How long does it take to complete police academy?

In Philadelphia, Pa., police officers in training spend 30 weeks at the police academy. The length of time it takes to complete police academy likely varies from city to city.

Completing the police academy training course is one of the final steps in becoming a police officer. Preliminary steps include filling out an employment application and undergoing a series of physical, medical and psychological checks.

Since police officers need to be competent in a variety of specialized skills, the training at a police academy is very thorough. To illustrate, just a few of the courses offered by New York City's academy cover firearms proficiency, driver education and school safety.