The NH Police Standards and Training Council


HOME COUNCIL STAFF THE ACADEMY FAQs CONTACT US October 23, 2007 Agenda		Academy Schedules \| Fitness Standards \| Publications & Forms \| Training Calendar \| Mission, Value Statement \| Articulable Suspicion \| Links to Other States' POST Agencies The Police Standards & Training Council Members The Police Standards and Training Council was created in 1971 by an act of the Legislature, and is a unit of the NH Community-Technical College System. The objective of the council is to establish minimum hiring and educational standards for police and correctional officers, and the certification of persons as being qualified to serve in those positions, providing mandatory basic training to new police and corrections officers, and providing in-service training to those officers. PSTC also conducts a voluntary accreditation program for law enforcement agencies, publishes model policies, and publishes a monthly newsletter which is mailed to all law enforcement departments in the State. The Council is funded by the Penalty Assessment Fund established under RSA 188-F:31. Each court with criminal jurisdiction is required to levy a surcharge of $2.00 or 15% on each fine imposed except for municipal parking violations. This money goes into a special non-lapsing fund to support police training. This means that police training is completely funded by those that violate the law. Policies are set by the 12-member Police Standards and Training Council, which meets normally at 9:00 am on the third Tuesday of each month at the NH Police Training Facility in Concord. Council meetings are posted in advance and are open to the public, unless it becomes necessary to hold a non-public session under conditions that are authorized under RSA 91-A, the New Hampshire Right-to-Know law. Administrative operations are under the control of the Director of Police Standards and Training. The council makeup is as follows: two town police chiefs, two city police chiefs, two county sheriffs, two judges of courts with criminal jurisdiction, the Commissioner of the Community-Technical College system or his/her designee, the Director of the State Police or his/her designee, the Attorney General or his/her designee, and the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections or his/her designee. The Director is nominated by the Council and appointed for a four-year term by the Commissioner of the NH Community Technical College System. The Current Director is Donald L. Vittum, who began serving in 2007.

©2007 NH Police Standards and Training Council