Basic Peace Officer V

Class

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.

Course Learning Objectives

The student will accomplish the following objectives and outcomes:

  1. Demonstrate student preparedness for effective courtroom testimony.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of criminal court procedure before, during and after trial.
  3. Demonstrate advanced and tactical use of firearms in high-stress, scenario-based situations.
  4. Demonstrate student preparedness to handle hazardous situations which may or may not require deadly force, through scenario-based role-play.
  5. Demonstrate advanced skills in tactical shooting from various positions and under a variety of conditions and circumstances, through scenario-based role-play.
  6. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the law enforcement hiring process, to include application, completion of personal history statement, and interview.
  7. Demonstrate ability to testify in court regarding an actual scenario-based incident.
  8. Demonstrate ability to participate in a pre-employment oral board.
  9. Demonstrate ability to prepare a written report from scenario-based events.
  10. Identify the legal aspects of racial profiling.
  11. Identify logical and social arguments against racial profiling.
  12. Identify the elements of both inappropriate and appropriate traffic stops.
  13. Demonstrate ability to recognize the types of identity crime.
  14. Demonstrate ability to recognize how identity crimes occur.
  15. Demonstrate ability to recognize the legal aspects of identity crimes.
  16. Demonstrate the ability to request information needed for an ID crime offense report.
  17. Demonstrate ability to recognize techniques for educating victims and the public on identity crime.
  18. Demonstrate understanding of forfeiture of seized property as required by Texas 77th Legislature in Senate Bill 563.
  19. Demonstrate understanding of TCOLE and its rules concerning basic licensure, training requirements, and form completion.
Required Textbooks

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

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   visory Board.

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

Absences

Attendance Requirements:  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