PUEBLO, Colo. — Last week, the Colorado Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) inspected the Pueblo Police Department Academy Arrest Control Training (ACT) program and found that the ACT program was out of compliance.

This means the previous class of officers of 2021 and the current graduating class will not be able to be out on the streets policing until they can test out of Arrest Control Training or attend an additional 2-week Arrest Control Training program.

Pueblo Police say it will only affect five officers in total and it shouldn’t be a big impact when it comes to other officers covering their shifts.

“I wish I could say this finding was wrong but after our internal review, it was not only correct but was the only finding that POST could make…Due to concerns with the strike-heavy curriculum in the FBI Defensive Tactics, and concerns with SB 217, I gave guidance early in 2021 to instruct additional defensive tactic techniques to limit the issues related to punching people, especially in our current environment,” Chief of Police Chris Noeller said. “I am committed, as I know the Training Unit Staff is also committed, to moving forward, learning from this, and figuring out a way to get a POST approved Defensive Tactics Program that addresses my concerns and provides our officers with the skills necessary to safely take resistive persons in custody without the need for strikes in most circumstances.”

The Pueblo Police Department will still have the Class 64 graduation on Friday, March 25 at 11 a.m. at Pueblo Memorial Hall. The Department invites the public to come to support this graduating class as this has been an added stress, and support of them would likely be appreciated.