(a) The commissioner and deputy commissioner of public safety and the chief administrative officers of local police departments are exempt from the requirements of AS 18.65.240. However, a person appointed chief of a local police department after July 1, 1981, who performs any operational duties, shall meet the requirements of AS 18.65.240(a)(1).
(b) A political subdivision with an established police training program meeting the requirements of AS 18.65.220(2) and (3) may exclude itself from the requirements of AS 18.65.240 by ordinance. The exclusion has no effect on eligibility to receive federal or state grants.