What should I expect in a Police Academy?

beverly

It has some similarities to Military Boot Camp.

There will be a considerable amount of physical fitness. Expect five to ten mile runs, sometimes over difficult terrain. Expect a considerable amount of upper body strength workouts.

Expect a considerable amount of harassment. You will get yelled at for things you didn't do, things the person next to you did, or things that probably aren't even possible to do - the point is to expose you to the type of psychological and unreasoning abuse you will get when you are a real officer.

There will be a significant academic element to the academy. While I would say that anyone with a high school diploma should be able to do it (and certainly anyone with a college degree) it would be a mistake to underestimate the need to study and test well.

You will have additional job related training, probably including weapons training (guns, tazers, batons), EVOC (emergency vehicle operations course), control/arrest tactics, officer safety hypotheticals, roleplaying situations, etc.

Expect to get tazed. Possibly OC'd. (You won't get shot.)

Academy length varies by state; during the final third or 1/4 of the course, most of the washouts will be gone and it is likely your instructors will relax when they begin to feel they've narrowed it down to the 'people who are probably going to make it'. At this stage the academy will become much more instructive and much less stressful.

Which doesn't mean the heat won't come right back if you screw up.

Remember - they are trying to train you for a profession where you WILL be hated for most of what you do - many times even by the people who called for you in the first place. You may be shot at. You may shoot at other people. They want to do whatever they can to ensure you have what it takes to handle the job.

lysa

A lot of physical training, training in report writing, law and ethics, CPR, firearms, self defense, etc. If you really want more details contact the Police Academy and ask to see their class outline. You can be certain of one thing, you will run and excecise daily.

Fred P

It'll be similar to military basic training, but a "little" more relaxed. You'll be standing at attention in formation, sitting at attention in class, and going through a total of (in California) a number of Learning Domains. Most academies are not live-in, but run 5-6 days/ week, 8-5 . The CHP academy is ~6 months long, and IS a live-in academy.

Figure on PT every day, which includes a couple of miles as well as other exercises.

CA Deputy

Mr z

Better get used to people calling you a PIG!

kekedoodledo

FRESH DONUTS EVERY MORNING

Goblin

Watch the Police Academy films from the 1980s. These will help tremendously. You may be expected to make weird noises for the benefit of the audience.

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