Academy - Open Enrollment vs. Prior Appointment

[Serpentman]

I was just curious on how many of you that are currently in law enforcement attended the academy as open enrollment cadets vs appointed. I am looking at taking a calculated risk by attending the academy full time in a couple of months as an open enrollment cadet if I do not get appointed by a dept. beforehand. Just wondered how many were successful in doing so.

[JD45]

I went in as an open enrollment canidate. It IS a risk. You're counting on #1 passing the academy and #2 getting hired. As long as you make #1, #2 seems to come along pretty easy, or at least it did for me.

[FloridaLEO]

I went open and had two agencies wanting to hire me prior to graduation. Most of the class went in open. I have come to the conclusion that if your not hired before graduation than your most likely not going to have an easy time ever getting hired. Everyone in my class that left without a job is still jobless. Its a strange thing.

[scott715us]

Our state makes a killing in money off of folks that are non-sponsored. You have to do it through school if you're not employed by a PD. One can't just show up and say "I want in the academy." They have it as an elective at most of the local universities, but here's the catch:

Sponsored cadet by police dept = $1600
Cadet going through college = $3000 (plus your tuition)

If you go through school, you're pretty much guaranteed a job after graduating (the academy), but as far as I know in TN, you can't just show up and attend. ;)

[tomahawk134]

I can see the positive/negative aspects of an Open Academy. I am a product of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Indian Police Academy for Basic Police and Criminal Investigation. Both programs require being hired before attendance. the FLETC, BIA do not accept an OPEN canadiate to attend training.

tomwoolworth