Are the requirements for becoming a jailer the same as a peace officer?

No, the requirements for becoming a jailer are not the same as those for becoming a peace officer. Rule 217.1 of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) identifies the specific requirements for each license type, highlighting the differences in qualifications and training.

Key Differences in Requirements

Minimum Age Requirement

• Peace Officers and Public Security Officers: Must be 21 years of age, or 18 years if the applicant has an associate's degree, 60 semester hours of credit from an accredited college or university, or an honorable discharge from the armed forces after at least two years of active service.
• Jailers and Telecommunicators: Must be 18 years of age.

Educational Requirements

• Peace Officers: Must have a high school diploma, GED, or honorable discharge from the armed forces after at least 24 months of active duty service.
• Jailers: Must have a high school diploma or GED.

Background Check

• Both peace officers and jailers must be fingerprinted and subjected to a search of local, state, and U.S. national records and fingerprint files to disclose any criminal record.

Criminal History

• Both peace officers and jailers must not have been on court-ordered community supervision or probation for any criminal offense above the grade of Class B misdemeanor or a Class B misdemeanor within the last ten years.
• Both must not have been convicted of an offense above the grade of a Class B misdemeanor or a Class B misdemeanor within the last ten years.
• Both must not have been convicted or placed on community supervision for an offense involving family violence.

Medical and Psychological Examination

• Both peace officers and jailers must be examined by a physician and a psychologist or psychiatrist to ensure they are physically and psychologically fit for duty.

Licensing Examination

• Both peace officers and jailers must meet the minimum training standards and pass the commission licensing examination for each license sought.

U.S. Citizenship

• Both peace officers and jailers must be U.S. citizens.

Additional Considerations for Peace Officers

Proficiency Certificates and Training Requirements

• Peace officers have additional training requirements and proficiency certificates that must be obtained over their career. For example, they must complete the ALERRT Level 1 training once before 8/31/2027 and may need to complete specialized courses like Cultural Diversity and Civil Process.

Reactivation Requirements

• The process to reactivate a license varies based on the time since the last appointment and can include additional education, training courses, and passing exams. Detailed reactivation requirements can be found in the TCOLE Rules Handbook.

Conclusion

While both peace officers and jailers have stringent requirements to ensure they are fit for duty, the specifics vary according to the roles and responsibilities of each position. The TCOLE Rules Handbook provides detailed information on the exact requirements for each license type.

For more detailed information, please refer to the TCOLE Rules Handbook.