The Salt Lake City Police Department Academy
Prior to July of 2006, all applicants who were hired for the position of police officer with Salt Lake City, and had yet to completethe Utah State Police Academy, spent the first eighteen weeks of their employment at the Utah State Police Academy.
Upon successful completion of the State Academy the recruit returned to the Salt Lake City Police Department's Training Division where they spent an additional eight to ten weeks in further, more specific training, geared towards equipping each recruit with the skills they would need to function as a competent solo officer for the City of Salt Lake.
In an effort to shorten the time each new recruit spent in training between the two academies, the Salt Lake City Police Department petitioned the Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council asking for permission to provide all of the POST required training to our recruits at the City's training facility. POST granted permission for this request, and since July 2006 all new police officers for the City of Salt Lake are trained at the Salt Lake Police Pioneer Precinct. The curriculum covers all of the mandates that POST has set forth, and it covers the training necessary to function as a police officer for the City of Salt Lake. Since the training is now combined, the amount of time each recruit must spend in training has been reduced from twenty eight weeks to twenty one weeks. This reduction in training time saves the citizens of Salt Lake City tens of thousands of dollars yearly; however, it does not reduce the amount of quality training each recruit receives. Since the Salt Lake City Police Department started hosting the full academy, each class of recruits has graduated with a class average of 90% or better, on all of the tests they were required to take.
Currently, all Utah POST certified officers who desire employment with Salt Lake City must attend the academy in full.
Front row left to right:
Officer Earl Rose,
Officer Yvette Zayas,
Sgt. Ty Farillas,
Sgt. Scott White
Back row left to right:
Officer Mike Tueller,
Officer Aron Landry,
Officer Nate Swensen,
Officer Chris Kotrodimos,
Sgt. Jeff Webb
While attending the Academy you should expect the following:
The Salt Lake City Police Academy runs for twenty to twenty-one weeks depending on class size, holidays, and training requirements. During that time each recruit will receive approximately eight hundred thirty-two hours of instruction to include but not limited to: Constitutional Law, State Law, City Law, use of force, defensive tactics and handcuffing skills, emergency vehicle operation, police weapons and tatics training. Additionally, each recruit will be exposed to the effects of the "pepper spray" and the conducted electrical device (commonly called a TASER) they will carry while working.
The academic requirements for the Salt Lake City Police Academy are very strict. Each recruit must maintain an average of eighty percent or better on all tests and quizzes during the academy. If a recruit fails three tests he/she will be dismissed from training and separated from employment.
Before graduation, the recruit must pass the Utah POST "Special Functions Officer" and "Law Enforcement Officer" tests. These tests are comprehensive and cover material learned during the academy.
Each recruit is strongly urged to enter the academy in top physical condition. The recruit will run three times a week with the length of the runs increasing up to five miles. Additionally, the recruit will participate in rigorous cross training.
Once the recruit has successfully completed all aspects of the academy he/she will enter the Field Training (FTO) Program. This program is fourteen weeks in duration, and the recruit will work with a minimum of four different training officers during that time. During FTO, the recruit will be evaluated daily in thirty-seven different aspects of the job. At the successful conclusion of the FTO Program, the recruit is certified as a solo patrol officer and is assigned to a patrol division to begin their career with the Salt Lake City Police Department.