Act 120 Municipal Police Academy

Admissions Requirements

• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Possess a high school diploma or GED Equivalency.
• Be a citizen of the United States.
• Be free from convictions of disqualifying criminal offenses.
  • Conviction - an adjudication of guilt including the imposition of a sentence.
  • Disqualifying criminal offense – a criminal offense for which more than 1 year in prison can be imposed as punishment.
• Possess a valid drivers license.
• Successfully pass a physical, psychological, reading, & fitness test.

Curriculum

• Introduction to Law Enforcement in PA
• Laws and Criminal Procedures
• Human Relations
• Vehicle Code Enforcement
• Patrol Procedures and Operations
• Vehicle Collision Investigation
• Principles of Criminal Investigation
• Drug Law Enforcement
• Case Presentation
• Homeland Security
• Responding to Special Needs
• Emergency Operation of Patrol Vehicles
• Defensive Tactics
• Firearms
• Emergency Response Training
  
  This program prepares students to enter the occupation of Police Patrol Officer, SOC code 33-3051.01 of the U.S. Department of Labor's Standard Occupational Classification.

Facilities

Because the Police Academy is located on the Mansfield campus, the program benefits from all the amenities of a comprehensive university including on-campus housing, dining, a recreation center with weight and cardio rooms, an 8-lane track and artificial turf field complex, and more. The Police Academy is housed in Mansfield's Doane Center, which features a dedicated classroom and virtual reality training room.

Instructors

The Mansfield Municipal Police Academy features a cadre of instructors with vast knowledge of police recruit training and the criminal justice system. The instructor cadre includes active and retired Pennsylvania State Police and Municipal Police, attorneys, educators, Magistrates, and a Common Pleas Judge.  In addition, the Academy Director has over 30 years' experience in policing, and over 20 years' experience instructing and administering within the police academy system.

Job Placement

Because of the Police Academy’s exceptional reputation and its network of partners, graduates of Mansfield’s Academy enjoy a 95% job placement rate upon completion of the program. Academy graduates consistently rank among the top in Pennsylvania police academies in GPA and state certification examination scores. These scores, combined with the many certifications and micro-credentials that a Police Academy graduate receives, provide the foundation that law enforcement agencies seek and desire.

Police Academy Cost and Scholarship Opportunities

Tuition for the Academy is currently $5,500, with scholarship opportunities available. On-campus housing at Mansfield's air conditioned, suite-style residence halls is available to cadets. Meal plans are available upon request.

On-campus Fitness Center usage is an optional, one-time $100 fee.

Virtual Reality

Mansfield's Municipal Police Academy was the first academy in the Commonwealth to include state-of-the-art virtual reality training for cadets. The immersive VR experience allows cadets to take the knowledge learned in the classroom and immediately apply it to a variety of life-like scenarios. 

Additional Certifications

Because the Police Academy is part of the Public Safety Training Institute, cadets have the opportunity to gain more than 100 additional hours of training and certification during the academy training period at no additional cost. Additional training hours include certifications and micro-credentials for taser, the G.L.O.V.E., OC, enhanced Community Policing Model integrating new DEI and compliance related initiatives, Introduction to the Spectrum, Medical Marijuana, and more. 

Cadets also have the option to complete Mansfield's nationally certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course  following the conclusion of the Police Academy. The EMT course prepares students to provide pre-hospital assessment and care for patients of all ages with a variety of medical conditions and traumatic injuries. 

Fitness Test Requirements

Public Safety Training Institute

The Mansfield Police Academy is part of the Public Safety Training Institute, a regional training center providing initial and continuing professional education for criminal justice practitioners, first responders, public safety professionals, and the public.  

Emergency Response Training & Certification Association (ERTCA)

The Public Safety Training Institute and its Municipal Police Academy have partnered with ERTCA, the Emergency Response Training & Certification Association. ERTCA is a 501C(6) non-profit organization made up of members who are stakeholders and educators in the emergency response and communications fields. 

Quest for the Best Scholarships

Quest for the Best, a Pennsylvania-based charitable foundation, provides two full scholarships to Mansfield Police Academy Cadets for each academy class. The scholarships cover the full tuition costs for two (2) cadets per class. To apply for the Quest for the Best scholarships an applicant would make a request for application through the Academy Administrative Services Unit, and a determination on the application would be made by the Mansfield Academy and Academy Oversite leadership based on criteria established by the Mansfield Police Academy and Quest for the Best Foundation. 

Criminal Justice Administration Pathway

Commonwealth University-Mansfield's B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration allows the option to include the Municipal Police Academy as part of the four-year degree program studies. Through the pathway program, students will earn their undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice Administration and be certified as a municipal police officer upon graduation from Mansfield. For more information about the Criminal Justice Administration Pathway, visit mansfield.edu/cja