This report describes the number and types of law enforcement training academies in the United States in 2022, and it presents findings on the characteristics of recruits and training outcomes. Findings in the report are based primarily on the 2022 Census of Law Enforcement Training Academies (CLETA), the fifth iteration of the data collection.
Conducted periodically since 2002, CLETA collects information from training academies that are responsible for administering mandatory basic training to newly appointed or elected law enforcement officers on recruits, staff, training curricula, equipment, and facilities. These academies are operated by state, regional, county, and municipal agencies and by universities, colleges, and technical schools. Academies that provide only in-service training are excluded from CLETA.
- Two in 5 starting recruits were trained at an academy operated by either a 2-year college (21%) or a municipal police department (21%).
- State and local law enforcement academies required an average of 806 hours of basic training.
- There were 414 training academies operated by law enforcement entities and 333 operated by colleges or technical schools.
- More than 14% of all recruits did not complete basic training: 8% involuntarily, 5% due to a voluntary withdrawal, and about 1% for a different or unknown reason.