Police Academy

Firearms and shooting is a very small part of any police academy because its not something that officers do on a day to day basis. I would not focus on shooting or combat skills to prepare for an academy, but on people skills, book knowledge, written English skills and being a good witness. An officer needs to know how to talk to people, write a report and, most importantly, how to handle themselves in a courtroom. Talking to people, documenting and being a good witness is the majority of the job. Driving skills is another thing to focus on. Physical ability is nice, but if you have to run then probably your people skills have somehow failed;)

I was on vacation in San Francisco once when I went through the back door of the bus versus the front. I have never taken a bus before and this was a different state for me so I didnt know how they worked. I didnt see a sign on the back saying it was an offense to use the back door. Well, a transit officer approached me and lets say he wasn't kind. Obviously, the people skills wasn't there and this type of harsh approach will not work in your favor the majority of the time.

So shooting and firearms is a very small part of any officer's career and if you focus on just that then you will fail as an officer. Focus first and foremost on people skills...
 
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I went to the Sacramento, Ca. CHP academy back in '92. At the time it was the only training academy for 100 miles, so it covered all aspects of patrol training not just CHP, and qualified you for a job in just about any PD in a roughly 200 mile area.
In addition to an incredibly thorough background check (they contacted some of my elementary school teachers), we were required to pass an aptitude test as well as a physical. There was also the 832 pc class (penal code/police concepts) and daily PT. Two cadets to a barracks and rooms must be kept pristine.
The most emphasized aspects of training were interpersonal interactions and situational observation as well as report writing. EVERY person you encountered was to be addressed as sir or ma'am.
We were given car-stop drills as well as tactical driving courses, and were also required to learn the area streets inside and out.

If you really want a step up, get yourself into the habit of starting a daily routine and streamlining your morning ritual like making your bed the minute you get out of it.
Choose one thing out of the day to write a report about. It doesn't matter what it is, just remember to include time of day, location and make it concise. A paragraph should be just fine.
Try to stay aware of what each person you interact with is wearing and approximate measurements. (5'11", 160, blue hat, grey shirt, blue jeans)
When driving, consciously stay aware of your compass orientation ("I'm currently driving north on Jackson st. Turning left at the next intersection puts me westbound on Park.")
These are little things that will get you into the type of mindset that you'll be utilizing when you actually get to the academy.
Think about getting yourself a copy of your state or local penal code and familiarizing yourself with it.
Also, don't be afraid to talk to one your own local LEO's about any questions you might have.

Oh, and remember to always get your hair cut BEFORE it looks like you need it cut!

Good luck,
~D!~
 
What academy has you bring your own weapon? My states academy trains everyone on a glock 22 i think there using now, then you go to you department to use their weapon....
 
My wife attended the academy at WTI in Florida. The were pretty broad as to the type of firearm that you could bring, although they made it very clear...If you firearm fails in any way during the range time, you will fail the entire class and have to retake it...
 
Being as you're prior military, you'll actually get some preference over others. That said, you'll also be expected to perform better than average guy. The academy will be very stressful the first month or so. The instructors will seem like demons straight out of hell only there to make your life miserable, but over time, you will learn to admire them, probably very similar to boot camp. Everything will seem overwhelming at first, but hang in there and eventually things will become easier. You'll look back someday and realize that those were some of the best times you had, kind of like high school.

It's pretty funny, but if/when you graduate you feel like you're done and it's a huge relief, then comes the FTO phase and the stress factor spikes through the roof again; good times :)

Don't concern yourself about aquiring a weapon just yet. You'll either be issued one, or be given a list of approved makes & models. Plus once you're in, you'll be informed on LEO discounts. As for pens, I really like the Zebra F-402, lol.

If you can learn about Constitutional Law, Substantive Law, and State Laws (at a community college) prior to going into the academy, you'll have an advantage when taking law classes at the academy. Those where probably the most difficult tests.

Here's a brief list I compiled of observations while attending, and things to watch for:

• Always arrive early (15 minutes), never late
• Don't ever be the last guy anywhere (specially PT)
• Don't get into any sort of trouble (with the law) inside the academy, or outside, and if you do, disclose it immediately
• Forget about your personal life. Live, eat, and sleep police academy
• Don't wear anything related to police outside the academy until told to do so
• Don't place any emphasis on firearms. That's a red flag to psychologists
• Update the information on your DL, vehicle registration, and insurance (if applicable)
• Always have two of everything, so if you forget/loose one, you'll have a spare
• Once allowed to carry, don't ever leave your weapon unattended

Anyways, good luck & have fun.
 
Thanks Elecktrik!

I hope its as tough as you say it is. I honestly would go through my BCT (Basic Combat Training) again if I could. At this point, it'd be mostly to get back to 190lbs and 10% body fat percentage though!

Plus, the tougher it is, the better prepared I will be.


And great tips there too DiCarnage.
 
MikeNice, I tried to register with Officer.com, but they never approved my account. I know they asked about my profession, and I was wondering if since I said I wasn't an LEO, if they would deny it because of that? :(
 
Minor, when I signed up for an account it took two or three weeks. If you submitted for approval you can sign in. Send them a message and they should get in touch with you.
 
It will depend on the learning model a given academy employs. Up here in AK these days the Troopers are still running a military training model, while APD runs an adult learning model -- their preference being to recruit older, more mature individuals with some life experience rather than the 18-22 or so demographic that really gels well with the military model. What will actually be difficult about an academy will tend to vary depending on the model -- whereas the military model has the drill sergeant theatrics and such, the adult learning model relies on self motivation.
 
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