Contracts?

[SB 405]

Does the CHP have this policy?

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=4014618

[Cameron]

This article mentions the figure $60,000, referring to training costs for officers... doesn't that seem a bit high? I've priced POST academies, and they all cost around $2,000 for 24-26 week courses...

[nobody33]

This article mentions the figure $60,000, referring to training costs for officers... doesn't that seem a bit high? I've priced POST academies, and they all cost around $2,000 for 24-26 week courses...

But they are getting paid to go to the academy. So figure in their salary, equipment, benefits, cost of the hiring process etc etc. And the 2000 figure is heavily supplemented by college funds (IE taxpayers). Non college academies don't have that funding. I think many agencies are up to 100k to train an officer. More if you include FTO.

[Flying Pig]

WHATEVER....Those guys are doing this again....Indentured Servant? Its the cost of doing business.

[Cameron]

Wow, hadn't thought about that... are there any non-college POST academies in California, beside the CHP Academy?

[Mac]

Some PDs resort to these types of "contracts" because they otherwise have difficulty retaining officers. People will go through the hiring process with a department which is recruiting heavily, complete the Academy and do their year to get the Basic POST certificate, and then lateral to another agency as soon as possible. Many of them never intended to stay with that agency in the first place - they simply knew that it was their best shot at getting hired quickly. That puts a serious ding on a department if it happens with any kind of frequency, as they invest a lot of money into background investigation, academy training and FTO, only to have it go down the drain.

To answer SB405's original question - our "lateral" rate to other agencies is pretty low, so this type of contract has not yet been implemented by our department.

Cameron - that $2,000 figure may be accurate if you put yourself through a college-based academy as an "open enrollee" (not yet hired by any agency), as you're not getting paid a salary. If you're hired by an agency prior to going to the academy, they pay your salary, benefits, etc. as nobody33 said above - so that jacks the cost (for them) up considerably.

[nobody33]

Wow, hadn't thought about that... are there any non-college POST academies in California, beside the CHP Academy?

prob the majority. LAPD, LASO, SFPD, SBSO, RSO, LBPD, OPD, Sac, etc etc. The big agencies. Some have agreements with colleges and allow open enrollees, but for their own recruits, they pay the full expense from what I understand. Look at the expense for open enrollees with out of state tutiton rates, it's very very expensive.

[Your Mentor]

The cost for us is actually around 100K per trainee. That includes break-in. But the level of training far exceeds anything you can obtain at a regional academy. In nearly every class our curriculum exceeds the minimum POST requirements. When it comes to training: you get what you pay for.

[Fire1]

or you get what they pay you :smile:

[SB 405]

LAPD Cadets don't live at the Academy,do they?

[Mase02]

Nope, You have lockers at the academy grounds it is just like a college campus with gym, showers, lockers, class rooms and such. Your required to be their at 5 am or when ever they say otherwise each morning till around 5 pm or later depending on what training you are doing that day... It's kinda like the CHP but with out the dorm rooms. My cousin liked it because he got to go home to his wife and 2 kids every night and sleep in his own bed and study at his own pace and eat home cooked meals and if he ever had any questions he could study with other officers he knew that were on the department, or what he did alot of the time was go to the library and study in his own section in a room... Alot of the guys would get together in study groups. LAPD is a great department and they recieve great training at the academy. It's pretty cool to go their and see SWAT train =) Now that is the best of the best SWAT =)