Continuing Professional Education (CPE)
Continuing Professional Education keeps licensed officers current. The exam tests the annual hour requirement, approved-activity rules, documentation, and consequences of shortfalls.
CPE rules
- Licensed officers must complete 40 hours of MCOLES-approved CPE each year.
- CPE must be relevant to law enforcement and approved by MCOLES; mandated topics may include legal updates and skills refreshers.
- Officers must keep certificates and records; agencies and MCOLES may audit them.
- Shortfalls can lead to license status problems; extensions may be available only through the proper process.
- Basic academy training and ordinary college courses do not automatically count as CPE.
Worked example
An officer has 36 approved CPE hours near the end of the cycle. A 4-hour community college criminal justice course is not automatically approved. The officer should complete 4 hours from the MCOLES CPE catalog or obtain prior approval. If the course is approved, the officer reaches 40 hours; if not, the officer remains short and may face license consequences.
Traps that cost marks
- Counting unapproved training because it is law-enforcement related.
- Missing the cycle deadline; late hours may not cure the shortfall.
- Losing certificates; without documentation, hours can be disallowed.
- Treating CPE as optional after licensure.
- Assuming a college course or conference automatically qualifies.