Title
Police Training Academy Report
Description
This report provides an update to the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee on the Phoenix Police Academy.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
This report serves as an overview of the Phoenix Police Academy as well as updates on recent advancements. Key areas include the following:
- Academy Overview
- AZPOST Structure
- Academics
- Physical, Fitness, Wellness and Safety
- Defensive Tactics
- Firearms
- Tactics Training
- Next Steps
Phoenix Police Academy Overview
The Police Department proudly runs its own academy to train Police Recruits. This allows the Academy the ability to accommodate all new hires as well as have full control of their training. Academy classes start every eight weeks and run for 26 weeks each. In July 2024, staff added a two-week pre-academy for a total of 28 weeks of training. Pre-academy training gives the department an opportunity to prepare recruits in the areas of academic strategies, physical conditioning, and wellness. As it is not subject to AZPOST mandates, this allows for more flexibility in the official academy for makeup dates and schedule changes.
AZPOST Structure
To ensure continuity in training across the state, the Arizona Police Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) sets mandates for curriculum, scheduling, instructor certifications, and other components. AZPOST mandates 663 hours of training at all academies throughout the state, however the Phoenix Police Academy provides 354.75 hours of additional training to Police Recruits prior to graduation. This allows Police to provide advanced training in the areas of crisis response, firearms, defensive tactics, first aid, report writing and driving.
Academics
The academic curriculum is designed to prepare students to pass their required AZPOST certification tests while providing the knowledge necessary to effective serve the community. This includes classes specific to the application of the law with respect to the US Constitution, the Arizona Constitution, Arizona Revised Statues, and City Ordinances. Classes focus on developing critical thinking skills, emotional control, cultural awareness and social interaction, mental health awareness, and ethical decision making. The Community and Police Relations module alone provides 31 hours of instruction.
Physical Fitness, Wellness and Safety
The Phoenix Police Department offers a wide variety of wellness initiatives and the Academy, in partnership with the Safety Unit and Employee Assistance Unit, have made significant advancements to increase the resilience, readiness, and awareness of recruits. The Physical Fitness program provides structured exercises to increase strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. This training encompasses running, weightlifting, and body weight exercises and is designed to encourage and support a career-long, healthy lifestyle. The wellness program focuses on nutrition, stress management, mental health, and work/life balance, giving them strategies for long-term performance.
Defensive Tactics
The Defensive Tactics Unit teaches techniques which support the safety of both officers and community members along with how and when they can be applied appropriately. This is accomplished through classroom, hands-on training, and assessments. Recruits have 80 hours of training in this area. Recruits learn a variety of skills through this training to include handcuffing, searching, controlling subjects and responding to combative subjects.
Firearms
Recruits receive 70 hours of firearms training which proficiency testing in both day and night scenarios. The training incorporates basic firearm safety, precision, movement and tactics. Much of the firearms time focuses on decision-making, which includes the VIRTRA training environment, a 270-degree virtual reality system which gives recruits limitless repetitions of life-like scenarios.
Tactical Training
The Tactical Training Village offers a secure and safe training environment for our officers to train in real-world facilities. The Village has a single-story home, a two-story apartment building, a gas station, a park and roads to facilitate training with vehicles. The Village is used not only by Phoenix in-service sworn officers for advanced training but by agencies throughout the state to train their staff as well.
Tactical training is an area in which the Phoenix Police Academy trains well above the AZPOST state standards. Phoenix Police recruits receive training in building searches, response to ambush, low-light engagement, crisis response, small team tactics and active assailant response. By training in the Village and with simulated weapons, recruits are more prepared for what they may encounter in their careers outside of the Academy.
Next Steps
The Police Department continues to provide elite training to recruits while advancing in critical areas of safety, resiliency, wellness and retention to support their success and longevity. A future presentation to this Subcommittee will highlight the work of the Advanced Training programs.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Police Department.