts in the review. The investigator said he could not prove forgery or deliberate deception from the available evidence but recommended further inquiry. “I couldn’t actually prove lying, but, obviously, the records were somewhere,” one commissioner commented during the hearing.

Commission members said the issue matters because agencies and officers use the conference for POST‑approved training credits and public funds pay travel and registration. After extended discussion about retention policies, oversight of a private association that submits training for POST approval, and the practical difficulties of reconstructing older records, the commission voted to refer Brian Childress and Rick Baker for informal hearings so staff can probe record retention, attendance verification and whether course documentation was properly maintained.

The commission’s action directs staff to prepare notices and briefing materials for the informal hearings and to report back. Investigator Creed summarized steps already taken — searches of storage trailers and outreach to conference instructors — and told commissioners he could not locate individual answer sheets or officer test records for the missing year. Commissioners emphasized that the referral is a fact-finding step, not a disciplinary determination, and said any further sanctions would depend on what the hearings disclose.

What happens next: POST staff will schedule the informal hearings, notify the named individuals, and present findings to the commission. The commission’s referral does not itself impose discipline; it initiates a formal process that could lead to additional action depending on what evidence emerges.