Welcome to the Porterville College (PC) Law Enforcement Academy webpage. PC is the northernmost college in the Kern Community College District, which serves an area of approximately 24,000 square miles in portions of Kern, Tulare, Inyo, and San Bernardino Counties. Currently PC offers a POST certified modular police academy levels III and II, and academic degrees *(including a transfer degree).
All programs earn students college credits and have the potential to be applied towards a degree.
Students and recruits who complete programs at our academy will be eligible to apply for a variety of law enforcement careers such as a police officer, sheriff deputy, reserve officer, probation or parole officer, and more.
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For Step 2, register for the course ADMJ P066A or other applicable courses once the courses become available.
Financial aid, GI Bill, and Promise Grant (free tuition) may be possible.
Approximate total cost per person:
Module III - Arrest and firearms certifications (PC 832), reserve officer level III, security, prisoner transport, park ranger, code enforcement, animal control officer, arson investigator, or federal law enforcement working within the state of California.
Module II - Reserve officer level II certification which allows work as a paid or unpaid reserve officer with police powers on duty (under PC 830.6), parole agent, probation officer, some investigators, transit, harbor, or port officer, and Native American tribal police.
More info from POST: https://post.ca.gov/reserve-officer-program
You are required to be 21 years old for full time peace officer status, however many local agencies hire reserve officers (levels II and I) at the age of 19.5 or greater. Applicants should be at least 19.5 years of age to enter into the modular II and I programs.
Prospective recruits should be in appropriate physical condition to handle the academy scenario-based training, firearms range, arrest and control, and other potential physical components a law enforcement officer may encounter on duty.
We offer physical training in Module 2 in order to better prepare our cadets for transfer to a Module 1 academy.
No. The Porterville College Law Enforcement Academy is a progressive law enforcement academy that focuses on creating prepared, forward-thinking professionals by holding cadets to high ethical standards, teaching self-discipline, accountability, promoting teamwork along the way, while exposing them to qualified instructors and staff, in order to equip them with the necessary tools to be the law enforcement officers society calls for.
No. Module 3 is the first in a series of three modules that must be completed in order. Module 3 is first, followed by Module 2, and lastly, Module 1. Module 3 and 2 can be completed here at PC. Module 1 can be completed at any college that offers Module 1, such as COS, Fresno City College, Kern County Sheriff, etc.
Yes. The 832 course is a 40-hour course which covers a variety of learning domains and learning objectives. Module 3 is 162 hours and includes those same learning domains as well as many others. Module 3 also goes more into depth in those learning domains as not every learning objective is required in the 832 PC course.
No. You may participate in the police academy no matter your legal status.