The Palomar College Police Academy has been chosen for a pilot program that will give greater emphasis to physical and mental fitness in training the state’s future law enforcement officers.
The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, which sets training standards for police academies in the state, approved having the Palomar College Police Academy as part of a pilot program to teach lifetime fitness throughout the yearlong academy training.
Police Academy Coordinator Juliette Barnes said that while other academies do not offer lifetime fitness until the last of three modules of training, the Palomar College academy has offered lifetime fitness training throughout all three of its modules since the academy switched to the modular format in 2016.
The curriculum for the lifetime fitness program, which is determined by subject matter experts, includes instruction on general health, substance abuse and stress. It also includes physical training to improve overall fitness in several areas to best prepare peace officers for the physical rigors of the profession.
“It’s designed to train the body for what peace officers will do in the field,” she said.
All recruits must complete a minimum number of the physical training sessions and pass a final exercise test to complete the requirement in the academy so they can graduate.
The proposed curriculum changes to the lifetime fitness program will be incorporated into the next academy class that begins this month. About 25 students are expected to participate in the yearlong police academy program.
Barnes, a former Escondido Police Department detective, said the selection of Palomar College to participate in the pilot program shows a level of confidence by POST in how we train new law enforcement officers.
“It’s a testament to our good relations with the state,” she said.
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