[2][3] Police training varies in important ways around the world, with significant differences in program content, format, and instructional methods.
The "good government" ethos of the 20th century emphasized that police should be hired competitively based on merit, and entrance tests became standard practice.
On the shooting range and in the gym, hands-on and scenario-based activities include arrest and control, defensive tactics, the use of weapons, and driving.
In the U.S., the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing recommended incorporating the following in topics in basic recruit and in-service trainings: policing in a democratic society; implicit bias and cultural responsiveness; social interaction skills and tactical skills; addiction; crisis intervention (mental health); policies on sexual misconduct and sexual harassment; and how to work with the LGBTQ community.
[12] In the classroom, watching and talking about videos can help people learn to pick out and pay attention to the most important parts of complicated situations.
For example, students may view a video of an interaction between police and citizens, learning to able to recognize the point at which information has been gathered to establish probable cause or suspicion to justify the officer's initial action.
Such activities also may sharpen the ability to interpret and reflect on what is noticed based on one's own professional knowledge and experience using description, explanation, and prediction.
Because video provides a permanent recording that captures the complexity of social interactions, learners can examine an action with multiple objectives and from different perspectives.
For this reason, instructional practices that involve viewing and discussion need to elaborate their purposes with clear and concrete task structures and designs.
Body-worn camera footage can be valuable for police training[14] and supporting officer learning, particularly in situations where behaviors fall short of professionalism.
[15] But dashcams and body-worn cameras may also inadvertently increase the use of force incidents and reduce the time that the police spend on de-escalating a situation.
Some of the video training materials that are used in police education are so tedious and boring to watch that officers are tempted to skip out on viewing them, which is a type of cheating.
From 1957 to 1961, the school trained personnel for Georgia, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Altai, Irkutsk, Krasnodar, Kuybyshev, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo, Saratov, and other states within the USSR.
[21] The main purpose of the academy is to educate students regarding the law as well as specialised training for employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
A candidate who does not meet the physical fitness requirements, or fails assessments such as medical or MIA checks are considered to be disqualified from the competition.
POLAMK requires its candidates to be Finnish citizens who have completed at least a vocational qualification, upper secondary school studies or the matriculation examination.
Recruits of the Law Enforcement Command of Islamic Republic of Iran are trained at the Amin Police Academy in Tehran.
In the college officers are enrolled in academic studies and trained in modern policing techniques, weapons handling, and informatics.
The autonomous Catalan and Basque police forces —the Mossos d'Esquadra and the Ertzaintza— also have their own academies in Mollet del Vallès (Barcelona, 41°33′05″N 2°13′17″E / 41.551442°N 2.221305°E / 41.551442; 2.221305) and Arcaute (Álava, 42°51′29″N 2°37′07″W / 42.858187°N 2.618719°W / 42.858187; -2.618719).
The Spanish police academies must not be confused with the many fee-paying private academias training potential candidates to pass the entry examination beforehand.
Applicants must possess eligibility for higher education, the personal qualities deemed necessary for the profession and meet a number of the physical requirements relating to the job.
After successful completion of the study and training programs, the student will be awarded a bachelor's degree in Police Sciences and Criminal Justice.
All candidates for the 43 police forces for England and Wales must be over the age of 181⁄2; of a reasonable standard of physical fitness, with good health and eyesight.
Departments and/or state certification agencies may also require individuals to pass background checks, psychological evaluations, polygraph exams, drug screenings, firearms qualifications and demonstrations of driving skills as prerequisites of employment/certification.
FLETC, which is operated by the Department of Homeland Security, and is headquartered in Glynco, Georgia with training sites in Artesia, New Mexico, Charleston, South Carolina and Cheltenham, Maryland.
Their training is conducted at "The Connecticut Police Academy" located at 285 Preston Avenue, in Meriden, CT.[45] In order to become a certified police officer, a recruit must be a legal United States resident at least 21 years of age, have a high school diploma or equivalent, possess a valid drivers license, and not be convicted of any felonies.
Upon successful completion, candidates are 'certifiable' and have a period of one year to obtain employment as law enforcement officers, (if not sponsored by an agency).
All recruits must have at least a conditional offer of employment from a law enforcement agency, have a clear background check, pass a medical exam and a physical fitness test.
The PSTC law enforcement academies require each recruit to qualify with a firearm, demonstrate driving skills, maintaining physical fitness, pass subject matter exams and scenario evaluations as a condition of certification.
Officers are also required to do an additional 40 hours of training annually in order to stay up to date on all current laws and police procedures.