Law Enforcement Academy

Individuals interested in attending the Basic Peace Officer Academy must meet all of the below listed enrolment standards. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education establishes these standards and does not provide for any exceptions. Please review them carefully.

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Applicant:

• Must be 21 years of age, or 18 years of age if the applicant has received an associate’s degree or 60 semester hours of credit from an accredited college or university or has received an honorable discharge from the armed forces of the United States after at least two years of active service;
• Must have a high school diploma; or high school equivalency certificate and have completed at least 12 hours at an institution of higher education with at least a 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale; or received an honorable discharge from the armed forces of the United States after at least 24 months of active duty service;
• subjected to a search of local, state and national records and fingerprint files to disclose any criminal record
• Must not ever have been on court-ordered community supervision or probation for any criminal offense above the grade of Class B misdemeanor or a Class B misdemeanor within the last ten years from the date of the court order;
• May not currently be under indictment for any criminal offense;
• May not ever have been convicted of an offense above the grade of a Class B misdemeanor or a Class B misdemeanor within the last ten years;
• Must never have been convicted of any family violence offense;
• May not be prohibited by state or federal law from operating a motor vehicle;
• May not be prohibited by state or federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition;
• Must pass a physical and psychological examination conducted within 180 days of the start of the start of the academy; not have been discharged from any military service under less than honorable conditions including, specifically;
  • (A) under other than honorable conditions;
  • (B) bad conduct;
  • (C) dishonorable; or any other characterization of service indicating bad character;
  not have had a commission license denied by final order, revoked, currently on suspension for a criminal violation, or have a voluntary surrender of license currently in effect.

General Guidelines:

The cost for the Academy includes four courses: Basic Peace Officer I, II, III and IV, which will be completed in sequence to constitute the TCLEOSE-approved Basic Peace Officer Academy, for a total of 714 hours of instruction. Students must register in all four courses concurrently. Students sponsored by the Tyler Police Department or the Smith County Sheriff’s Office must register by contacting Dr. Thomas A. Johnson at (903) 510-2950. Space is limited in the Basic Peace Officer Academy so interest parties are encouraged to register early. Application and associated paperwork is available at Tyler Junior College West Campus, Office of Continuing Education, 1530 SSW Loop 323, Tyler, Texas.

The tuition and fees for the Academy do not cover the cost of uniforms and/or other equipment a cadet will be responsible for supplying. Some of the additional equipment may be furnished by the cadet’s sponsoring agency.

For information regarding the next Basic Peace Officer Academy schedule as well as application deadlines or additional information, please contact the Academy Director, Dr. Thomas A. Johnson at (903) 510-2950.