Academy training

[flatbadge]

Im off shooting from a topic about a newbee getting hired. Several of us are shocked at the hiring / training. My question is two fold:

How long was your academy?

How long was your phase training in a car with a training officer?

Here in San Diego County I attended a 7.5 month regional academy. After four months we got sworn in, and then were in 3 weeks out 2 for the remainder. We were armed and in uniform then.

The normal mandated CA academy is 16 or 18 weeks, or something like that (4 months) and here in San Diego they add a lot more training then required. So you really have met most of the required academy stuff when you get sworn. They have since done away with this and the academy here is 6 months.

Phase training is about 5 months with training officers in your car.

When it is all said and done you train for about a year BEFORE you make the grade to hit the streets. They fail people out here and the phase training is mandated across CA.

[JSandi]

8 weeks when I went thru it back in 1993, left LE for several years now going back, Academy is now 10 weeks.

When I was hired back in the 90

[PeteBroccolo]

All RCMP Regular Members (appointed as Peace Officers) take their basic training at the RCMP Academy at Depot Division in Regina, Saskatchewan. It is 22 weeks long (USED to be 26 weeks back when I was there!), consisting of physical (phys-ed and self-defence), academic (report writing, Force policy, Criminal Code and Federal Law), investigative (scenario-based role playing and mock buildings), firearm (9mm, .308 and 12 ga), deportment (foot drill and kit upkeep) and learning to apply problem solving and continuum-of-force / incident management techniques. Participants are Cadets, who are not paid during their training, nor are they hired and appointed as Peace Officers until they successfully complete the course, including a final panel interview to see how they handle paper exercises.

After arrival at their first posting, the newly appointed Constables undergo a 6 month Field Coaching training program, where they start under the close supervision of an experienced investigator, being assigned increasingly complex investigations and related tasks while the Field Coach constantly evaluates and grades their performance. The Field Coach, and Unit Commander, MUST complete 2, 4 & 6 months written evaluations on the newly-trained Constable.

In addition to the Field Coach and Unit Commander, the Division In-Service Training personnel conduct phone and in-person interviews and evaluation of the newly-trained Constable, and review the 2, 4 & 6 month evaluations. These evaluations are essential, in that successful completion means the trainee will be placed under decreasing supervision, to the point where they will work on their own, and receive a pay raise. Poor performers, however may be subject of continued, or increasing supervision, a delay in the raise, or potentially being fired.

[rebbryan]

not LEO

academy is 9 weeks, FT is one year

[LPDtactical]

Academy here is 17 weeks. After that you have 6 months with an FTO before you hit the streets solo...

[Nobody]

,

[sflcop]

Academy in S. Florida is 21 weeks, with a week of studying for the state exam after you graduate from the academy. FTO varies by department. Shortest I have heard is 3 phases, each being 3 weeks for a total of 9 weeks of FTO. Average is 3 phases, each being 4 weeks, followed by a week of the FTO shadowing the trainee to make sure he/she is competent to be on their own, for a total of 13 weeks of FTO. Some departments then issue you a take home vehicle right off of FTO, and others you do not get your take home until you are off probation, which is usually a year.

[Mungo]

Rio Hondo

21 weeks!

A lot of LA county agencies use this academy.

I think Orange County is about 26 weeks with extra Spanish courses.

[ClemsonGrad]

I would be that newbee getting hired that started the other thread!
Wow, our academy (which as stated above) is 9 weeks - looks like everyone else's is a good bit longer. In SC, FT varies by department. The way our department works it right now is...
- You get sworn in and get your badge, gun, uniforms, etc.
- Classroom stuff, PT and basic firearms training in house for 4 weeks
- Ride with an FTO 8 weeks - then, for some, they cut you loose

You are then required to go to the academy within a year of when you were hired.
It sounds kind of scary, or backwards... but this place has some great FTOs.
To everyone who repsonded to my thread about this training regimen... I now see why you were so surprised. Even the SC academy is skimpy compared to other places. With all that said though, I feel as if though I will be prepared.

[kirch]

WI requires at least 60 college-level credits to be accepted to any academy. The state mandates that the academy be at least 520 hours (13 weeks) I believe. FT is up to the individual departments. My department has a 6-week FT program, though some can be fast-tracked through if they do well enough. Others can be held back for further training if necessary.

WI State Patrol has a 28-week academy. Don't know how long their FT program lasts.

The nearby large city's academy is a bit unusual. First of all, it doesn't matter how much previous experience you have, you go through their academy as if you're a wet-behind-the-ears rookie. Then you attend several weeks of instruction followed by time out on the road. This continues, with less and less time in class and more on the road. The total FT program lasts about 1-1/2 years.

[Cagney]

Here's my understanding of Texas.

Course work is required prior to taking the exam. If you take your course work at a community college, you must have an Associate's degree or above in any field to sit for the exam.

However, if you attend an approved academy, that is about 600 hours, you don't need a degree. If you're 21, all you need in a G.E.D.

If you're in a night class, you finish in about 7 months and can sit for the peace officer's exam. Then you can begin with a department. Of course some departments hire people and sponsor them at a local academy. Some departments in major cities have their own academy.

[625]

In Washington State:

Six month Academy -you are hired by an agency, who then sends you to the Academy. (rare cases of self sponsered recruits) The FTO period varies from agency to agency I think, but for the most part its 3 months with a different FTO each month. I know that some of the bigger agencies have a post academy to assists the new hires with their particular way of doing things.

Out of my class of 32 recruits, we ended up graduating 16.

I had a 5 month FTO program, and it was very very stressful.

[ofc129]

My department has its own academy which is approximately 6 months followed by 3-4 months with an FTO. State requirements are far less, approximately 12 weeks at a state academy.

[furetto7]

Our academy (Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center) is 14 weeks, it is not at all unusual that by the time we send someone to the academy they may have anywhere from three to five months of street time, FTO time varies according to the abilities of the new officer, I am the sole judge of when they move to solo patrol and then they are restricted to day shift until after academy.

[flatbadge]

I am glad to see the extensive training expressed by most replys. I am also glad to see the response to my post.

Thanks all and BE SAFE!

Mike