Police academy

"Police university" redirects here. For the South Korean television series, see Police University (TV series). For other uses, see Police Academy (disambiguation).
The exterior of the Michigan State Police Training Academy in Michigan, United States

A police academy, also known as a law enforcement training center, police college, or police university, is a training school for police cadets, designed to prepare them for the law enforcement agency they will be joining upon graduation, or to otherwise certify an individual as a law enforcement officer, typically a police officer.

Police academies train cadets on skills and tactics required to properly and effectively conduct their duties. These include legal training, driving skills, equipment training, firearm training, use of force, crisis negotiation, and de-escalation, among others.[1] Typical facilities in a police academy include classrooms, vehicle courses, shooting ranges, running tracks, gyms, and recreational facilities, though some may also include dormitories, cafeterias, training simulators, police museums, and police-affiliated businesses such as restaurants and stores.[2][3]

Police training varies in important ways around the world, with significant differences in program content, format, and instructional methods.[4] Police academies are not used solely by police cadets, and some are also regularly used regularly by sworn officers, other law enforcement agencies, special units such as SWAT, and occasionally even civilians and other non-law enforcement personnel; for example, the 1932 Summer Olympics used the Los Angeles Police Academy's range for their shooting event.[2]

The requirements to join a police department and attend a police academy vary by jurisdiction. Most of the time, these requirements include background checks, physical, mental, and medical exams, as well as criminal record checks.

  1. ^ "What to expect from police academy training". Police1. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  2. ^ a b "Police academy gets a makeover". KCRW. 2016-10-12. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  3. ^ "NSW Police Force Academy - NSW Police Recruitment". www.police.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  4. ^ Bjørgo, Tore; Damen, Marie-Louise, eds. (2020-02-17). The Making of a Police Officer. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780429277221. ISBN 978-0-429-27722-1. S2CID 214175657.