TRAINING / ACADEMY

LIFE,
FIELD TRAINING,
&
PROBATION PERIOD
 Training / Academy Life, Reciving
an offer of employment obviously is
not immediately accompanied by a
badge, uniform and set of keys to
your new cruiser. Completion of an
academy and field training program
will be your final hurdles to becoming a
full fledged officer.
 Each state and jurisdiction has different training
requirements. In some areas, you can go through basic law
enforcement training at the local community college or other
state-sponsored institution first and then apply to the agency
of your choice.

There is no standard national curriculum, but the state may

guide agencies in developing training programs. Each state has
a Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST)
or similar entity which establishes minimum selection standards
for law enforcement officers, sets minimum education and
training standards, and serves as the certification or licensing
authority for sworn personnel.
 Following is a summarry of training topics the
percentage of academies providing each, and the
median number of hours. Academies Providing Basic
Instruction on Various Topics, and Number of Hours of
Instruction Required.
 Percent of academies
Medium number of hours of
Training topic providing training in
instruction required
topic area

Firearms Skill 99% 60 Hours

Basic first-aid/CPR 99 24

Emergency vihicle operations 99 36

Self-defence 99 44

Criminal law 98 40

Domestic violence 98 12

Ethics and integrity 98 8

Investigation 98 45
Patrol produres/techniques 98 40

Juvenile law and procedures 98 8

Constitutional law 96 11

Cultural diversity 95 8

Health and fitness 95 50

Officer civil/criminal liability 93 6

Human relation 92 11

Use of non-lethal wepons 91 12

Community policing 90 8
 According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Census of
State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies, in 2002 a
total of 626 state and local law enforcement academies
operating in the United States offering basic law enforcement
training to individuals recruited or seeking to become law
enforcement officers.

These include:
274 country, regional, or state academies;
249 college, university, or technical school academies; and
103 city or municipal academies.
 FIELD TRAINING
After completion of the academy, field training
will be the final component of the training. During this
time, the recruit will likely paired with training officer
and accompany him or her on routine patrol.

According to BJS, among agencies conducting field

training, the median number of hours in the field
training segment was 180 hours or about eight weeks.
 The training does not stop with graduation from
the academy and completion of field training. Most
states require a number of continuing education
hours to maintain certification. If, after a few years on
patrol, the officers decides to apply for special
assignment, additional training will be involve training
on leadership and supervisory skills.
PROBATION PERIOD
When a candidate receives an appointment to the police
department, the candidate must then successfully complete recruit
training, which can last from several months to more than a year,
depending on the training requirements of the police department.

Police recruits are on probation during the entire period of

training and usually are on probation for a period for a period of
time after they have completed their training. It should be noted
that officer will not generally be eligible for a promotion until yhe
probationary period is succesfully completed
 Probies may be dismised during the probationary period without
cause and no reason needs to be provided. Damaging a police vehicle, a
single incident of excessive use of force, violating the chain of command,
or making negative comments about superior officers may all
demonstrate that the probie is not the right fit for a department's needs.

Once a police recuit successfully completes the probationary period,

more workplace portections are aquired. Generally, following the
probationary period, law enforcement officers are given status. The
actual rights and protections associated with this status differ from
municipality and from state to state, but they will always provide at least
a few rights that are missing during the probationary period.
THANK YOU!!!