Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Not sure if this has been previously posted, if so can someone please direct me to the thread. My question: I have heard of funding yourself through a police academy program. Are there any in California? I was interested in establishing a 'plan B' if my process with the LASD results in a DQ or something. Any info would be helpful, thanks.

I very nearly considered putting myself through the academy up here in Sacramento. The Sacramento County Sheriff Academy has about half the class as un-affiliated. Similar deal at the Contra Costa County Academy. Most of the cadets got signed onto a department before they graduated.

Putting yourself through is an easy way to skip to th front of the line, but it costs a lot of money and you risk not being picked up by an agency straight out of the academy so there is some risk involved...

EDIT: Oh, and you said you'd want it as a plan B in case you get DQed... not so sure that's a good idea. If you get DQ'd, that probably means there is something in your past that would prevent you from being hired regardless of if you are non-affiliate in the academy or not. Do you mean in case you're not chosen to go on with the hiring process instead of DQ'd?

For someone who has good qualifications (college, military, etc.) and no serious background issues, putting yourself through an academy isn't necessarily a bad thing. As previously mentioned, if you have issues that may cause you to get DQ'd, putting yourself through the academy on your own is probably wasting your money. When you're done with the academy, you're still going to have to go through the same hiring process as other applicants, you'll just be ready for immediate hire. Academy costs are trivial in the grand scheme of things from a department's point of view, so they aren't going to be any more apt to hire an unqualified applicant just because they put themselves through the academy.

Around here, only about 10-20% of those who put themselves through the academy actually land a job after graduation.

Around here, only about 10-20% of those who put themselves through the academy actually land a job after graduation.

Wow, then I guess it varies in different areas.... The academy I looked into, the non-affiliates almost always got picked up. Obviously you still have to be as qualified, but a lot of departments just hire guys right out of academy instead of paying to put people through... so there is a lot of opportunity around here... IF you are qualified...

Well my BI is doing my background as we speak. I have a clean criminal record, decent high school and college GPA (for the portion I completed), and no harmful info on my credit history. I am not worried about the poly and medical test because I have been completely truthful about my background and I meet the weight to height requirements plus I am in decent shape. Yet I do have some background issues that I completely disclosed to my BI. I had to write a statement explaining the circumstances and it will be reviewed by his Sergeant. He will give the go or no go on my application. So... according to your advice, if the Sergeant rejects me, then my plan B will not do much, I will just have to have time pass and maybe make myself more competitive with a degree in Criminal Justice. The issues in my background are not auto DQ, they are based on the context and how much time has passed. This is my second attempt at the LASD. I was DQ'ed before right in the beginning. I was told to try again in six months, I waited about eight. Placing about 13 months between the last background incident. We will see I guess, thanks for the advice.

well, if whatever is in your background is not an autoDQ, putting yourself through the academy is always an option. While you won't be able to get hired if there is something that will DQ you, if youre background just isn't QUITE as favorable as the other guys, putting yourself through the academy can move you through to the front of the line. As long as you are otherwise qualified...

I was DQ'ed before right in the beginning.

You're lucky. The first time I tried to get on with the County, quite awhile ago, they fuc&ed me good - IIRC, made me wait/kept me in limbo close to a year and a half before finally telling me I was DQ'ed for poor credit history. What really annoyed me was that the couple of delinquent accounts that went to collection agencies were paid in full within the first 6 months after going that far and that was THREE YEARS prior to my applying. Plus, the information they based their supposed decision on was right there in the first batch of paperwork I turned in. I was livid. Fortunately, that piece of work BI (who would lose things I submitted and then claim I never turned them in) has since retired...

PS For starters, check out Rio Hondo and Fullerton.

Wow, then I guess it varies in different areas.... The academy I looked into, the non-affiliates almost always got picked up. Obviously you still have to be as qualified, but a lot of departments just hire guys right out of academy instead of paying to put people through... so there is a lot of opportunity around here... IF you are qualified...

A lot of that probably has to do with what kind of screening an academy conducts on prospective recruits. Around here, the community colleges will let anyone in who can legally own a firearm and did well on a written test. There's no physical agility test, medical exam, or psych exam. They do conduct a drug test on orientation day, but that's it. They don't really care about anything else. As we all know, just because you can legally own a firearm doesn't necessarily mean that you will pass an agency's hiring process.

What I've seen is that the academies that have stricter entrance requirements for self-sponsored recruits seem to have a higher rate of their graduates finding jobs.

Yeah, that makes sense. The entrance policies of the academy probably make or break its job placement rate.