8/31/2024 8:25:10 PM	AJ 223 Course Outline as of Fall 2025	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  AJ 223	Title:  BASIC POLICE ACADEMY
Full Title:  Basic Police Academy
Last Reviewed:8/26/2024

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	21.00	Lecture Scheduled	7.50		20 max.	Lecture Scheduled	150.00
Minimum	21.00	Lab Scheduled	33.25		20 min.	Lab Scheduled	665.00
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	40.75			Contact Total	815.00
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  300.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 1115.00

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade Only
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

In this course, students will undergo training in a Basic Police Academy certified by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) for the state of California. This intensive 20-week Academy teaches criminal law, laws of search and seizure, laws of evidence, traffic laws, investigative techniques, patrol procedures, firearms, vehicle operations course, defensive tactics, police report writing, first aid, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The Basic Police Academy provides instruction and evaluation of all academic, physical, and behavioral traits required by the state of California to meet the minimum standards to be employed as a peace officer in California.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:
Students must pass the California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Reading and Writing test with a POST required minimum T-Score of 42 to meet entry level requirements for law enforcement positions. Students must pass a criminal history check as outlined in California Penal code 13511.5. Students must possess a valid driver’s license.

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

In this course, students will undergo training in a Basic Police Academy certified by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) for the state of California. This intensive 20-week Academy teaches criminal law, laws of search and seizure, laws of evidence, traffic laws, investigative techniques, patrol procedures, firearms, vehicle operations course, defensive tactics, police report writing, first aid, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The Basic Police Academy provides instruction and evaluation of all academic, physical, and behavioral traits required by the state of California to meet the minimum standards to be employed as a peace officer in California.

(Grade Only)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:Students must pass the California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Reading and Writing test with a POST required minimum T-Score of 42 to meet entry level requirements for law enforcement positions. Students must pass a criminal history check as outlined in California Penal code 13511.5. Students must possess a valid driver’s license.
Transfer Credit:
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:		Inactive:
Area:
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
CSU Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
UC Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Certificate Applicable Course

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Identify, define, and demonstrate the basic tasks of peace officers.

2. Identify, classify, and apply appropriate provisions of federal and state law related to peace

officers.

3. Perform and document complete preliminary investigations assigned to peace officers.

4. Demonstrate the physical skills needed to perform the tasks of a peace officer in the areas of driving, shooting, defensive tactics, and first aid.

 

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate through learning activities and cognitive tests a working knowledge of the basic principles of the law enforcement profession which will minimally include: law enforcement history, ethics, career influence, and state court and correction systems.

2. Demonstrate through learning activities, exercises, and scenarios knowledge of community relations, community oriented policing, tactical communication strategies, and cultural awareness and diversity issues.

3. Recall and apply through cognitive and scenario tests current laws of the State of California as they relate to criminal behavior, traffic enforcement, laws of evidence, and search and seizure.

4. Develop and write effective police reports based on scenarios.

5. Demonstrate through cognitive and exercise tests, the ability to safely and effectively operate a law enforcement emergency vehicle both in low and high speed, and under variable road conditions.

6. Demonstrate through cognitive and exercise tests the legal, moral, and the safe use of both handguns and shotguns commonly employed for use by law enforcement agencies.

7. Demonstrate proficient use of the handgun and shotgun, which meets the minimum standard approved by the Law Enforcement Advisory Committee.

8. Demonstrate through exercises and scenario tests the ability to conduct specific criminal investigations, locate and process evidence at a crime scene, issue a citation for a traffic violation, complete all required tests for a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) violation, conduct a collision investigation, and demonstrate the ability to effectively and safely conduct low and high risk vehicle stops employing proper officer safety procedures.

9. Demonstrate through exercise tests the ability to safely control and arrest a suspect using approved weaponless defense techniques, including the proper use of the police baton, chemical agent, and taser.

10. List the current civil and criminal liabilities and penalties for the improper use of force.

11. Demonstrate through cognitive and exercise tests accepted procedures for administering first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Topics and Scope

I. Social Necessity of Law Enforcement

    A. History, professionalism, and ethics

    B. Criminal justice system

    C. Community oriented policing

    D. Victimology/crisis intervention

    E. Persons with disabilities

    F. Gang awareness

    G. Cultural awareness/discrimination

    H. Custody

II. California Law

    A. Introduction to law

    B. Laws of arrest

    C. Crimes against property

    D. Crimes against persons

    E. General criminal statutes

    F. Crimes against children

    G. Sex crimes

    H. Juvenile law

    I. Controlled substance law

    J. Alcohol Beverage Control law

    K. Crimes against the justice system

    L. Weapons violations

    M. Search and seizure

    N. Laws of evidence

    O. Traffic law enforcement

III. Communications

    A. Tactical communications

    B. Investigative report writing

IV. Investigations

    A. Preliminary criminal investigations

    B. Traffic accident investigations

    C. Law enforcement information systems

    D. Missing persons investigations

    E. Domestic violence investigations

V. Law Enforcement Tactics

    A. Vehicle pullover techniques

    B. Crimes in progress

    C. Handling disputes and crowd control

    D. Patrol procedures

    E. Unusual occurrences

    F. Hazardous materials

VI. Skill Development

    A. Vehicle operation

    B. Firearms/chemical agents

    C. Lifetime fitness

    D. First aid/cardiopulmonary resuscitation

    E. Arrest and control/baton

VII. Officer Wellness

 

All Topics are covered in both the lecture and lab parts of the course.

Assignments:

Lecture Related Assignments:

1. Read daily from POST workbooks

2. Prepare and recall law study cards

3. Research and complete written assignments from police policy and procedure manuals

4. Prepare investigative reports

5. Complete Academy constructed multiple choice quizzes

6. Complete POST constructed multiple choice comprehensive and integrated tests

7. Evaluations based on the job dimensions determined by the State of California for the employment of peace officers

 

Lab Related Assignments:

1. Complete POST learning activities

2. Complete POST constructed scenario tests

3. Complete POST arrest and control exercise tests

4. Complete POST firearms exercise tests

5. Complete POST emergency vehicle operations exercise tests

6. Complete Academy constructed scenario tests

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 10 - 25%
Assignments from police policy and procedure manuals, written investigative reports
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 20 - 40%
Scenarios, exercises, learning activities
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 10 - 30%
Scenarios, exercises, learning activities, arrest and control, firearms, and emergency vehicle course
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 30 - 50%
Tests and quizzes
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 5 - 15%
Evaluations based on the job dimensions determined by the State of California for the employment of peace officers

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

California Penal Code. Current edition.

California Vehicle Code. Current edition.

Alcoholic Beverage Control Act Manual. Current edition.

California Criminal Evidence Code. Hill, Raymond. Halleck Creek Publishing. Current edition.

State Collision Investigation Manual. Current edition.

California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Student Workbooks, 42 Learning Domains. Current edition.

California POST Training and Testing Specifications for the regular basic course. Current edition.

Instructor prepared material

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