Florida Police Academy Requirements

Florida is such a nice place to live that it’s known as the Sunshine State. Many of the rich and famous make their homes or vacation homes in this warm and beautiful place. And Florida is the epicenter of some of the most exciting political showdowns in the entire United States.

The state is also a great place for law enforcement careers. You don’t ever have to direct traffic in sub-zero temperatures when you work in Florida. Entering law enforcement in Florida is competitive, and for good reason; it is one of the highest-paying states for law enforcement officers.

Oversight of law enforcement in Florida falls under a broad umbrella of criminal justice services. Corrections officers as swell as criminal probation officers fall with traditional law enforcement officers under a category of state-certified officers.

You must pass the SOCE (State Officer Certification Examination) as well as the BAT (Basic Ability Test) before becoming a law enforcement officer. You train in the specific discipline in which you want to work, whether it is a police officer on patrol, probation or in corrections.

You want to make sure that you’re successful the first time you try to become a law enforcement officer in Florida, because you can only take the BAT three times for any discipline in a twelve-month period, and you only have a few chances to pass the SOCE. There are a number of evaluation centers throughout the state so that you can find a place that’s convenient for you to complete your evaluation.

Law enforcement developed the BAT because it is an indicator of whether a person is likely to succeed in basic law enforcement officer training. The BAT is multiple choice style. It covers spatial ability as well as reading comprehension and analysis. And you must pass the SOCE before you are eligible to work in law enforcement in Florida.

Florida imposes minimum requirements for anyone seeking police training. These are:

• You must be a U.S. citizen. If you’re naturalized, rather than a citizen by birth, this is sufficient.

• You must have turned at least 19 years old.

• You need at least a GED or a high school diploma

• You must not have ever been dishonorably discharged from the military.

• Your driving record must be good.

• You must demonstrate that you have strong moral character (clean up your social media accounts now, because they check)

• You must not have any criminal convictions

• You may not have been convicted of domestic violence

Law enforcement screening agencies conduct a background check to make sure that you meet the requirements. You also have to interview. When you pass everything, they give you a certificate of compliance and you’re cleared to enter training.

You have to also show that you can pass physical standards to enter police training in Florida. There’s a 1.5 mile slow run, a sprint of a number yards, sit ups, a vertical leap and a push ups test. There’s no exception to meeting these requirements.

When you pass the police academy, you can take the SOCE, and you’re eligible to work in law enforcement. Police academy can last as long as five months, and tuition is variable, but generally a few thousand dollars. It’s also important to stay physically fit once you’re on the job.

If you’re about to enter police academy in Florida, you probably want to know what you can do to make yourself successful. Not only do you want to complete training, you want to be at the top of your class so that you can get the best job upon graduation. Fortunately, there are ways that you can get started today that can make a world of difference on your first day in class.

You should start learning about the laws and the rights of citizens, long before you even enter police academy. There are several guide books that you can try, but Prepare for the Police Academy is the industry-recognized top choice. In the book, you learn about constitutional rights, how to lawfully conduct a traffic stop and how to properly document your work so that your arrest stands up in court.

www.PrepareForThePoliceAcademy.com gives you insider tips from law enforcement officers who have been there before. It’s a great way to learn what to do and what not to do during police academy. Insiders even tell you the most common reasons that people fail to successfully complete training, and how to avoid that happening to you.

With this resource and some serious physical training ahead of time, you can set yourself up for success in Florida police academy. Police training is exciting and taxing at the same time. But with a little bit of planning and preparation, you can make sure your career starts on the right foot.

FL County Sheriff Law Enforcement Agency