Offered at the Levelland Campus

The basic course for peace officers is designed for persons desiring to obtain the peace officer’s license and begin a career in law enforcement. The training curriculum as mandated by law, is standardized by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). Upon successful completion of this curriculum, students will be awarded a Certificate of Proficiency and may be eligible to take the state licensure examination to be a Texas Peace Officer.

The entire sequence of courses must be successfully completed within 12 months in order to qualify a student to take the state license examination to be a peace officer. When an academy graduate completes college residency requirements within one year preceding or following graduation, credit from the academy meets requirements from the following courses in the Associate of Applied Science Law Enforcement degree plan: CJLE 1135, CJLE 1136, CJLE 1137, CJLE 1138, CJLE 1506, CJLE 1512, CJLE 1518 and CJLE 1524.

To qualify for the Certificate of Proficiency, the student must complete a Capstone Experience during the final semester of the program.

This is a TSI-waived certificate. Students declaring this major are not subject to the TSI regulations unless they enroll in a course outside the prescribed curriculum.

Program advisors are Randy Robertson, assistant professor of law enforcement technology and director of training for the SPC Police Academy, (806) 716-2342; and Kenny Burns, assistant professor of law enforcement technology and law enforcement academy coordinator, (806) 716-2357.

Program Admission Requirements
(TCLOE Rules 215.15 and 217.1)

1. Must be a U.S. Citizen
2. Must be 21 years of age prior to the completion of the academy or:
   1. At least 18 years of age if prior to completion they have completed as Associate Degree or received 60 hours of college credit from an accredited college or university, or
   2. Has been honorably discharged from the armed forces of the United States after at least 2 years of active service.
3. Minimum educational levels
   1. Must have passed a general educational development (GED) test indicating high school graduation level;
   2. Is a high school graduate; or
   3. Has 12 semester hours credit from an accredited college or university.
4. Must have been subjected to a fingerprint search of local, state and U.S. national records check to disclose of criminal history.
5. Has never been on court-ordered community supervision or probation for any criminal offense above the grade of Class B misdemeanor or a Class B misdeameanor within the last 10 years from the date of the court order;
6. Is not currently charged with any criminal offense for which conviction would be a bar to licensure.
7. Has never been conviced of an offense above the grade of Class B misdemeanor or a Class B misdemeanor within the last 10 years.
8. Has never been convicted of any family violence offense
9. Is not prohibited by state or federal law from operating a motor vehicle
10. Is not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition
11. Has not been discharged from any military service under less than honorable conditions including, specifically;
    1. Under other than honorable conditions;
    2. Bad conduct;
    3. Dishonorable; or
    4. Any other characterization of service indicating bad character.
12. Has not had their peace officer license revoked is currently under suspension of that license nor voluntarily surrendered their license.

Application Procedures

1. Make an appointment with the Department Secretary to take the academy entrance examination. Contact Debbie Hale at (806) 716-2291 for details.
2. Upon completion of entrance examination with a 70% grade or above, the applicant will be given instruction regarding the completion of a fingerprint criminal history check to determine initial eligibility to attend the police academy at the applicant’s expense.
3. Once notification has been made to the academy that the person is eligible to attend the academy based on the criminal history research, the applicant will make an appointment for an interview with the Academy Coordinator and/or the Director of Training.  An eligibility list will be compiled based on the applicants test score, prior public service history including military, criminal justice and other first responder employment, and the results of the interview.  If the applicant is in the top 30 applicants they will be required to complete the following task prior to admission into the police academy;
   1. A physical examination by a physician, licensed by the Texas Medical Board, and approved by the Academy Coordinator, that is designed to dermine if the applicant is capable performing duties associated with law enforcement; and conduct a drug screening that determines that there is no trace of drug dependency or illegal drug use after the medical examination.          
   2. A psychological examination that is designed to determine the psychological and emotional health of the applicant relative to being able to conduct the duties of a peace officer. This examination may be conducted by a psychologist or psychiatrist licensed by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists and approved by the Academy Coordinator.
   3. All of the above examinations will be at the academy applicant’s expense and prior to being accepted into the SPC police academy.
4. Once all tests have been conducted, a final eligiblity list will be established and the top 30 applicants will be considered for the police academy. Final admission to the SPC Police Academy will be based on the Academy Coordinator’s approval after all application procedures have been completed.  A waiting list will be established for applicants in case there are unforseen drops from the initial list.
5. Applicants must complete admission procedures to South Plains College and submit all required transcripts. Admission to South Plains College does not guarantee admission to the police academy.  The application for admission is available at the Admissions and Records Office or at www.southplainscollege.edu.
6. All tuition and fees must be paid or arrangements be made with the finance office at SPC prior to the first day of class.
7. Students who fail to meet the standards outlined in the applicant’s counseling data packet will be refused admission to the academy.  In such instances, other law enforcement program options may be available.