Basic Peace Officer III

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Class
CJLE 1018

The Basic Peace Officer Course (BPOC) is designed to prepare cadets for a career as a professional peace officer. Successful completion of the BPOC equips cadets with the essential skills and knowledge for certification as a Basic Peace Officer by TCOLE (Texas Commission on Law Enforcement) and qualifies cadet graduates to take the TCOLE certification exam. Basic Peace Officer I, II, III, IV, and V must be taken in conjunction as one 800-hour program.

Course Learning Objectives

The student will accomplish the following objectives and outcomes:

  1. Develop effective interpersonal communication skills and enhance student critical thinking and problem-solving abilities through the use of different models.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of the procedures and skills necessary to provide emergency medical assistance pending the arrival of medical support personnel.
  3. Demonstrate understanding of basic emergency communications; federal and state laws pertaining the operation of communication systems in public safety; and the techniques, terminology, and restrictions required of a professional telecommunicator.
  4. Demonstrate understanding of a peace officer’s legal obligations and liabilities when operating a vehicle.
  5. Ability to identify the essential elements in conducting pre-shift safety inspection.
  6. Demonstrate understanding of the dynamics of family violence, and recognition of the legal issues pertaining to family violence and child abuse.
  7. Ability to increase the students’ understanding of procedures for responding to family violence.
  8. Demonstrate understanding of the legal authorities pertaining to peace officers’ use of force and the concepts regarding use of force.
  9. Demonstrate awareness of various force options or alternatives to increase awareness of various force options or alternatives available to peace officers.
  10. Demonstrate understanding of the factors basic to unreasonable force and the possible consequences when excessive force is used.
  11. Demonstrate knowledge and skills of strategies of defense and increase self-confidence and self-awareness.
  12. Demonstrate knowledge and skills of the physical process of arrest, including confrontation, handcuffing, physical search and transporting of offenders.
  13. Understand and perform the fundamental skills of weaponless defense, weapon retention, and physical restraint of offenders.
  14. Demonstrate a practical working knowledge of self-defense, disarmament techniques, and open-hand force techniques.
  15. Demonstrate a practical working knowledge of defensive use of the less-lethal force options of oleoresin capsicum aerosol spray restraint and the TASER device.
  16. Demonstrate procedures for utilizing emergency communication traffic and its role in law enforcement. Understand the use of force continuum and apply it to mechanics of arrest. Demonstrate proper techniques associated with making arrests and detentions. Understand methods and techniques used in deploying less lethal options.  Demonstrate methods of firearms safety and usage.
Required Textbooks

Texas Criminal and Traffic Law Manual, (current edition),available for purchase at,vwww.blue360media.com.

Texas Criminal and Traffic Law Field Guide (latest edition), available for purchase at, www.blue360media.com

 

Evaluation Standards

Cadet performance assessment will include oral questioning and Socratic Method; impromptu recitation; scenario-based role-play; guided class discussion; handwritten and word-processed reports; observed execution of physical/practical skills; and pen-and-paper, word-processed, electronically-scanned, and Internet-based short-answer and multiple-choice examinations.  Performance will be considered satisfactory when the cadet can recite, enact, recognize, perform, and/or write about concepts or information designated by the instructor, under class and/or test conditions set by the instructor, and when the responses are consistent with course text, references, practical demonstrations, and/or lecture presentations.

 

All tests and physical/practical skills must be completed within the time-frame designated, and meet the point and/or percentage standards set, by the Academy program coordinator and approved by the Academy Advisory Board.

Further, in order to achieve satisfactory performance on written exams, cadets must achieve a grade of 77% or above by the completion of their fifth exam and maintain that throughout the course.  Any grade below 77% shall be considered unsatisfactory. Physical/practical skills evaluations are pass/fail.  A grade of 77% or higher on both the midterm and final written exams, a final cumulative grade average of 77%, and satisfactory completion of all physical/practical skills evaluations are required to complete the course and achieve eligibility to take the TCOLE certification exam.

                                                                                               Grade Distribution

Subject Exams                             50%                                 77% to 100%     = Pass

Mid-Term/Final Exam                  30%                                      Below 77%        = Fail

Spelling Tests / Quizzes              20%                                                                            

Practical Skills/Physical Training Evaluations               Pass/Fail  

Further specifics about grades and testing are set forth in the Academy Rules and Regulations.

Absences

See Public Safety Professions Rules and Regulations.

Disabilities

ADA Statement:

Any student with a documented disability (e.g. learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) may contact the Office on the Weatherford College Weatherford Campus to request reasonable accommodations. Phone: 817-598-6350 Office Location: Office Number 118 in the Student Services Building, upper floor. Physical Address: Weatherford College 225 College Park Drive Weatherford, TX.

Academic Integrity
Academic Integrity is fundamental to the educational mission of Weatherford College, and the College expects its students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct. Academic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials including unauthorized use of Generative AI. Departments may adopt discipline specific guidelines on Generative AI usage approved by the instructional dean. Any student who is demonstrated to have engaged in any of these activities will be subject to immediate disciplinary action in accordance with institutional procedures.
Hope Statement
Any student who faces challenges securing basic resources such as food, clothing, or housing and believes this may affect their performance in their course of study is urged to contact the Director of Student Resources, Dr. Deborah Cregger, for support at (817) 598-6444. Her office is on the first floor of Student Services. If the student prefers, they may contact their instructor, who can reach out on their behalf. Weatherford College also provides the Coyote Pantry. The Pantry maintains boxed and canned foods for students in need. The location of the Coyote Pantry is two blocks west of the Weatherford campus at the Baptist Student Ministry (118 E. Park Ave., Weatherford). Pantry hours are Mon-Thurs. 8:30 am-4:30 pm and Fri. 8.30 am-12:00 pm (817-599-6586).
SCANS

The Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) identified Competencies in the area of Resources, Interpersonal, Information, Systems, and Technology; and foundation skills in the areas of Basic Skills, Thinking Skills, and Personal Qualities.  This course is part of a program in which each of these Competencies and skills are integrated.  The specific SCANS Competencies recognized throughout this course are noted in the matrix attached to this syllabus.

Revised
Fall 2023