Upon being hired, Police Recruits attend the San Jose Police Academy. The Academy is a 30-week program with approximately 1146 hours of training. Our standards are well above the California P.O.S.T minimum standards for Police Recruit Officer training. The training is conducted during the weekdays from either 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, or 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, with some training conducted after hours and on weekends. The Academy is not a “live-in” facility; Police Recruit Officers will be required to find their own living arrangements and daily transportation.

The Academy curriculum consists of weekly physical conditioning and training in California Laws (e.g., Penal Codes, Vehicle Codes, Health & Safety Codes, etc.). The curriculum is fast paced and intense, with Learning Domains, weekly exams, a mid-term exam, and a final exam. We combine classroom learning with scenario / role-playing practical situations. The Academy curriculum structure allows the Department to train recruits who have no prior training or education in law enforcement. Here are a few of the things recruits learn in the Academy program:

• Officer Safety
• De-escalation training
• Police Officer Ethics
• Cultural Diversity/Discrimination
• Procedural Justice/Implicit Bias Training
• Laws Pertaining to Search and Seizure
• Criminal Investigations
• Emergency Vehicle Driving
• Vehicle Car Stops
• Report Writing
• Crime Scene Management
• Principled Policing in the Community
• Firearms Training
• Accident Investigation
• Building Searches
• Less-Than-Lethal Force Options
• Defensive Tactics
• Arrest and Control Techniques
• Radio Communication Codes
• Recognition of Illegal Substances and Narcotics
• Recognition of Under the Influence
• Evidence Collection
• Juvenile Laws

Upon successful completion of the training and graduation from the Police Academy, you will continue your training in the Field Training Program of the Patrol Division.