Police Academy

We are now actively accepting applications for the next scheduled police academy class which begins in August. 

Columbus State Community College’s Criminal Justice program annually conducts a Peace Officer Basic Training Academy (police academy), fully certified through the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC). This certification is required of any and all persons seeking to become a police officer in the State of Ohio.

Our academy is embedded within a two-year associate’s degree program (Law Enforcement AAS) where attendees attend college classes for the first year (3 semesters) of the program and then participate in academy training classes the second year over a two-semester period, culminating in the State Certification Exam conducted by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy. Throughout the academy, participants are additionally tested on a variety of technical training skills to include Physical Fitness, Self-Defense, Firearms, Emergency Vehicle Operation and First Aid/CPR. Individuals must pass each individual technical skill testing measure to be permitted to sit for the final OPOTC Certification Exam.  Persons who complete the academy and the associated degree work graduate with the OPOTA certification and an Associate of Applied Science degree in Law Enforcement. 

We also permit individuals who are only interested in obtaining the OPOTC Basic Peace Officer certification without the associated degree work.  Individuals interested in only the OPOTC certification need to first apply to the college, declare the Basic Peace Officer Certificate (BPO.ICRT) as a major, complete all necessary application and registration steps, successfully apply for financial aid (if applicable), and contact the academy commander for further information. 

All persons intending to participate in the police academy should meet with the Academy Commander upon applying to the college: Archie Spradlin / aspradlin3@cscc.edu / 614-287-3935 / Franklin Hall 211.

Program Parameters

• Approximately 1100 hours of training (combination of seated & technical skill classes)
• Runs late-August through early-May (Autumn & Spring semesters)
• Academy schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM with some late evening and Saturday sessions
• Costs include tuition (based on credit hour fee schedule), application fees (drug screen, physical, background check), uniform purchase, training equipment purchase, and state testing fee
• Uniform, training equipment costs and testing fee (not eligible for financial aid) are approx. $600.00

Eligibility Requirements

• Declared Law Enforcement AAS major (CRJ.LE.AAS) and completion of first three semesters of the plan of study (or relatively close) by start of the academy or current student majored under the Basic Peace Officer Certificate (BPO.ICRT) and in good standing with the college.
• Hold a valid Ohio driver’s license
• High school diploma or GED
• No felony convictions (includes juvenile convictions)
• Not currently under indictment for a felony offense
• Not convicted of a crime with a possible sentence of more than one (1) year
• No criminal convictions of domestic violence (includes juvenile convictions)
• No misdemeanor conviction of violence (to include ORC § 2903.14 Negligent Assault) within past three (3) years (includes juvenile convictions)
• No drug-related convictions under ORC § 2925, § 3719, or § 4729 within past three (3) years (includes juvenile convictions)
• No convictions related to ORC § 2913 (Theft & Fraud) within past three (3) years (includes juvenile convictions)
• Not currently the named respondent in any type of protection order (TPO, CPO, Anti-Stalking Order, etc.)
• Not currently registering as a sex offender, child-victim offender, or arson offender
• Not a fugitive from justice; no active warrants for arrest (criminal, civil, capias)
• Not under consideration for ORC § 2923.13 (Weapons Under Disability) to include current adjudication of mental incompetence, prior adjudication as a mental defective, prior involuntary commitment to a mental institution, has been found by a court to be a mentally ill person subject to court order, or is an involuntary patient other than one who is a patient only for purposes of observation
• No criminal charges pending/current in any jurisdiction
• No dishonorable discharge from any branch of the Armed Forces
• Unlawfully or illegally present in the United States as a non-citizen/alien
• Not a drug dependent, in danger of drug dependence, or a chronic alcoholic
• At least 20 years of age (or relatively close) by start of the academy
• Pass an entry Physical Fitness Assessment at the Cooper Institute's 15th percentile rank
• Pass an OPOTC approved drug screen
• Pass an OPOTC designated eligibility/aptitude screening test
• Completion of CSCC academy registration process
• Completion of OPOTC academy registration process
• Individuals that denote interest will be subject to a background check/investigation

Columbus State’s Criminal Justice Program reserves the right to deny any person entry into the police academy based on pre-determined factors such as academic performance or prior student conduct concerns.

Timeline

It is required that interested persons meeting the above parameters contact and meet with (or at least correspond with) one of the program academy commanders during the first semester they are on campus to ensure that they are eligible and fully knowledgeable with academy parameters, training expectations, and employment viability. Persons interested in attending, regardless of whether they are currently declared CRJ.LE.AAS majors, should ensure that they provide their contact information to Academy Commander Archie Spradlin: aspradlin3@cscc.edu. 

February/March

Informational sessions which will be held in Spring Semester of each year with the purpose of providing a detailed overview of CSCC police academy operations and requirements. These meetings will be announced and posted in the CRJ Office area (academy bulletin board in Franklin Hall 206). Persons who have provided their contact information to academy staff, as well as all declared CRJ.LE.AAS majors will be notified invite via CSCC email of the specific dates/times these sessions will be held.

April

Prospective academy students/cadets will be asked to declare formal interest/intent in participating in the next scheduled academy class. Academy staff will review applicant degree audits for academic eligibility purposes. Those students who are conditionally accepted based on academic standing will be required to attend a mandatory academy registration meeting with academy staff to formally register for the academy with both the college and the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission. Conditional acceptance is predicated upon completing the statutorily required OPOTC admissions and registration processes as denoted below.

May

The CRJ program will conduct voluntary physical fitness assessments for those students who have been conditionally accepted into the academy. This is designed to provide prospective participants with a general idea of their current physical fitness level prior to the mandatory initial physical fitness assessment required for acceptance into the academy.

May/June

Conditionally accepted students will be required to complete various admissions & registration steps mandated by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission to include:

• Drug screen
• Physical exam
• Criminal background check
• Eligibility/aptitude test

Students will be responsible for any/all costs relating to the above testing requirements (not included in tuition or lab fees).

June

Students must successfully pass the proscribed OPOTC Pre-Entrance Physical Fitness Assessment test comprised of: a) 1.5 mile run, b) number of sit-ups within a 1-minute time frame and c) number of push-ups within a 1-minute time frame. Participants will be permitted two (2) separate attempts (held on separate dates) to pass all three proscribed testing measures. Failure to pass one or more of the required measures during an initial/first attempt will require participants to pass all three measures during a second and final attempt (all three tests must be passed during the 2nd attempt even if a student passed one or two during their first attempt).

July

Participants will purchase their uniforms and any required training equipment as designated by the academy staff (cost of these items is not included in tuition or lab fees - not eligible for financial aid considerations).

August

Academy operations commence in late August and are completed in early May of each academic year. Students must complete 100% of all related course work and pass several technical skill and academic testing measures throughout the academy schedule in order to be eligible to sit for the final OPOTC certification exam.

Should a student fail to meet proficiencies in any one OPOTC mandated or CSCC academic testing measure, they will be automatically precluded from continuing in the program without receiving OPOTC certification. OPOTC requires students pass a final physical fitness test (held during the last portion of the academy schedule) to be eligible to sit for the final OPOTC certification exam.

All scheduled hours within the police academy require 100% mandatory attendance. Should a student miss a portion of training, any approved make-up must be completed within a 14-day time period per OPOTC standards; CSCC academy staff reserve the right to dismiss students from an academy for repeated pattern of tardiness or missing multiple class sessions. CSCC academy staff reserve the right to approve/permit make-up sessions (make-up sessions are not automatically awarded). Students will be responsible to cover the instructional cost of any/all make-up sessions at the college's current hourly instructor rate.

OPOTC Physical Fitness Requirements

Per Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC) requirements, all persons seeking admission into a basic peace officer academy will be required to demonstrate a minimum level of physical fitness per the below denoted standards (Cooper Institute 15th percentile). Proficiency is verified by three assessment measures approved by OPOTC: a) 1.5 mile run, b) sit-ups within 1 minute, & c) push-ups within 1 minute. This test must be successfully completed prior to the start of the academy training calendar (several weeks prior to the start of training). Cadets who fail one or more of the measures (run, sit-ups, push-ups) will be afforded ONE (1) additional attempt which will be scheduled for a different day/time (normally within two weeks after first attempt). All three measures must be met per the below standards. If a participant fails to meet one of the three standards, they will be required to attempt all pass all three measures during the second and final attempt.

INITIAL ASSESSMENT – 15TH PERCENTILE COOPER STANDARDS
	Males: Ages 20 - 29	Females: Ages 20 - 29
Sit-Ups (1 min.)	32 sit ups	23 sit ups
Push-Ups (1 min.)	19 push ups	9 push ups
1.5 mile run	14:34	17:49
	Males: Ages 30 - 39	Females: Ages 30 - 39
Sit-Ups (1 min.)	28 sit ups	18 sit ups
Push-Ups (1 min.)	15 push ups	7 push ups
1.5 mile run	15:13	18:37
	Males: Ages 40 - 49	Females: Ages 40 - 49
Sit-Ups (1 min.)	22 sit ups	13 sit ups
Push-Ups (1 min.)	10 push ups	5 push ups
1.5 mile run	15:58	19:32
	Males: Ages 50 - 59	Females: Ages 50 - 59
Sit-Ups (1 min.)	17 sit ups	7 sit ups
Push-Ups (1 min.)	7 push ups	4 modified push ups
1.5 mile run	17:38	21:31

The Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC) requires all academy participants to demonstrate a minimum level of physical fitness per the below denoted standards (Cooper Institute 50th percentile). Proficiency is verified by a test administered and given by OPOTC representatives in the final portion of the academy training calendar. Cadets will be required to meet these standards by the designated testing date or will be precluded from finishing the academy program per OPOTC standards.

FINAL ASSESSMENT – 50TH PERCENTILE COOPER STANDARDS
	Males: Ages 20 - 29	Females: Ages 20 - 29
Sit-Ups (1 min.)	40 sit ups	35 sit ups
Push-Ups (1 min.)	33 push ups	18 push ups
1.5 mile run	11:58	14:07
	Males: Ages 30 - 39	Females: Ages 30 - 39
Sit-Ups (1 min.)	36 sit ups	27 sit ups
Push-Ups (1 min.)	27 push ups	14 push ups
1.5 mile run	12:25	14:34
	Males: Ages 40 - 49	Females: Ages 40 - 49
Sit-Ups (1 min.)	31 sit ups	22 sit ups
Push-Ups (1 min.)	21 push ups	11 push ups
1.5 mile run	13:11	15:24
	Males: Ages 50 - 59	Females: Ages 50 - 59
Sit-Ups (1 min.)	26 sit ups	17 sit ups
Push-Ups (1 min.)	15 push ups	13 modified push ups
1.5 mile run	14:16	17:13

Individuals interested in starting the program should first formally apply to the college (www.cscc.edu) and complete the required enrollment steps/processes to include declaring as a Law Enforcement (CRJ.LE.AAS) major if interested in obtaining the AAS degree in addition to the OPOTA certiication or declare as a Basic Peace Officer Certificate (BPO.ICRT) if only seeking the certification without the associated degree work.

For more information on our police academy operations, please contact Commander Archie Spradlin: aspradlin3@cscc.edu / 614-287-3935/ Franklin Hall 211

Successful completion of the Law Enforcement AAS degree or the related/embedded OPOTC certification does not result in a graduate automatically becoming a peace officer. Graduates will be required to attain a commission/appointment by a recognized law enforcement agency to be considered a sworn peace officer in the State of Ohio. This can include full-time, part-time, reserve, special, or auxiliary appointments. Failure to attain a commission within a two-year period from date of academy completion will result in the certification becoming null/void. The CSCC Criminal Justice program has a 95% commission/appointment placement rate average over the past five years and academy staff work closely with students to attain a peace officer commission and related employment during the academy and after completion.