Training for Baldwin County Sheriff’s Deputies
APOSTC
All deputies must be certified through the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission. A trainee new to law enforcement must complete 560 hours of basic training at an approved academy. The trainee must satisfactorily complete the law enforcement training course and be certified by the commission, which includes achieving the following: an overall score of not less than 70% on written exams, pass the first aid exam with a score of not less than 70%, pass the legal issues exam with a score of not less than 70%, pass the physical agility/ability test, pass the Emergency Vehicle Operations Course, and pass 43 hours of firearms training and qualify two of three attempts on the firearms course. The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office pays for APOST training upon the hire of a new deputy unless they are currently APOST certified.
Full-time law enforcement officers certified in other jurisdictions may be eligible to receive a waiver to complete the Lateral Entry/Refresher Course training program, which is 120 hours.
For further information for APOST requirements, please visit their website at https://www.apostc.alabama.gov/ .
Field Training
The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office Field Training Program is a 14-week training and evaluation period based on the San Jose model, which consists of four phases where a trainee will be paired with multiple Field Training Officers. The program provides practical learning experience, while also evaluating the trainee’s suitability for the job based on the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and abilities required of a deputy sheriff, including officer safety and decision making. Deputies in training are expected to progress to the point that they are operating independently as a solo officer. The program is administered by the patrol lieutenant, field training managers, and patrol squad supervisors. All deputy sheriff hires new to BCSO must successfully complete the entire program, regardless of prior law enforcement experience.