POST approves broad waiver after academy miscategorized in‑service training affecting ~2,000 officers

The Tennessee POST Commission voted Feb. 20 to grant a general waiver after staff reported an automated reporting and categorization error at the state academy that mislabelled mandatory and in‑service courses. Staff told commissioners the problem affects roughly 200 agencies and about 2,072 officers and that individual agencies would face a heavy administrative burden without a broad waiver.

Legal and training staff explained that some courses were entered under the wrong category and therefore showed as missing mandated training on automated reports. Post staff calculated the affected population and told the commission that requiring individual waivers would require agencies to submit thousands of forms; instead the commission approved a single waiver covering the miscategorized attendees so those officers remain in compliance and eligible for their salary supplements.

Commissioner Jeffers and others emphasized the waiver is narrowly tailored to the miscategorized training and does not relax other fitness‑for‑duty or qualification standards. Staff said normal rules will still apply for officers who are otherwise ineligible for salary or who have other disqualifying issues.

The commission also directed staff to work with the academy to correct records and add safeguards to prevent future misclassification.