Police Academy Prep Certificate
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Description: The Maricopa Community College District in conjunction with the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board, which has statutory responsibility for law enforcement officer training in Arizona has established the Police Academy Preparation (PAP) Certificate Program.  This certificate program permits students to fulfill a portion of their Academy studies at a community college.

Note: This certificate is designed for those desiring employment with police departments that require their police recruits to already be certified police officers. Most large police departments do not have such a requirement and train their recruits after hiring them. Consequently, possession of this certificate is not required to work in large or even some smaller police departments, although possessing it may give applicants a competitive edge over others who do not possess it.  Certification follows after completing the Police Academy Prep II program, which is not given at SCC, and passing certifying examinations and screenings. Click here to contact the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) for additional information on certification as a police officer. Particular emphasis should be placed on the background investigation and polygraph requirements.
 

Program Prerequisites:

Note: 1.  The person shall be a United States Citizen.

Note: 2.  The person shall be at least twenty-one years of age, except that a person may attend an academy if he will be twenty-one prior to graduating.

Note: 3.  The person shall be a high school graduate or have successfully completed a General Education Development (G.E.D) examination.

Note: 4.  The person’s background shall meet the standards of Arizona Post Rule R13-4-106.

Note: 5.  The person shall be able to successfully complete a medical examination which meets the standards of Section R13-4-107.

Note: 6.  The person shall have not been convicted of a felony or any offense that would be a felony if committed in Arizona.

Note: 7.  The person shall not have been dishonorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces.

Note: 8.  The person shall not have been previously denied certified status, revoked or have his current certified status under suspension pursuant to Section R13-4-109.

Note: 9.  The person shall not have illegally sold, produced, cultivated, or transported marijuana for sale.

Note:10. The person shall not have illegally used marijuana for any purpose within the past three years.

Note:11. The person shall never have illegally used marijuana other than for experimentation.

Note:12.  The person shall never have illegally used marijuana while employed or appointed as a peace officer.

Note:13.  The person shall not have illegally sold, produced, cultivated, or transported for sale, any dangerous drugs or narcotics, other than marijuana.

Note:14.  The person shall not have illegally used dangerous drugs or narcotics, other than marijuana, for any purpose in the past seven years.

Note:15.  The person shall never have illegally used dangerous drugs or narcotics, other than for experimentation.

Note:16.  The person shall never have illegally used dangerous drugs or narcotics while employed or appointed as a peace officer.

Note:17.  The person shall not have a pattern of abuse of prescription medication.

Note:18.  The person shall be able to successfully pass a Board-approved drug screening test, or polygraph examination, which polygraph examination relates to the provisions of subsection (A) (9-17).

 

 

 

 

Required Courses:   Credits:   21   (Click on a course number or name for a full course description)

 

AJS101

Introduction to Criminal Justice

3 credits

 

AJS109

Substantive Criminal Law

3 credits

 

AJS212

Juvenile Justice Procedures

3 credits

 

AJS230

The Police Function

3 credits

 

AJS260

Procedural Criminal Law

3 credits

 

AJS270

Community Relations

3 credits

 

AJS275

Criminal Investigation I

3 credits
 

 

Program Competencies

1.

Identify and describe the major components of the criminal justice process.

2.

Describe governmental structure and its relationship to the criminal justice system.

3.

Trace the historical development of common and statutory law.

4.

List and describe elements necessary to prove the corpus delicti of criminal acts as found in the common law and the Arizona Revised Statues.

5.

Trace the history and development of juvenile justice theories, procedures, and institutions. 

6.

Identify the principles roles and functions of the police in American Society.

7.

Trace the history of policing from ancient time to the modern era. 

8.

Describe the interrelationships and missions of the federal, state, and local law enforcement systems.

9.

Describe procedural criminal law requirements and their effect on the criminal justice system.

10.

Describe the criminal procedure for arrest, search and seizure.

11.

Identify principles of law, which have evolved from “landmark” decisions appertaining to criminal justice.

12.

Trace the development of police/community programs.

13.

Identify and describe future trends in police/community relations.

14.

Identify and describe the goals and objectives of criminal investigation.

15.

Describe criminal investigation and list the appropriate steps to be undertaken during the investigation of specific crimes.

This site is authored and maintained by: john.kavanagh@sccmail.maricopa.edu
Last Modified on July 27, 2004   Disclaimer