26-052 POST Professional Certificate Program Requirements

Department Notice

San Francisco Police Department

This document is not an official representation of the published policy. To access the official signed policy, please submit a request through our Public Records Request Portal.

26-052
Published: 
Expire: 
(Reissues DB 23-053)

Active sworn members who meet the educational and service requirements set by the Commission on POST for a Professional Certificate shall submit the required documents to the Professional Certificates Program Coordinator (POST Coordinator) at the Academy’s Professional Development Unit (PDU). Appropriate document submission methods include: US mail, interdepartmental mail, or department email [Redacted].

Members shall coordinate with the POST Coordinator prior to certificate application submission. It is the member's responsibility to research and obtain applicable training and education records for eligibility review.

Upon acceptance of supporting documents and verification of the minimum requirements, the POST Coordinator will begin the application process via POST PASS (online). It is the member's responsibility to review and attest to the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics at the time of application submission. Upon electronic submission, POST digitally time stamps applications and will notify the member of award or denial.

Upon award, POST certificates will be digitally available to both the POST Coordinator and member. Members may log on to their POST profile if they choose to print a hard copy. The POST Coordinator will notify Staff Services Division / Payroll Unit of members who have been awarded a professional certificate so that any applicable pay adjustments can be made. The status update through Staff Services / Payroll may take up to several months to process.

Process of applying to the POST Professional Certificate Program

Intermediate Certificate

  1. Baccalaureate degree, plus two years law enforcement; or
  2. Associate degree, plus four years law enforcement; or
  3. 45 college units, plus four years law enforcement and 45 training points; or
  4. 30 college units, plus six years law enforcement and 30 training points; or
  5. 15 college units, plus eight years law enforcement and 15 training points.

Advanced Certificate

  1. Master’s degree, plus four years law enforcement; or
  2. Baccalaureate degree, plus six years law enforcement; or
  3. Associate degree, plus nine years law enforcement; or
  4. 45 college units, plus nine years law enforcement and 45 training points; or
  5. 30 college units, plus twelve years law enforcement and 30 training points.

Supervisory Certificate (Sergeant)

  1. Possess or be eligible to possess an intermediate certificate;
  2. Possess a minimum of two years law enforcement experience as a permanent first-level supervisor or higher;
  3. 60 college units, plus two years in a supervisory position; and
  4. Completion of the POST Supervisory Course.

Management Certificate (Lieutenant)

  1. Possess or be eligible to possess an Advanced Certificate;
  2. Possess a minimum of two years law enforcement experience as a permanent middle manager or higher;
  3. 60 college units, plus 2 years’ experience of Middle Management (Lieutenant); and
  4. Completion of the POST Management Course.

POST PASS – POST pass is the online portal that consolidates all of POST’s online services. Members are required to link their POST ID number for instant access to: POST Training Profile, Professional Certificates, Continuing Professional Training, and Learning Portal (required for Department’s AO/CPT Program).

In addition, POST Pass allows the Department’s POST Coordinator to manage and generate online applications for professional certificates and a member to submit and check the status of their professional certificate applications. 

Registration: https://pass.post.ca.gov 

Certificate Status: https://post.ca.gov/view-current-certificates-and-status 

Obtain/Recover POST ID: https://post.ca.gov/obtain-your-post-id

Years of Service – Time as a full-time sworn police officer in a California POST certified agency. Basic Academy training does not count as years of service.

Educational Units – Must be from an accredited college acknowledged by the US Department of Education.

Training Points – Twenty (20) classroom hours of certified POST training is equivalent to one (1) training point.

*Academy training time can be counted as training points or educational units, either/or, but not both simultaneously.

Official Transcripts – Printed hardcopy with security marked paper or secured electronic format with encryption.

Degrees – Printed photocopy or digital color PDF (photographs are not acceptable per POST).

US Mail: San Francisco Police Academy / Attn: POST Coordinator / 350 Amber Drive / San Francisco, CA 94131

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Professional Certificates Program, contact the POST Coordinator at the Academy, [Redacted]

If you have questions regarding pay adjustments following issuance of your POST Professional Certificate, please contact Payroll at [Redacted]

/s/
NICOLE JONES
Acting Chief of Police