Bakersfield Police Department

The Training

The Police Academy

The Bakersfield Police Department hosts our own police academies locally at the BPD Academy Training Facility, 4646 California Avenue. Typically, two academies are held each year, one in January and the other in July. We have professional experts and P.O.S.T certified instructors teach a variety of areas in the basic course curriculum.

Hours of training

Subjects Taught

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CRIMINAL LAW

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CRIMINAL LAW

You’ll learn criminal law application and procedures, as well as penal, vehicle, health and safety codes and more.

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VEHICLE OPERATIONS

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VEHICLE OPERATIONS

You’ll learn the fundamentals and considerations of emergency vehicle use in urban and highway environments.

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FIREARMS

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FIREARMS

You’ll receive training related to firearms safety, marksmanship, and critical thinking to discern when such force is authorized.

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TACTICS

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TACTICS

To protect yourself and members of the community, you’ll be trained in tactical operations and skills for a myriad of situations.

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LIFESAVING SKILLS

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LIFESAVING SKILLS

From CPR and first aid, to emergency childbirth, to putting out fires, you’ll master skills which one day may save a person’s life

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DEFENSIVE TACTICS

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DEFENSIVE TACTICS

You’ll learn verbal and physical methods to de-escalate confrontations and combative individuals during high-stress encounters.

The Field training program

Upon graduation, new officers transition from being a recruit to a trainee in the department’s field training program. The length of the program may be shortened for lateral police officers with patrol experience.

weeks of training

Phases of training

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DEPARTMENT POLICY

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DEPARTMENT POLICY

You’ll become familiar with, and demonstrate adherence to, the policies of the Bakersfield Police Department.

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VEHICLE OPERATIONS

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VEHICLE OPERATIONS

You’ll demonstrate the safe, efficient, and practical operation of a police patrol vehicle in both stress and non-stress conditions.

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FIREARMS

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FIREARMS

Proper handling and use of firearms in accordance with the policies, tactics, and standards of the Bakersfield Police Department will be used.

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COMMUNICATIONS

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COMMUNICATIONS

How you interact with members of the community, victims, suspects, witnesses, peers, and supervisors will be evaluated to ensure they meet our standards.

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APPLICATION OF THE LAW

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APPLICATION OF THE LAW

We want to see you take the legal knowledge you learned in the academy and apply it in your everyday performance.

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CRITICAL INCIDENTS

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CRITICAL INCIDENTS

You’ll be subjected to high-stress, critical and sometimes violent incidents that will require you to respond and successfully defuse.