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 752-hour program.
The student will accomplish the following objectives and outcomes:
- Demonstrate student preparedness for effective courtroom testimony.
- Demonstrate knowledge of criminal court procedure before, during and after trial.
- Demonstrate advanced and tactical use of firearms in high-stress, scenario-based situations.
- Demonstrate student preparedness to handle hazardous situations which may or may not require deadly force, through scenario-based role-play.
- Demonstrate advanced skills in tactical shooting from various positions and under a variety of conditions and circumstances, through scenario-based role-play.
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the law enforcement hiring process, to include application, completion of personal history statement, and interview.
- Demonstrate ability to testify in court regarding an actual scenario-based incident.
- Demonstrate ability to participate in a pre-employment oral board.
- Demonstrate ability to prepare a written report from scenario-based events.
- Identify the legal aspects of racial profiling.
- Identify logical and social arguments against racial profiling.
- Identify the elements of both inappropriate and appropriate traffic stops.
- Demonstrate ability to recognize the types of identity crime.
- Demonstrate ability to recognize how identity crimes occur.
- Demonstrate ability to recognize the legal aspects of identity crimes.
- Demonstrate the ability to request information needed for an ID crime offense report.
- Demonstrate ability to recognize techniques for educating victims and the public on identity crime.
- Demonstrate understanding of forfeiture of seized property as required by Texas 77th Legislature in Senate Bill 563.
- Demonstrate understanding of TCOLE and its rules concerning basic licensure, training requirements, and form completion.
Texas Criminal and Traffic Law Manual, (current edition),available for purchase at, www.blue360media.com.
Texas Criminal and Traffic Law Field Guide (latest edition), available for purchase at, www.blue360media.com
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 visory Board.
Further specifics about grades and testing are set forth in the Academy Rules and Regulations.
Attendance Requirements: See Public Safety Professions Rules and Regulations.
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.
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.