The Basics

• A police academy is a specialized school set up to train people how to become police officers. Each state has specific requirements regarding how physically fit and how educated a person must be to become a police officer, and that state's police academies reflect those requirements. There are two ways to get accepted to a police academy, depending on the state. Some states simply will allow people to sign up, while others first will require them to be hired by an actual police department.
  
  

Studies

• While at the police academy potential officers will be trained in a variety of subjects. This includes how to arrest and book a suspect, techniques used during investigations, how to communicate via radio with other officers, how to write reports, and how to enforce various traffic laws.
  
  It is also during the police academy that potential officers will be trained in how to drive and operate emergency vehicles and the process to follow when in pursuit of a suspect.
  
  

Firearms

• An important training aspect of the police academy is firearms training. It is during these classes that academy cadets will be taught how to properly fire and care for their weapons. They will be trained on both regular pistols and shotguns. During the academy, a person will be trained on what to do if they are in pursuit of a suspect with a weapon, how to disarm a suspect and when it is acceptable to use a weapon.
  
  

Physical Training

• The police academy also will train potential police officers in a number of physical ways. These officers will have to go through both strength and endurance conditioning to make sure they are physically fit to be a law enforcement officer. They also will be taught how to physically arrest a suspect and how to defend themselves if they cannot access their weapons.
  
  

Acceptance

• It is important to note that most states will require a person to pass all courses at the police academy before they can become a police officer. Even if she has been hired into a local police department prior to going to the academy, if she is not deemed eligible and fit to serve, any job offers will be revoked and she will not be able to protect and serve her community.