Training Standards
Training standards govern how Michigan law enforcement officers are trained before licensing. The exam tests the difference between an approved basic academy, in-service training, and instructor qualifications under MCOLES.
Basic academy requirements
- A candidate must attend a MCOLES-approved basic training academy; the minimum is 640 hours, roughly 16 weeks.
- The curriculum is standardized by MCOLES and covers legal issues, patrol, investigation, traffic, human relations, firearms, defensive tactics, first aid, and fitness.
- Academy directors and instructors must meet MCOLES certification requirements.
- Recruits must pass practical skills and written tests; academy completion is not the same as state licensure.
Worked example
An academy submits a 600-hour basic program for approval. MCOLES cannot approve it as a basic academy because it falls below the 640-hour minimum. The academy could add 40 hours of approved instruction and reapply. If it simply labels 40 hours of in-service training as basic training, that does not satisfy the standard, because in-service training is not a substitute for the approved basic curriculum.
Traps that cost marks
- Assuming any police academy automatically qualifies; only MCOLES-approved academies count.
- Counting college credits or military police training as full basic training without MCOLES evaluation.
- Forgetting instructor certification; an uncertified instructor can jeopardize academy approval.
- Mixing up academy graduation with the licensing exam.
- Treating in-service hours as basic academy hours.