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A police officer is both a distinctive and a demanding profession. Because the strictness of the job can be physically and emotionally challenging, new recruits are carefully screened. Becoming a police officer comes with a series of requirements including strict discipline and order, similar to a military style of hierarchy. Most of the police officer training occurs at the police academy. While there, a new recruit will be pushed to their limits, they are required to be give every bit of attention, concentration, effort and strength. This strenuous process ensures that the new recruits can handle the day-to-day demands of the officer profession.
What is the police academy?
New police officers are required to complete a training program at a police academy. The police academies vary by state and the program can be anywhere from 12 weeks to a year. During that time, new officers are taught basic skills in a very controlled, regimented and military-style environment.
What does a new recruit learn from the academy?
The police academy will teach new recruits the ins and outs of law enforcement, new recruits must be taught how to react when they may be harmed by an assailant, self-defense training, arrest techniques, weapons training. They are put through a series of physical fitness test and skills trainings to ensure they are ready to handle the requirements of a police officer’s daily duty, which can be physically strenuous.
Classroom Training:
In addition to physical training, there is a fair amount of classroom work to be completed at the academy. Officers must understand human relations, interpersonal skills, stress management, investigative skills, crime scene processing, procedures, policies, police ethics and morality. Classroom training is structured and focused in areas of constitutional law, civil rights, and state and local laws.
Exams:
During the course of the academy training, recruits are required to pass a series of written and physical exams to demonstrate their understanding of the material. Written exams cover a variety of subjects including criminal procedures, traffic law, and various areas of police knowledge. The tests requirements ensure that only the best applicants are able to graduate as police officers. Some specific states may have additional tests that are required in addition to the standard academy testing.
Becoming a police officer is not taking the easy road. The training and application process is definitely long and difficult journey, but for those who are enthusiastic about the profession of protecting and serving the community can prepare themselves to tackle the training with passion and fortitude to become a talented and dedicated police officer.
