74-5616. Eligibility for appointment as officer; certification by commission required; conditioning, suspension, revocation or denial of certification, reprimand or censure; emergency proceedings; judicial review; investigations. (a) No person shall be appointed as a full-time law enforcement officer unless the person holds a full-time active law enforcement certificate or a provisional law enforcement certificate. No person shall be appointed as a part-time officer unless the person holds a full-time active law enforcement certificate, a part-time active law enforcement certificate or a provisional certificate.

(b) The commission may suspend, condition or revoke the certification of a police officer or law enforcement officer, reprimand or censure a police officer or law enforcement officer, or deny the certification of a police officer or law enforcement officer who:

(1) Fails to meet and maintain the requirements of K.S.A. 74-5605 or 74-5607a, and amendments thereto;

(2) has knowingly submitted false or misleading documents or willfully failed to obtain any certification under the Kansas law enforcement training act;

(3) provides false information or otherwise fails to cooperate in a commission investigation to determine a person's continued suitability for law enforcement certification;

(4) fails to complete the annual continuing education required by K.S.A. 74-5607a, and amendments thereto, and implementing rules and regulations or otherwise fails to comply with the requirements of the Kansas law enforcement training act;

(5) engaged in conduct which, if charged as a crime, would constitute a felony crime under the laws of this state, a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence as defined in the Kansas law enforcement training act at the time the conduct occurred or a misdemeanor crime that the commission determines reflects on the honesty, trustworthiness, integrity or competence of the applicant as defined by rules and regulations of the commission;

(6) has used racial or other biased-based policing prohibited by K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 22-4609, and amendments thereto; or

(7) has engaged in unprofessional conduct as defined by rules and regulations of the commission.

(c) The procedure for the censure or reprimand of a police officer or law enforcement officer, or ordering a condition, suspension, revocation or denial of certification of a person as a police officer or law enforcement officer or an applicant for certification, shall be in accordance with the Kansas administrative procedure act.

(d) The commission may commence an emergency proceeding under the Kansas administrative procedure act to suspend the certification of any police officer or law enforcement officer who engages in conduct constituting grounds for discipline in this section and whose continued performance of duties constitutes an immediate danger to the public.

(e) Any action of the commission pursuant to this section is subject to review in accordance with the Kansas judicial review act. Upon request of the commission, the attorney general shall prosecute or defend any action for review on behalf of the state, but the county or district attorney of the county where the police or law enforcement officer has been employed as such shall appear and prosecute or defend such action upon request of the attorney general or commission. The commission may elect to retain the services of a private attorney to appear and prosecute or defend any action on behalf of the commission.

(f) The agency head or other appointing authority for a police officer or law enforcement officer under investigation for a violation of this section shall provide all reports, documentation, transcripts, recordings and other information to the commission when requested during the course of such investigation.

History: L. 1983, ch. 256, § 1; L. 1988, ch. 306, § 3; L. 1995, ch. 180, § 14; L. 1997, ch. 168, § 5; L. 2006, ch. 170, § 17; L. 2010, ch. 17, § 186; L. 2012, ch. 89, § 8; L. 2015, ch. 89, § 1; July 1.