Law and Public Safety

Law and Public Safety

Police Basic Training Admissions Information

The Academy offers a challenging twenty-five week basic recruit training program. The program is non-residential, that is, recruits go home after each duty day. Recruits attend classes full-time, five days a week, so that the recruit's primary focus is on learning to be a police officer.

Every past graduate of the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy has achieved a passing score on the required Missouri POST Licensure Exam. Graduate job placement is currently over 85%, lower than it has been in the past. We expect that as the economy improves, placement will again be in the high 90s.

A video introduction to the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy can be found by clicking here.

Below are answers to common questions regarding admissions to the Police Basic Training Program:

  • How do I get into the Academy?

  • What are the minimum entry standards for St. Louis CMPA recruits?

  • What does the St. Louis CMPA Police Basic Training include?

  • What certification do I receive by completing the CMPA Police Basic Training Program?

    • How do I get into the Academy?

    There are two ways to gain admission to the St. Louis CMPA. You may be:

    • hired by one of the law enforcement agencies in St. Louis County and sent to the Academy as a   department-hired recruit.  For more information, contact any of the police departments in St. Louis County.

       

    • selected by the St. Louis County Police Department as an Open Enrollment recruit. Tuition is paid by St. Louis County for qualified applicants with only minimal costs for uniform, equipment, health insurance, drug testing and a physical exam being borne by the recruit; usually around $400-$450.

     For more information regarding the Academy Open Enrollment Program, click here.

    To download an application for enrollment in the Open Enrollment Program, click here. Be aware that this application is the standard St. Louis County employment application, but is also used for Open Enrollment Program candidates.

    (Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to read these documents. The Application is a large file - around 400k - and may take a minute or more to download over slower, dial-up connections.)

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    What are the minimum entry standards for Academy recruits?

    The St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy maintains high entry standards. We do so to help assure that only those likely to benefit from the instruction and likely to find employment upon successful completion of the program are admitted.

    Special emphasis is placed on academics at the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy. The classroom portions of the Academy are rigorous and challenging, and while POST mandates a passing score of 70%, 70% at the CMPA is not easy. What is more, the staff of the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy is never satisfied with just meeting minimal standards. Recruits will be encouraged to work at the peak of their abilities to achieve the highest scores - and what is more important, highest level of knowledge - throughout the program. Mediocrity and half-hearted effort are not tolerated.

    Of course, academics is only part of the program. Recruits at the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy are held to equally high standards of physical fitness, discipline, teamwork and integrity. A successful graduate of the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy can be proud of his or her accomplishment, having truly earned the right to wear the badge and bear the resposibility of being a peace officer in the state of Missouri.

    More information on St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy curriculum and standards is included below:

    • To see the minimum application standards, click here. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required.)

    • To see the standards regarding pre-employment drug usage, click here. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required.) Open Enrollment candidates are held to the same standards used by the St. Louis County Police Department for employment.

    • To see the minimum physical agility standards, click here.

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    What does the St. Louis CMPA Police Basic Training include?

    The Police Basic Training Program is an intensive 916 hour - 25 week - program of classroom and hands-on practical instruction in the core knowledge and skills needed by peace officers working in the state of Missouri. The program includes training in Constitutional Law, Missouri Statutory Law, Traffic Law, Interpersonal Skills, Patrol, Criminal Investigation, Report Writing, Traffic Accident Investigation, Juvenile Justice and Procedures, First Aid, Firearms, Defensive Tactics, Driver Training, and Physical Training. To see a breakdown of the 916 hours into blocks of instruction, please click here. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required.)

    Recruits attending the CMPA are challenged mentally, physically and emotionally as they master the physical skills, pass the cognitive tests, and apply their knowledge to realistic role-playing situations. We feel that the training received by CMPA graduates is the finest in the state, and places the graduate at a competitive advantage in obtaining employment and earning promotions throughout their careers.

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    What certification do I receive by completing the CMPA Police Basic Training Program?

    Graduates of the St. Louis CMPA are certified by Missouri Police Officer Standards and Training - a division of the Missouri Department of Public Safety - as peace officers - under authority of RSMo Chapter 590 with 916 hours of training. For more information about POST and POST certification, click here to log on to the DPS POST web site.

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    St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy         
    1266 Sutter Avenue
    St. Louis, MO 63133-1934

    Voice: (314) 889-8600
    Fax: (314) 863-2317

    A CALEA® Certified Training Academy