This full-time, 904-hour intensive course satisfies the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) minimum training requirements for California entry-level peace officers.  The course typically meets Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m, is approximately six months in duration and is designed for employed or aspiring peace officer recruits who can dedicate their full attention and efforts towards completing the program. The full-time Intensive Academy requires a strong commitment by the recruits and their families. Upon completion the student can apply to police agencies as a Regular Peace Officer.  

The Basic Police Academy course includes fundamental principles, procedures and techniques of law enforcement, including: Criminal Law, Patrol Procedures, Cultural Diversity, Investigative Procedures, Report Writing, Defensive Tactics, Firearms, Leadership, Ethics, Community Policing, Police Vehicle Operations, Traffic Enforcement, Accident Investigation, Handling Emotional Situations and First Aid/CPR. The course also includes a challenging physical conditioning requirement that will prepare academy students for police service.

Physical Fitness Expectations and Preparation

Physical fitness is a foundational element of our police academy program, and early preparation is essential for your success.

  • Focus your training on running, push-ups, squats, sit-ups, sprints, along with general strength training and cardiovascular endurance.
  • Your first physical fitness assessment will be the WSTB, occurring early on in your training.  The WSTB is the POST-mandated physical fitness assessment used across all basic police academy’s in the state.   All incoming recruits should be familiar with the WSTB prior to the start of the basic police academy. 
     
  • Academy Staff expectations: you should be capable of completing all five components of the WSTB prior to the start of the basic police academy. 
  • If you are unfamiliar with the WSTB, please see the video link for an introduction –  
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58TrjCiNR9U
  • You should be able to:  
    Run 1.5 miles, at a 10-minute pace, before the academy begins.  

  • Run .25 miles in full uniform and duty boots, which will be a part of our academy training process.  Now is the time to break in your duty boots and condition yourself for uniform runs.
  • Academy staff will closely monitor nutrition, hydration and fitness progress.   

  • You should be actively focused on healthy eating habits and hydration now, in preparation for your academy start date.

  • Recruits who do not meet the WSTB standards during the first physical fitness assessment will be placed on an individual nutrition and fitness improvement plans, documented in a Recruit Counseling Report (RCR).   

Prerequisites

Each Basic Police Academy applicant must:

Minimum Standards for Employment

The minimum selection standards for peace officers in California are set forth in Government Code Sections 1029 and 1031. Every California peace officer must:

  • Be free of any felony convictions;
  • Legally authorized to work in the United States by federal law;
  • Be at least 21 years of age;
  • Be fingerprinted for purposes of search of local, state, and national fingerprint files to disclose any criminal record;
  • Be of good moral character, as determined by a thorough background investigation;
  • Be a high school graduate, pass the General Education Development test or have attained a two-year or four-year degree from an accredited institution; and
  • Be found to be free from any physical, emotional, or mental condition which might adversely affect the exercise of the powers of a peace officer.

For more information visit the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Peace Officer Candidate Information web page.

More Information

Peace Officer Selection Process
POST Regular Basic Course
POST Learning Domain Workbooks
POST Training and Testing Specification

Upcoming Basic Police Academy Courses:

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