CHAPTER 2
MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR IOWA LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
[Appeared as Ch 1 prior to 4/10/85]
[Prior to 3/11/87, Law Enforcement Academy[550] Ch 2]
501—2.1(80B) General requirements for law enforcement officers. In no case shall any person hereafter be selected or appointed as a law enforcement officer unless the person:
	2.1(1) Is a citizen of the United States and a resident of Iowa or intends to become a resident upon being employed. Railway special agents, who are approved by the commissioner of public safety as special agents of the department, shall be exempt from the Iowa residency requirement.
	2.1(2) Is 18 years of age at the time of appointment.
	2.1(3) Has a valid driver’s or chauffeur’s license issued by the state of Iowa. Railway special agents, who are approved by the commissioner of public safety as special agents of the department, shall be required to possess a valid driver’s or chauffeur’s license.
	2.1(4) Is not addicted to drugs or alcohol.
	2.1(5) Is of good moral character as determined by a thorough background investigation including a fingerprint search conducted of local, state and national fingerprint files and has not been convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude. Moral turpitude is defined as an act of baseness, vileness, or depravity in the private and social duties which a person owes to another person, or to society in general, contrary to the accepted and customary rule of right and duty between person and person. It is conduct that is contrary to justice, honesty or good morals. The following nonexclusive list of acts has been held by the courts to involve moral turpitude: Income tax evasion, perjury, or its subornation, theft, indecent exposure, sex crimes, conspiracy to commit a crime, defrauding the government and illegal drug sales. Various factors, however, may cause an offense which is generally not regarded as constituting moral turpitude to be regarded as such. For example, a record of a number of convictions for simple assault would involve moral turpitude, whereas a singular act would not.
When the hiring authority is prohibited from receiving criminal history data as specified under Iowa Code chapter 692, then the fingerprints will be taken by a police department under civil service, a sheriff’s department or a state law enforcement agency and submitted to the Iowa law enforcement academy director for search.
	2.1(6) Has successfully passed a physical test adopted by the Iowa law enforcement academy.
	2.1(7) Is not by reason of conscience or belief opposed to the use of force, when necessary to fulfill that person’s duties.
	2.1(8) Is a high school graduate with a diploma, or possesses a GED equivalency certificate.
	2.1(9) Has an uncorrected vision of not less than 20/100 in both eyes, corrected to 20/20. Has color vision consistent with the occupational demands of law enforcement. Passing any of the following color vision tests indicates that the applicant has color vision abilities consistent with the occupational demands of law enforcement:
Pseudoisochromatic plates tests such as but not limited to: Tokyo Medical College, Ishihara, Standard Pseudoisochromatic Plates, Dvorine, American Optical HRR Plates, American Optical.
Panel tests such as:
Farnsworth Dichotomous D-15 Test or any other test designed and documented to identify extreme anomalous trichromatic, dichromatic or monochromatic color vision.
Individuals with extreme anomalous trichromatism or monochromasy color vision, as determined through testing, are not eligible to be hired as law enforcement officers in the state of Iowa.
	2.1(10) Has normal hearing in each ear. Hearing is considered normal when, tested by an audiometer, hearing sensitivity thresholds are within 25db measured at 1000Hz, 2000Hz and 3000Hz averaged together.
	2.1(11) Is examined by a licensed physician or surgeon and meets the physical requirements necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of a law enforcement officer.
501—2.2(80B) Mandatory psychological testing and administrative procedures. In no case shall any person be selected or appointed as a law enforcement officer unless that person has performed satisfactorily in preemployment cognitive or personality tests, or both, prescribed by the Iowa law enforcement academy.
	2.2(1)  Required cognitive test.
	a. 	Applicants for a deputy sheriff position shall take the Entry Level Department Selection Procedure tests which were supplied to all county civil service commissions in October of 1980. A minimum satisfactory score to be eligible for employment shall be 80.
	b. 	Other than deputy sheriff positions, applicants for law enforcement positions, in the final selection process after June 18, 1986, shall successfully complete the Science Research Associates Verbal Form (SRA) cognitive test designated by the Iowa law enforcement academy. The Science Research Associates Verbal Form cognitive test, taken by applicants in the final selection process after June 30, 1986, must have that test administered by the Iowa law enforcement academy or its designee and scored by the Iowa law enforcement academy. Minimum satisfactory score on the Science Research Associates Verbal Form cognitive test (SRA) is a raw score of 37.
	c. 	Effective November 1, 1994, and prior to June 1, 1995, hiring agencies and civil service commissions shall have the option of requiring applicants for law enforcement positions to take the Stanard & Associates’ National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) in lieu of the tests designated in paragraphs “a” and “b” of this subrule.
Effective June 1, 1995, the Stanard & Associates’ National Police Officer Selection Test shall be the only designated cognitive test and shall replace those tests designated in paragraphs “a” and “b” above.
The minimum satisfactory score to be eligible for employment is 70 percent on each of the four sections of this examination. Agencies and civil service commissions may require a higher satisfactory score than 70 percent on each or any of the sections of the test.
	2.2(2)  Required personality test.
	a. 	The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) test shall be taken by all applicants in the final selection process for a law enforcement position.
	b. 	The prescribed personality test for an applicant in the final selection process shall be administered, scored and interpreted by the academy or by an individual who has been approved by the academy. The prescribed personality test for an applicant in the final selection process shall be evaluated by the Iowa law enforcement academy. These tests shall be evaluated and test results and evaluations shall be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for selection purposes only by the Iowa law enforcement academy upon proper waiver by the applicant.
	2.2(3)  Test administration.
	a. 	Test results may be forwarded by the academy to a law enforcement agency for selection purposes only upon proper waiver by the applicant.
	b. 	The Iowa law enforcement academy shall have prescheduled testing dates each fiscal year. Nonscheduled testing dates may also be provided.
	2.2(4)  Cognitive test.
	a. 	At the discretion of the employing agency, prescribed cognitive tests may be administered by qualified individuals who receive prior approval to administer those tests by the Iowa law enforcement academy.
	b. 	The Science Research Associates Verbal Form cognitive test (SRA) may be administered to applicants not in the final selection process.
	c. 	All testing materials shall be forwarded to the Iowa law enforcement academy within seven days of the testing date.
	d. 	Arrangements for and administration of the Stanard & Associates’ National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) shall be in accordance with directions of the Iowa law enforcement academy.
	2.2(5)  Personality tests.
	a. 	Those law enforcement agencies which choose to administer, score, or interpret the MMPI without using the academy’s testing services shall forward to the academy psychological testing information on any individual hired within 14 days of the date hired. Such information shall include, but not be limited to, all scores from MMPI scales used in the evaluation, the MMPI answer sheet, and any resulting reports.
	b. 	The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) test may be administered to applicants who are not in the final selection process.
	2.2(6) Cost of tests. The academy will establish and post fee schedules for costs of administering and evaluating the psychological and cognitive test or tests mandated by the academy for agencies who choose to utilize academy testing services.
The cost of the POST test shall be paid by the agencies for which testing is conducted to Stanard & Associates in accordance with the fee schedule approved by and posted at the Iowa law enforcement academy.
	2.2(7)  Availability of tests scores.
	a. 	Forwarding of cognitive test results. Individual cognitive test scores of cognitive tests purchased through the Iowa law enforcement academy shall be provided by the Iowa law enforcement academy to prospective employing agencies upon request and proper waiver by the applicant for a minimal handling fee.
	b. 	Forwarding of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) test results. The evaluation by the Iowa law enforcement academy of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory tests will be available to any prospective employing agency upon request and proper waiver by the applicant for a minimal handling fee.
	c. 	Certified law enforcement officers. Law enforcement officers certified through training by the Iowa law enforcement academy are not required to take a cognitive test but may be required to do so at the discretion of the employing agency.
	d. 	Commingling of cognitive test scores forbidden. The Deputy Sheriff’s Entry Level Department Selection Procedure test results may not be used for law enforcement positions which under these rules require the taking of the SRA cognitive test. Likewise, SRA cognitive test results may not be used for positions which require the taking of the Deputy Sheriff’s Entry Level Department Selection test.
	e. 	Individual POST test scores shall be forwarded by Stanard & Associates to prospective employing agencies upon request and payment of a fee in accordance with the fee schedule approved by and posted at the Iowa law enforcement academy.
	f. 	Individual POST test scores must be postmarked and forwarded to Stanard & Associates within one business day of the date of the examination.
	g. 	Only scores forwarded to Stanard & Associates will be recognized as valid and become part of the Iowa database.
	2.2(8)  Tests are valid for specific period.
	a. 	The Iowa law enforcement academy evaluations of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory may only be used for 12 months to comply with these mandated testing rules. Any applicants who have not been hired within 12 months of their taking Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory test must retake the examination before being hired.
	b. 	If a test is required under these rules, the applicants must successfully pass the required cognitive test within 24 months. Should the applicant not be hired within this time frame the applicant must successfully complete the mandated cognitive test before being hired.
	c. 	At its discretion the employing agency may elect to require an applicant to retake any Iowa law enforcement academy required psychological test as well as any other tests that it may deem necessary in its selection process.
	d. 	POST test scores shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of the examination. An applicant who has not been hired or placed upon a civil service certified list within one year of taking this test must retake and successfully pass the examination before being hired. A person may retest on the same version of the POST examination once within a 12-month period, with a minimum required delay of 90 days before the retest. No delay in retesting is required when a person is given an alternate version of the POST examination.
	e. 	The employing law enforcement agency or appropriate civil service commission retains the exclusive right to decide whether an individual shall be allowed to retest or take an alternate version of the POST examination as provided by these rules.
	2.2(9)  Construction. Nothing in these rules should be construed to preclude a Civil Service Commission or employing agency from requiring an applicant for a law enforcement position to take tests other than those mandated by these rules so long as the applicant in the final selection process has complied with these rules. These rules shall not be construed as altering or changing the current authority of a Civil Service Commission.
501—2.3(80B) Officers moving from agency to agency. A certified Iowa law enforcement officer who has previously met all the requirements of rule 2.1(80B) and who intends to move employment from one Iowa law enforcement agency to another Iowa law enforcement agency, or who intends to be employed as a regular officer by more than one Iowa law enforcement agency simultaneously, shall:
	2.3(1) Undergo a psychological examination as provided in rule 2.2(80B) of this chapter, and
	2.3(2) Be of good moral character as determined by a thorough background investigation by the hiring agency, including, but not limited to, a fingerprint search conducted by the Iowa division of criminal investigation and Federal Bureau of Investigation. If the results of the fingerprint file checks cannot reasonably be obtained prior to the time of appointment, the hiring shall be considered conditional until such time as the results are received and reviewed by the appointing agency.
	2.3(3) Except as otherwise specified, the provisions of rule 2.1(80B) of this chapter do not need to be reverified upon the movement of employment from one Iowa law enforcement agency to another Iowa law enforcement agency or upon being employed by more than one Iowa law enforcement agency simultaneously, if the certified Iowa law enforcement officer met all of the requirements of rule 2.1(80B) when the officer was initially hired as an Iowa law enforcement officer and if, without a break of not more than 180 days from law enforcement service, the officer is hired by another Iowa law enforcement agency.
501—2.4(80B) Higher standards not prohibited. While no person can be selected, hired or appointed as an Iowa law enforcement officer who does not meet minimum requirements, agencies are not limited or restricted in establishing additional standards.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code sections 80B.11and 80B.11B.
[Filed 12/12/68; amended 12/8/70]
[Filed 12/30/75, Notice 8/11/75—published 1/26/76, effective 3/1/76]
[Filed 3/3/76, Notice 1/26/76—published 3/22/76, effective 4/26/76]
[Filed 2/5/81, Notice 10/1/80—published 3/4/81, effective 7/1/81]
[Filed 9/29/82, Notice 3/31/82—published 10/13/82, effective 11/17/82]
[Filed emergency after Notice 5/18/84, Notice 2/1/84—published 6/6/84, effective 6/1/84]
[Filed emergency 12/26/84—published 1/16/85, effective 1/1/85]
[Filed 3/18/85, Notice 1/2/85—published 4/10/85, effective 5/15/85]
[Filed 6/11/85, Notice 1/16/85—published 7/3/85, effective 8/7/85]
[Filed emergency 6/19/86—published 7/16/86, effective 6/19/86]
[Filed emergency 7/1/86—published 7/30/86, effective 7/1/86]
[Filed 2/20/87, Notice 10/22/86—published 3/11/87, effective 4/21/87]◊
[Filed 8/17/87, Notice 3/11/87—published 9/9/87, effective 10/14/87]
[Filed emergency 12/1/87—published 12/16/87, effective 12/1/87]
[Filed 7/13/90, Notice 4/4/90—published 8/8/90, effective 9/12/90]
[Filed 11/28/90, Notice 9/5/90—published 12/26/90, effective 1/30/91]
[Filed emergency 11/25/92—published 12/23/92, effective 11/25/92]
[Filed emergency 3/24/93—published 4/14/93, effective 3/24/93]
[Filed 7/22/94, Notice 5/11/94—published 8/17/94, effective 9/21/94]
[Filed emergency 10/28/94—published 11/23/94, effective 11/1/94]
[Filed emergency 4/21/95—published 5/10/95, effective 4/21/95]
[Filed emergency 8/28/96 after Notice 7/17/96—published 9/25/96, effective 9/1/96]
◊	Two or more ARCs