The Basic Police Academy is a program authorized and supervised by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission and sponsored jointly by the Miami County Sheriff’s Office and Edison Community College. The academy will satisfy or exceed the training hours required by the Ohio Commission and will prepare students for all areas of the Peace Officer Certification Exam. 

Academy Schedule:
We will schedule two academies per year.  One will start in July, and another in January. Applications will open 3 months prior to the start academy.  Hours: 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Monday through Friday, most Saturdays are all day.

Eligibility
There are two ways to be accepted into the Police Academy.

1. Open Enrollment Applicants: persons wishing to enter the academy who do not hold a current oath or commission with an Ohio law enforcement agency. Each applicant must complete a multi-page application and short interview with a review committee to compete for a seat in the academy. This process must be completed four weeks before the academy begins.

 To qualify as an open enrollment candidate

• You must be at least 21 years old when the academy ends
• You must have a valid Ohio drivers license
• You cannot have any felony convictions
• You cannot have any conviction from a domestic violence charge
    

2. Sworn Officers: persons who hold a current oath or commission of office with any Ohio law enforcement agency. Sworn officers are automatically accepted into the academy and do not have to fill out the complete application or sit for the interview. If a sworn officer needs only part of the academy curriculum, the academy commander will work with the officer to schedule the appropriate attendance dates.

To begin the academy enrollment process contact Academy Coordinator, Shirley Moore, room 122, or 937-778-7860 or .

Preparation
An excellent way to prepare for the Basic Peace Officer Academy is to enroll in the Edison Criminal Justice degree program.

Applicants that are over 21 and have never attended college need to be proficient in keyboarding and ready for college English. If you need keyboarding skills, take OSA 100S at Edison.  If you have never successfully passed a college English class, you should take the placement test given through admissions.  Call Admissions, 937-778-7920 or visit Student Services, room 160 to schedule a two-hour admissions/placement.
 
Training Location
Training will be held at Edison Community College, Piqua Campus or at the Chester Paulus Training Center, 2050 North County Rd. 25A, (north of Troy). Other community locations may be used for the practical training blocks.

Staff
Classroom instruction is provided by experienced, state-certified instructors. Our academy commander will be Chief Joe Mahan, Miami County Sheriff’s Office. The academy coordinator at Edison Community College is Shirley Moore, Business and Industry Center. For academy information and application materials, contact Shirley Moore at 937-778-7860 or .

College Credit and Tuition
The cost of the Basic Police Academy will be $2,980. All curriculum, study materials, ammunition and vehicles needed for the training are included in the basic cost. Students are also provided with two uniform shirts, and a carry bag. An Edison student parking sticker is $5 for the year.

Edison will award 16 semester credit hours for the completion of the Basic Peace Officer Academy. Those hours apply toward a two-year associate degree and can transfer to other institutions.  Students will register twice during the academy, taking 8 credit hours each semester. Grades based on performance in the program will be awarded at the end of each semester.

Academy students are billed $1,490 each semester. An optional payment plan is available: 3 payments of $497 on the first day of each month of the academy. The payment plan has a $25 enrollment fee each semester. 

Information on Edison's Criminal Justice degree can be found at:  http://www.edisonohio.edu/criminaljustice.

Financial Aid
Financial Aid is available for the Police Academy. To apply for financial aid or for questions regarding financial aid, call 937-778-7910 or visit them in Student Services, room 160. Applying early for financial aid will ensure the funds are available when class begins.

Class Size
Academy classes will be between 24 and 40 students in order to maintain safety and provide a quality training environment.

Additional Equipment
All academy students must provide notepaper, pens, pencils, notebooks, flashlights and a copy of the Ohio Revised Code Handbook (available through Edison Bookstore). All academy paperwork and notebook work must be submitted typewritten. Students may use the computers and printers in the Learning Lab, room 443, for this purpose. The Learning Lab has both day and evening hours.

At some point in the training, students will be required to provide a firearm and appropriate duty gear. Students are cautioned to wait until after the familiarization lecture provided early in the academy before making these purchase decisions.

Important Phone Numbers

*Veteran’s Benefits are processed through the Financial Aid Office

Note: The field of law enforcement is a highly responsible, demanding field. Ability to take personal responsibility and ability to follow directions are critical to success in the field. Your ability to take personal responsibility and follow directions will be evaluated during your application process and throughout your academy training. If you have any questions, please call us.

Basic Training Curriculum

Physical fitness standards that each student must meet at THE END of the academy.