Police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in Laredo, Texas
| Police hiring, training, and discipline |
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This page provides an overview of policies related to the hiring, training, and discipline of police officers in Laredo, Texas. It is part of an analysis of police union collective bargaining agreements and related arrangements with police unions concerning hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in the 50 states and top 100 cities by population.
Background
Ballotpedia in 2023 examined the collective bargaining agreements, statutes, and regulatory codes governing the 50 states and the top 100 US cities by population through the lens of a series of research questions related to police hiring, training, and discipline.
Some of the hiring, training, and discipline standards for police officers not established by statutes or regulations arise from negotiations with police unions. Those negotiations are often codified in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Those agreements are the contracts that states and cities sign following negotiations with police unions. Some states and cities restrict collective bargaining, but may still negotiate with police unions using other methods. After negotiating with the unions, those jurisdictions sometimes establish police standards through documents including memoranda of understanding or meet and confer agreements.
Results
The tables below link to each question Ballotpedia used to analyze the states and cities and indicate how Laredo handles police hiring, training, and discipline. To see the provisions Ballotpedia used to support these results, click here.
CBA basics
| CBA basics | Results |
|---|---|
| Is there a CBA with the police union? | YES |
| Is the current CBA publicly available online? | YES |
Discipline and accountability
| Discipline and accountability | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA forbid the transfer or reassignment of an officer as a form of discipline? | NO |
| Do officers have a right to request third-party arbitration for grievances, including over disciplinary actions? | YES |
Condition: An employee suspended indefinitely can appeal to arbitration; Selection: The employee and city attorney agree to an arbitrator or alternately strike names from a list provided; Provider: The American Arbitration Association may provide a list of seven arbitrators; Arbitrator authority: The arbitrator decides what factual charges are true and whether the discipline is upheld or a lesser discipline should be substitutedAll hearings are public unless there is a written agreement by both parties to close the hearings to the public. | |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to discipline for misconduct? | YES |
Primary discipline authority: City of Laredo, Police Department; Types: Letters of reprimand, demotion, temporary suspension (not to exceed 30 days), indefinite suspension; Restricted aspects: N/A; Challenge/appeal process: Appeal to hearing examiner or Civil Service Commission under TLGCWhen officer has committed a felony or Class A or B misdemeanor, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 12 shall apply. | |
| Does the CBA explicitly allow for a state ombudsman outside particular police departments to hold law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct? | NO |
Legal limitations or provisions
| Legal limitations or provisions | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the city CBA prohibit felons from becoming law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Are there any statutes or regulations that prohibit collective bargaining with police unions? | NO |
Training and counseling
| Training and counseling | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA require or incentivize college or post-secondary education? | YES |
Certain promotions require college credits to be obtained within an allotted time frame or the employee will be demoted Incentive pay for post-secondary education degrees Lieutenants have 48 months to obtain at least 60 college credit hours Captains have 48 months to obtain an associate's degree or 90 college credit hours Deputy chiefs and assistant chiefs have 48 months to obtain a bachelor's degree | |
| Does the CBA require or incentivize law enforcement officers to learn first aid skills? | YES |
Promotes safety and first aid training; Incentivizes TCOLE certifications | |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to firearms training? | YES |
Required/voluntary: Voluntary; Frequency: N/A; Type of training: Rifle and pistol rangeOfficers are provided with 25 rounds of service ammunition annually for rifle and pistol range, however, if they are required to use their service ammunition during firearms qualification it will be replaced by the department | |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to training with tasers or other nonlethal weapons? | NO |
| Does the CBA require law enforcement officers to learn any martial arts? | NO |
| Does the CBA require law enforcement officers to submit to regular psychological counseling/evaluation? | NO |
| Does the state/city CBA require law enforcement officers to do driving training regularly? | NO |
| Does the state/city CBA require law enforcement officers to do driving training regularly? | NO |
| Does the CBA require law enforcement officers to take regular mental health training? | NO |
Community relations and oversight
| Community relations and oversight | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA reference citizen review boards? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to community policing? | NO |
Investigations
| Investigations | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to misconduct investigations? | YES |
Disciplinary procedure and appeal; investigative procedure | |
| Does the CBA require notice to officers of investigations? | YES |
Conditions: N/A Timeline: Must be notified 2 days before interrogation; Content: Must include the general nature of the investigation and sufficient information | |
| Does the CBA determine a timeline for investigations? | NO |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to compensation during misconduct investigations? | NO |
Evidence and records
| Evidence and records | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA regulate processes for retaining officer disciplinary records? | YES |
Record storage: N/A; Storage authority: N/A; Types of records: Letters of reprimand and suspensions; Timeline: Letters of reprimand and suspensions of less than five days can be removed from personnel files after five years upon the officer's request. Suspensions of 6-15 days can be removed from personnel files after 10 years upon the officer's request; Access and use: N/A; Use in decisions: N/A | |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to the use of body-worn cameras or body-worn camera video evidence? | NO |
Qualifications and evaluation
| Qualifications and evaluation | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA require performance evaluations? | NO |
| Does the CBA restrict licensing procedures for law enforcement officers or departments? | NO |
Union authority
| Union authority | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA limit union authority to pay and benefits issues? | NO |
| Does the CBA give the union the power to approve or disapprove new training programs for law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions involving the union in the process for promotions, unit assignments, and transfers? | NO |
City retains sole right to assign and transfer; Chief may consult union for input on promotional exam sources | |
See also
Footnotes
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