What Is the CESTB?

The CESTB is a seven-member panel of constables, judges, county officials, Arizona peace officer standards and training board representative, and members of the public who set the professional standards for constables throughout the state, ensure every constable is meeting their continuing education mandates, and provides supplemental funding to counties for constable training and equipment. CESTB also investigates complaints against constables.

Section 22-136 of the Arizona revised statutes establishes the CESTB. The board has the following composition:

• One constable who is from a county with a population of less than one million persons and who is appointed by a statewide constables association established prior to January 1, 2010;
• One constable who is from a county with a population of one million or more persons and who is appointed by a statewide constables association established prior to January 1, 2010;
• One justice of the peace who is appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court;
• One county administrator or designee who is appointed by the county supervisors association;
• The director of the Arizona peace officer standards and training board or the director's designee;
• One member of the public who is appointed by the governor: and
• One member who is a board member of the Arizona Multihousing Association at the time of appointment and who is appointed by the governor

What does the CESTB do?

The Constable Ethics, Standards and Training Board are governed by the following statutory requirements:

• Adopting rules for the administration of the board and distribution of monies from the CESTB fund;
• Adopting a code of conduct for constables and rules to enforce that code; establishing procedures for and conducting confidential investigations and hearings;
• Hearing and investigating written complaints from any person involving a constable's ethical conduct; and
• Remedying any constable's unethical conduct by:
  • Mediating, issuing warnings, reprimands or admonishments
  • Instructing a constable to take a particular action or educational class
  • Urging a constable to retire from office, or
  • Placing a constable on probation for up to thirty days, except that after the initial thirty days of probation if the constable is making progress on probation but the constable's behavior is not yet compliant, the board may extend probation in additional thirty-day increments up to a total length of probation of one hundred eighty days.
  • Recommending to the board of supervisors that a constable who has previously been placed on probation be suspended from performing the constable's duties without pay for any specified length of time not to exceed the remainder of the constable's term.
  • When a constable has committed a criminal act, refer the investigation to the county attorney's office in the county in which the conduct at issue occurred.

To accomplish these tasks, CESTB is permitted to employ a staff, enter into contracts or intergovernmental agreements, certify organizations to provide training or support to constables, provide support grants to counties and their constables, take and hear evidence, administer oaths and affirmations, and compel by subpoena the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers, records, documents and other information relating to any investigation or hearing. CESTB also maintains a fund consisting of monies collected from writ fees throughout the state. Eighty percent of that fund must be reserved for training and equipment grants, while twenty percent is used to pay the operating expenses of the board.

Currently, the CESTB has a contract with Capital Consulting for administrative services.