Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Association Law Enforcement Grant
For 2019, the Tampa Bay Area Chiefs Education and Research Foundation has agreed to continue the three grant opportunities of $5,000 for each school to afford one student to attend the Law Enforcement Academies from Pasco County (Pasco Hernando State College), Pinellas County (St. Petersburg College), and Hillsborough County (Hillsborough Community College). These opportunities will be given to a student within the Law Enforcement Certification Course to assist with the costs of the program.
The goal is to have the students be highly sought after for employment in the Tampa Bay Area by a local Law Enforcement Agency. These individuals that are forwarded to the Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Board for approval must meet minimum standards. (The school/academy may have stricter standards that will take priority)
- Must be 21 years of age prior to being sworn in as a Law Enforcement Officer.
- Must be a US Citizen (birth certificate or naturalization papers required).
- Must be a resident of Florida.
- Must possess a valid Florida Driver’s License with no more than 5 moving violations in the last 5 years.
- No tattoo or decal (nor any portion) shall be offensive or visible to the public while wearing an approved departmental uniform.
- Possession of an Associate's Degree or completion of 2 years of college coursework (60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours) from an accredited college or university {transcripts required).
- If discharged from military service, the discharge cannot be a Dishonorable Discharge (military discharge paperwork required}.
- Pass a physical fitness test as required by the school you will be attending.
- Pass the Florida Basic Abilities Test (FBAT).
- Character and overall physical condition must be suitable for law enforcement work.
- Pass physical / medical examination.
- Applicant must not have used, tried, experimented with, sold or delivered any drugs classified as controlled substances, or any other illegal drugs within the last twenty-four (24) months, to include marijuana.
- Must be completely truthful, open, and candid in all situations.
- All arrests must be disclosed, regardless of whether their records have been sealed, expunged, or otherwise closed to the public. All arrests, felony and misdemeanor, must be expunged or sealed. ¢ Must be of good moral character and have a high level of integrity.
- Must not have had any recent association with persons known to be felons, persons under criminal investigation or indictment, or who have a reputation for criminal behavior.
The following are items that an agency may require you to pass to be eligible to be hired. If the candidate does not feel they can successfully pass these items they should not apply:
- Pass psychological examination. e Pass drug screening test.
- Pass a polygraph examination. e Pass a background examination.
° Most agencies have varying fitness tests to be considered for hire. As a standard if a person can complete a 1.5 mile run within 15:54 minutes, 30 sit ups within 1 minute, and 25 pushups within 1 minute this fitness level should cover the varying tests,
Once a name is given to the board for approval {with a resume of the student) and a selection is made, a letter from the President of the Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Association will be sent to the school and the student congratulating them for being selected.
The funding will be distributed directly to the school from the Foundation and will then be credited to the selected student. The student may be requested to attend a function hosted by the Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Association and a function hosted by the Tampa Bay Area Chiefs Education and Research Foundation. They must also be willing to have their name and photograph used by the Association to showcase the grant used to fund future Officers.
If at any time it is discovered the candidate was not truthful in their application and thus makes them not a viable candidate for employment, the credited remaining funding must be returned to the association or stay credited to the college to be used for another opportunity.
Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Association
The rules of this grant were voted on and approved on 2/9/17 by the TBAPC Board of Directors.