Louisiana Police Officer Requirements

 The importance of the job of law enforcers cannot be overstated. They have earned our respect because of the protection they provide our community. If you want to be a police officer, you have to prepare for it, even now, that you are still contemplating of joining the Police Academy. You have to start building your image so that you can be effective at your chosen career. You have to be physically strong and mentally prepared so you can pass the assessments and perform well in your job.

This is exactly why the Police Academy Requirements in Louisiana focuses on your physical fitness, not just on your cognitive abilities. If you appear physically healthy and strong, others will be drawn to you. You will command respect and you will also help perform your duties better.

Louisiana’s Requirements at the Police Academy

It is only natural that incoming students must comply with all the preliminary requirements of the school before they are accepted. This is no different with the Police Academy in Louisiana. There is however a marked difference in the Academy’s requirements than the average college or university requirements. Take a look:

1. Physical Fitness

Every Police Academy in the country requires enrollees to undergo physical assessments to ensure they meet their physical fitness standards. Your mind is only as good as your body and if you have a healthy body, your mind’s ability to learn and process information will be enhanced, and vice versa. This concept is all the more important in police work because you will need to not only perform mental tasks but a lot of physical activities as well.

If you are physically fit, your chances of getting accepted at the Academy will greatly increase. They will choose you rather than a brainy yet scrawny individual who cannot conveniently lift a 5kg dumbbell. So, if you can’t lift that much weight, you need to workout as early as now or you’ll never get into the Academy.

The quality of your muscles and the intensity of your strength is what the Academy will look at first before they will consider your academic credentials. They will require you to pass a fitness exam so you need to be prepared. You can learn more about this here.

2. Written Exam

The most basic educational requirement set by any Police Academy is a high school education. You must have a high school diploma or its GED equivalent for you to be considered. This is discussed in detail here.

And then they will require you to take a qualifying exam. They have to make sure that you are going to be able to handle the next step in higher learning and the exam will help them find out.

3. Other Important Requirements

To ascertain your qualifications, they will also let you undergo a polygraph test. This will show them how trustworthy you are and if they can count on you to always be honest and tell the truth.

You will also need to produce your driver’s license because all police officers must know how to drive a motor vehicle. Therefore, if you don’t know how to drive yet, better learn now. Remember that it takes weeks and even months before you can get a driver’s license.

One other requirement is a 20/20 vision. Police officers are expected to use their service pistols whenever necessary. Therefore, you must have a clear vision; or you could put yourself or others in danger.

Mental Capacity vs. Brute Strength 

At this stage of the game, physical strength takes center stage before your cognitive abilities. Remember, you are trying to join the Police Academy. Even if you ace all your written and oral exams, and you fail in your physical fitness tests, you will not be accepted.

This is the reason why physical fitness training should be your main priority when you are in the preparation phase. Thankfully, there are many helpful websites and tools available today which you can use. One example is the Study Guide developed by Officer Forestal. This guide is probably the best way to learn how to prepare for the Police Academy.

First, Forestal emphasizes the need for physical training prior to the submission of your enrollment form. In his study guide, he devotes ample time in teaching you how to physically prepare yourself so that you will easily pass the fitness tests that the Academy will put you through – even if you are not in excellent physical shape. This is discussed in his exclusive instructions on a 20 week “No-nonsense” Pre and Post Academy Workout Programs.

Bright Future Ahead After Graduation

When you have successfully joined the academy and graduated, you can expect a bright future ahead, that is, if you decide to build a career in the police force. The police departments in Louisiana take care of their police officers very well. Here are the average salaries of some of the PDs in this state.

1. New Orleans Police Department – the average annual salary of a police officer is $39,000.
2. Baton Rouge Police Department – the average annual salary a police officer receives is $32,500.
3. Shreveport Police Department – the average annual salary of a police officer is approximately $37,718.
4. Lafayette Police Department – the average annual salary is $35,840.
5. Lake Charles Police Department – the average annual salary of a police is $38,761.

Aside from that, there are also other employment opportunities for Academy graduates. You can work in other government agencies, security firms, and so on.

Now that you know the Louisiana police academy requirements and how you can successfully become a police officer in any police department of your choice, you should start preparing yourself now.