Records obtained from the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards & Training (CLEST) indicate that ABC Enforcement agent Ken Coon, Jr. does not possess the law enforcement credentials for the position he currently holds.
Coon's only certification is specialized:parole. Like his boss Hamlet, this only permits the holder to work in the area of parole.
The class specification for ABC Enforcement agents states that an individual must have basic, general, intermediate, advanced or senior certification as a law enforcement officer by the Arkansas Commission of Law Enforcement Standards and Training. This is because another requirement for this position is the the individual must have the ability to make arrests. Coon could arrest as many parole violators and absconders as he liked when he was a parole officer for the Department of Community Correction, but as an enforcement agent he is SOL. He has no statutory authority to act as a law enforcement office outside of the parole sector.
One can only wonder at how Coon was able to obtain the position as an enforcement agent when it was crystal clear he was not qualified.
Even the Initial Employment Report, a legally mandated form, submitted to CLEST by the ABC clearly indicates Coon possessed no certification (the choices are Basic, General, Intermediate, Advance, Senor, None) and had not attended a basic police training course. The certification Coon has worthless unless you are working as a parole officer for DCC or some county court.
A previous post raised the possibility that Coon was on Hamlet's Hit List and speculated that he would be the next agent to "resign". Hamlet may have found his reason to force Coon's resignation. Or maybe not, Hamlet is in a similar position in that he is not qualified for the position he holds. Maybe Coon's connection to the Republican Party will save him. But not having the necessary certification is a slap in the face to the other much more qualified agents.
Every day some incredible information comes out about the ABC (lack of credentials, violations of departmental rules and state laws, etc.). Instead of being the elite law enforcement agency as Hamlet has proclaimed, it has become the focus of laughter and ridicule. The mess at the ABC has spurred a new idiom - "Did a Hamlet" which makes reference to getting a high paying position by lying about your employment history and obtaining a job you had no chance in hell of getting if you told the truth.
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UPDATE -
A review of Coon's CLEST training record reveals that he did complete a basic police course back in 1998 and we are told that he is the only agent that the ABC has sent to the academy (what do you want to bet that Hamlet will be the second, that is if he keeps his job).
However, Coon did not complete and submit the necessary application for a law enforcement certificate that is required for him to obtain a basic law enforcement certification. It's just like a college student saying he has a degree when he completed all the necessary hours. You have to apply for the degree after completing the requirements, then the college awards you the degree.
Coon has a Master Degree, but not enough common sense to realize that he had to apply for the certification after completing the required course.
CLEST has confirmed that Coon never made an application after completing the basic course back in 1998 and only holds the specialized certification that is worthless anywhere else other that with the Department of Community Corrections.
