ATLANTA — Following the tasing death of an Atlanta church deacon during an encounter with an Atlanta Police Department officer, a move was made to fire the now-former officer involved, leaving questions as to who makes those decisions in Georgia.
That all falls under the Peace Officer Standards & Training Council, which in Georgia ensures 'peace officers remain compliant with POST Act certifications and training requirements.'
And aside from training, the POST Council also has 'discretionary authority, by law, to discipline officers.' It plays a vital role in holding officers to the highest standards when serving and protecting the communities across the state.
It's a rigorous process in Georgia, with Chris Harvey, the Deputy Executive for Georgia POST, claiming the council revokes more certifications than any other state in the country.
"We just want to make sure that the people that are serving as peace officers in Georgia are meeting the high standard we expect," Harvey said.
POST has a 14-member investigative team that looks into many issues: officer arrests, firing, caught-on-camera headlines and accusations from citizens. And all firings or arrests must be reported, Harvey said.
Harvey's team investigates and decides if POST investigators are needed. If so, they conduct a thorough investigation and present findings to a 22-member council where many were appointed by the governor.
"The council could do everything from take no action, suspend the officer, put the officer on probation, require additional training or revoke the officer's certification completely," Harvey said.
He added that each case is evaluated individually. If an officer is criminally charged, the council waits for the justice system's decision before making a recommendation. Even if the officer is found not guilty, they can still be held accountable from a certification standpoint.
Following a revoke of certification, officers have to wait two years until they apply to reapply.
To learn more about the POST Act, click here.