BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's deputy coroners have obtained certification they will need next year to continue working, according to Coroner Daniel Oxford.
Oxford said deputy coroners in the state must obtain national or state certification by Jan. 1. The certification can be either through the state by the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy or nationally through the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators, he said.
Kevin Cleghorn, president of the Arkansas Coroners Association, said his group and other entities in the state supported a law passed by the state Legislature in 2019 requiring the certification for deputy coroners.
Cleghorn said deputy coroners work closely with law enforcement officers, paramedics and dispatchers and those positions all have some requirements or certification.
"Coroners and deputy coroners have never had that type of training nor was it available to them," he said.
Deputy coroners will have to complete the 40-hour training session for certification, Oxford said.
The training includes basics about death investigation, state laws and statutes, crime scene investigations and how to make proper death notifications, Oxford said.
Deputy coroners also learn what cases need to be sent for an autopsy, Oxford said.
Oxford said there's a growing emphasis on proper death investigation especially since many television shows stress the importance of forensic investigations.
Oxford said the certification is needed because there were no requirements to be a deputy coroner. "There were no requirements and it was strictly based on the coroner of that county."
Washington County Coroner Roger Morris said the training is vital. He said it teaches deputy coroners to look for signs that can determine the cause and manner of death. Morris said the training also stresses the importance of not contaminating scenes.
Morris said his office manager is certified and his full-time deputy coroner is working on his national certification.
Morris said his three part-time deputy coroners still need certification.
He said there's no cost to the counties for deputy coroners to obtain certification.
Benton County Prosecutor Nathan Smith said the importance of scientific expertise for coroners and other medical professionals involved in criminal cases will only continue to grow.
"My hope is that this certification process will ensure coroners receive the support they need to continue performing their duties effectively and that the public will continue to have confidence in their judgments," he said.
Oxford said each of his four deputy coroners has their certification. Two are salaried and make $45,000 a year while the other two are paid $70 per call.
Oxford, who has his state and national certifications, said coroners aren't required to obtain certification because coroners are state Constitutional elected officials.
Cleghorn said there are 75 coroners, one for each county, in the state and an estimated 200 deputy coroners. He said many of the deputies have obtained certification.
New hires next year will have a year to complete the certification, Cleghorn said.
He said the training will be offered more than once a year.
Cleghorn said they are looking to put some portions of the training online because many deputy coroners work part time and have full-time jobs.
NW News on 02/17/2020