- 1). Pick the city you would like to work in and fill out its application. Get accepted as a police officer in a particular city, pending graduation from the academy. In Southern California, many police recruits are sent to the Orange County Sheriff's Academy, one of the most physically demanding in the nation to prepare them for the role as a police officer.
- 2). Call the city police department you are interested in to have an application sent to you. Many offer the information and applications online. Open houses are quite popular at police departments to give applicants a taste of what life in the academy and time as a police officer will be like. The application requires the following in most cities in California: Enrollment is continuous and you will bring the application and your driver's license to a testing site. Do not return your form to the police department unless instructed to do so.
- 3). Wear clothing appropriate for a Physical Agility Test (PAT) and obstacle course on testing day. The test will begin with a multiple-choice exam. Those passing will be allowed to complete the physical skills challenge. There are five parts to the PAT. If you pass that, you will be brought in front of an interview board and continue on in your quest to be a police officer and attend police academy. The oral exam will take place later. Those failing the physical portion have to wait six months to retake the exam.
- 4). Go in front of the review board if you passed the exam. In this next step, you will face a panel of people asking you questions about why you want to be a police officer and what about your background qualifies you for the job. The panel can be made up of other officers, personnel from the city to which you are applying and even the police chief. If you are chosen, you will be put on an eligibility list, which is certified by the Civil Service board.
- 5). Pass the following tests before you can be considered eligible for Academy attendance: A polygraph examination, detailed background investigation, psychological suitability testing, a comprehensive medical examination and a drug screening. After all this, the police chief will make the decision from the list of eligible candidates.
- 6). Attend a police academy. During this time, you are considered to be in a probationary, non-sworn category status and will not have police officer powers or authority. Police academy training is about six months in length and is intensive and highly disciplined. At the academy, you will attend and participate in classroom and field training courses. After graduation, you will be sworn in and appointed as a police officer, usually with a short term of probation.
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