The AZPOST Board was created by an act of the 28th Arizona legislature on July 1, 1968 as the Arizona Law Enforcement Officer Advisory Council. The name was officially changed to its present form on July 17, 1994. The board was originally created to address the need for minimum peace officer selection, recruitment, retention, training standards, and to provide curriculum and standards for all certified law enforcement training facilities. Currently the board provides services to approximately 170 law enforcement agencies encompassing over 15,000 sworn peace officers, 9,000 correctional service officers, and 16 academies.
The mission of the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board is to foster public trust and confidence by establishing and maintaining standards of integrity, competence, and professionalism for Arizona peace officers and correctional officers. Their vision is to produce and maintain the most professional peace officers in America.