POST seeks staff, equipment and clearer revenue outlook as academy enrollment and costs fluctuate

Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) briefed the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on Feb. 12 about fiscal pressures, revenue sources and program needs as the state’s law enforcement training landscape shifts.

Brad Johnson, administrator of POST, said the academy and the broader POST mission provide basic training, certification and professional‑responsibility oversight for law enforcement across Idaho. Johnson and Noah Peterson, a Legislative Services Office analyst, explained that POST is primarily funded by dedicated fees — including a $15 court fee, fingerprint and filing fees, training tuition and facility fees — and more recently by a 1.5% transfer of annual liquor revenues authorized by 2022 legislation.

Johnson said POST’s fiscal picture has required occasional one‑time general fund transfers in recent years to cover sudden cost increases — for example, cafeteria costs and inflationary pressures after COVID — but recent month‑to‑month dedicated fund receipts have improved. He told the committee the division hopes the Post Council’s working group will provide a strategic plan within about a year for how basic training is delivered statewide.

For fiscal 2026 POST requested a conversion of a current part‑time record specialist to 0.33 additional FTP and $20,800 in personnel costs to reduce certification turnaround times; Johnson said certification processing peak turnaround has grown from 2–4 weeks to as much as 3–6 months during busy periods.

Johnson also described a $111,600 request for replacement vehicles (a 15‑passenger van and a half‑ton pickup) and $61,600 in IT replacements (laptops, desktops, monitors) recommended by the Office of Information Technology Services.

On training and repayment rules, Johnson explained that students who receive state‑funded basic training sign two‑year agreements. If an attendee leaves certified law enforcement before that period ends, they are required to repay costs; patrol academy tuition was described as about $12,000 and academies range from two weeks (emergency communications) to 14 weeks (patrol).

Committee members asked about enrollment trends, local college participation and the possibility of more training capacity in northern and eastern Idaho. Johnson said POST does not recruit or hire officers; it provides training for personnel agencies send to it. He said the post council’s working group is studying where training is best delivered, facilities needs such as a training track, and whether more college programs can expand capacity.

No formal votes were taken on POST’s request during the hearing; analysts and POST staff agreed to provide additional details about tuition amounts, revenue trends and the post council working group’s timetable.