Basic Police Recruit Training
Because our commitment to the citizens of Nashville demands that only the highest caliber individual serve as a police officer, our selection process is lengthy and competitive. The Metro Police Department is not in the habit of just handing out badges to get one, you have to earn it.
The Metro Police Basic Training Program is longer than the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Academy and the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy combined. It is also longer than U.S. Army Basic Training and the prestigious F.B.I. Academy.
Trainees do not reside at the academy. It is a commuter academy meaning that trainees go home every evening. They will attend training Monday through Friday and will be paid during their time at the academy. In addition to earning a paycheck, trainees will also be furnished with all necessary training equipment.
For police officers, there are many critical elements trainees must learn while attending training. Academics, Ethics, Physical fitness, Community Service, Firearms, and Emergency Vehicle Operations are all crucial to graduating the police academy. Over the course of approximately 23 weeks, trainees receive instruction from the Basic Course Curriculum. Currently, trainees receive approximately 1000 hours of training courses. The basic training program is designed to challenge the trainee both physically and mentally. The curriculum is developed with the goal of providing Nashville with the most qualified officers.
Visit The Shooting Range
Theres no need to enter the police academy as an expert sharpshooter, but shooting is a skill that will develop over time. Therefore, the more hours you can put in prior to the academy, the better youll fare.
Get comfortable with common firearms such as 12-gauge shotguns, 9mm handguns, and .40 cal handguns. In addition to spending time at the range, take a basic firearms safety course to familiarize yourself with disciplined firearms handling.
Police Academy Requirements For Age
Most police academies have an age minimum and maximum age limit however the police academy requirements for age vary from state to state. While the majority of states require that applicants be at least 21 years of age, few do allow applicants as young as 18 years old. In regards to the age limit, most police academies prefer that applicants be under the age of 36 years old. This is due to the police departments required retirement age of 56. Those 36 and older may still apply but will most likely only be eligible for part-time positions upon graduation.
*EXCEPTION: Applicants with prior active military duty are given leniency in regards to age.
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Improving Body Strength Though Push
Push-ups are another part of the police fitness test. The HPD test requires 25 continuous pushups. In order for a push-up to count during the test, the candidate must use proper form and the chest must briefly touch the floor.
To foster proper form for push-ups, arms should be held close to the body and core stomach muscles should be tightened. There are many different types of push-ups that increase arm and chest strength:
Incline push-ups performed by placing your hands on a stable platform higher than the ground. Start with leaning on a wall, bed, or sturdy table and work your way down to a surface about 6 inches off the ground.
- Wide inclined push-ups performed by holding the hands in a wider position than shoulder width.
- Weighted push-ups performed by wearing a weighted vest.
- Wide push-ups performed by placing the hands outside shoulder width during each push-up.
- Diamond push-ups performed by placing the hands on the floor to form a diamond between the index fingers and thumbs during each push-up.
All of these push-up exercises strengthen the upper and lower body, especially the chest area. They also strengthen core muscles.
Candidates should start by doing 100 push-ups a day. I recommend that you start with finding the maximum number of push-ups you can do at one time. Over time, start to increase the number each day until you can do 25-30 push-ups at one time and repeat the exercise over time until you have accomplished 100 push-ups a day.
Do You Get To Go Home During Police Academy
Depending on where you train to be a police officer, you may or may not get to go home during police academy. For RCMP, your training troop of 32 cadets live at an on-site facility called The Depot for the full duration of training.
While a few municipal training academies have recruits live on the grounds during training, most academies have recruits go home at night. If you are training at an academy where you live on the grounds, going home during the training can be very difficult to balance as it is quite exhausting, both mentally and physically.
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Montgomery Gi Bill Ojt Mha
On the other hand, the Montgomery GI Bill program sets a fixed rate of how much you can receive, depending on whether you belong to the active duty or the Selected Reserve, and how far along you are in your training.
The rates of your receivable stipend is in the table below:
These figures are sourced from the current VA Rate Tables.
The Real Truth: How Hard Is The Police Academy
You may have heard the saying, nothing worth having comes easy. This statement can easily be applied to the training that is required to become a police officer.
Police academy training includes both classroom and practical training and requires a great deal of dedication and discipline.
But exactly how hard is the police academy? In this article, well cover some common questions about police academies and the training that is required.
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Pass The Licensing Exam
The next step to becoming a police officer is to earn a passing score on your states police licensing board exam. Your education and training will prepare you to take the Peace Officer Standards and Training exam.
Each state has its own licensing board, so the tests will also vary. But generally speaking, most POST exams cover topics like: practical application and techniques, civil and criminal law, community policing, victims rights and management and communication. By passing this capstone exam, you are licensed to become a police officer and enforce the law in your jurisdiction. You are now free to seek employment with a police department.
The Need For Police Academy Training
Police academy training is a necessary step in preparing police officers to deal with the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of the job. Police officers dont just arrest criminals, they are also entrusted with upholding the law which is why they must be able to understand, interpret, and enforce state and local laws in their area. For these reasons, and many more, the police academy is an important step in the process of becoming a police officer.
The perception of police officers has been controversial recently, but more importantly, a new challenge is arising. Recruiting and retaining police officers has grown to be a big challenge among law enforcement. Why? Read the answer here.
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How To Use The Gi Bill For Police Academy
Not quite over your life as a military service member? Do you feel that wearing a uniform is like a second skin?
Then perhaps joining the local law enforcement is the right path for you.
If you are wondering whether you can use your hard-earned GI Bill benefits for attending the police academy, and want to know how best to go about it, then here is the quick answer:
The GI Bill can be used to attend police academy through the on-the-job training/apprenticeship category. Covered individuals are veterans receiving benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI Bill, and the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment programs. The VA provides a stipend equivalent of up to 100% of your applicable Monthly Housing Allowance during your training period.This is apart from the salary you can receive for your OJT at the union or facility you are attending. Under the GI Bill On-The-Job Training Program, youâll get a salary which is at least 50% of the industry rate, and can increase as your training progresses.
It is important to note that this benefit is currently only available to military veterans, and not to their spouse or dependents, nor to individuals currently serving on active duty.
You can check out a list of approved participating employers on our database of over 2,934 GI Bill approved Police Departments and Academies.
Law Enforcement Bad Habits
I have seen many cops fall back to bad habits. They sit in their cruisers, eat junk food, gain weight, work long hours, do not get adequate rest, etc. I have seen cops graduate the academy, then a couple of months later they have gained a lot of weight due to the above reasons I listed.
I could some up police work in one phrase. Depending on where you work, police work is 90% boredom and 10% action. So those bad habits catch up with you very quickly.
In the world of law enforcement, your physical fitness is extremely important because that 10% could be that life or death fight, rescuing someone from drowning, a foot chase, running into a burning building, etc. You need to be able to go from 0-100mph in one second.
In the world of Crossfit and boot camp type classes the stress of quantity over quality is causing you to overtrain and what leads people to unnecessary injuries. Injuries that can be avoided when proper form is stressed.
Believe me, if you concentrate on form more than the weight you will have a much better workout.
Snacks To Carry In Your Patrol Bag
Like I stated before, I see cops eating junk food in their cruisers, sitting idle on a street corner. I see cops go into the local convenience and buy greasy chips, hot dogs, soda, candyyou get the picture. You need to fuel your body with proper nutrients throughout the day. I carry a large backpack of food with me all the time.
Below is a list of foods you should have with you as snacks
Apples w/ Almond Butter
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Police Academy Workout And Training
After the police academynow what? Heres your guide to police academy workout and training after graduation!
So you graduated the police academy, you are in great shape, now what?
As a patrol officer, you carry at least 20 lbs of gear on you at all times to include your bullet-proof vest. Most of that weight is on your gun belt, which can eventually lead to back problems. For a good part of your shift, you sit in a cruiser. As a detective, you are mostly behind a desk conducting long investigations. If you make it on a SWAT team, now you are carrying close to 50 lbs of gear.
In my field, as a SWAT officer, and a Detective, depending on the situation, I could be wearing that gear for several hours or I might be behind my desk for several hours.
Unfortunately, the police academy doesnt prepare you enough for every situation. I see the physical fitness at the academy as a building block, but it is up to you to continue your physical fitness.
Just because they are in jail doesnt mean they are not training
What Are The Top Military Friendly Police Academy Programs For Veterans
A lot of law enforcement agencies actually prefer hiring individuals with a military training background. This is because most, if not all, of your military skills are either requirements or assets of a police officer’s job role.
Not yet decided where you want to go? The Military Times listed the top-ranking law enforcement agencies for veterans, which are:
- Tucson Police Department, Arizona
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How Long Do Police Officers Train
Excluding field training, the average length of a basic law enforcement training program in a training academy was about 840 hours, or 21 weeks. This was about 2 weeks longer than was observed in the 2006 CLETA. Academies operated by agencies with special jurisdictions had the longest training programs , followed by county police academies . Academies operated by state POST agencies , technical schools , and sheriffsâ offices had the shortest training programs on average. Across all types of academies, each recruit spent an average of 806 hours each completing basic training .
What Subject Areas Do Police Academies Focus On During Training
Among the major topical training areas in the CLETA survey, the most required training hours were in the area of operations . Major topics covered in operations training included patrol procedures , investigations , emergency vehicle operations , and report writing .
An average of 168 hours per recruit were required for training on weapons, defensive tactics, and the use of force. Recruits spent most of this time on firearms and self-defense training. Recruits also spent an average of 21 hours on the use of force, which may have included training on agency policies, de-escalation tactics, and crisis intervention strategies.
Recruits were typically also required to take training classes in self-improvement and legal education . On average, more than half of self-improvement training hours were related to health and fitness . A majority of the legal training focused on criminal and constitutional law and traffic law . Nearly a third of academies required basic foreign language training with an average of 9 hours per recruit.
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Check The Order Of Testing
Some states dont even let you start police academy training until you can pass a physical fitness test. Others want you to pass the test by the end of training, and still others by the time you begin work. This is true for all of the different things youre evaluated on during the process.
You might attend police academy before you apply to work in law enforcement. Other times, you might get your job, and then the department sends you to their specific training. Usually large departments self-train, and you are hired before you train. Smaller departments usually want new hires that are already trained and certified. Check with the department where you want to work.
The First Week Of Every Month Each Candidate Advancement Program Location Conducts The Physical Fitness Qualifier The Pfq Consists Of Four Events:
1) Maximum sit-ups in one minute2) 300-meter sprint3) Maximum push-ups in one minute, and4) 1.5 mile-run. This is the same physical fitness test that academy recruits take the third day of the police academy.
This is the same physical fitness test that academy recruits take the third day of the Police Academy. You will receive your advisory score at the end of the PFQ. This helps track your progress and assess your physical fitness before entering the LAPD Academy.
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Start Conditioning And Physical Training Asap
You can start your physical training today. Especially if youre new to an exercise program, check with a doctor to make sure you can succeed with an exercise program, and then begin slowly. Rome wasnt built in a day, and you cant get in shape in a day, either. You can get injured, though, so its important that you dont overdo it.
Do a gentle warm up to get your muscles ready for exercise. Make sure you have good shoes that are made for running. You need to train for both speed and endurance, so gradually increase your distance until you run about two miles.
Strength training should consist of squats, push ups, jumps and reaching. You also likely have to be able to pull a weighted dummy, so arm and core strength is critical. A good way to strength train is to do as many repetitions as you can in a set period of time, such as thirty seconds. That way, you can monitor your progress.
Drink lots of water while you train. Take time to cool down with light aerobic exercise after a workout. You should also take a day between your strength training days. This helps your muscles grow.
About The Training Academy
The Metro Police Training Academy has been developing elite police officers since 1970. Since that time, the Training Academy has graduated over 2,600 police officers, and boasts an Academy staff, which represents a multitude of areas of expertise. In addition to being one of the most respected police academies in the country, it is a CALEA accredited public safety training academy. In addition to being one of the most respected police academies in the country, it is a CALEA accredited public safety training academy.
The primary role of the Training Division is the operation of the Police Training Academy where it serves as the foundation of the agency by providing students with the highest quality training and knowledge, to support the needs of the department and the community they serve. The Training Academy provides training to newly hired police officer trainees, in-service training to all police officers annually, and thousands of hours of specialized training to officers from across the MNPD and the Metropolitan Government. All basic and in-service training is approved and monitored by the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards Training Commission.
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How To Prepare For The Police Academy In Canada: 5 Actionable Tips
Working in law enforcement is a sought-after career in Canada for many reasons. A career based on protecting the community and helping others, along with ongoing education, a strong pension, job security, and competitive salaries are all perks to becoming a cop. Although being a police officer is a dream of many, only a handful of highly skilled and qualified people will achieve this aspiration.
The biggest obstacle between would-be officers and their vocation of choice is the infamous police academy. On average, 14% of recruits who are accepted wont graduate from the police academy. Therefore, some recruits will attend an academy multiple times before they successfully pass.
The police academy is renowned for being incredibly difficult on multiple levels. If you want to be at the top of your class, you need to: