MANSFIELD, Pa. – The Mansfield University Municipal Police Academy is actively recruiting for its upcoming full-time Act 120 Academy class, which begins May 22, 2023.
The Mansfield Act 120
Municipal Police Academy is a 26-week course required to become a
municipal police officer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Established in 1977, Mansfield’s Academy is certified by the Municipal
Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission (MPOETC).
Thanks
to significant external grants and partnerships, all cadets who
complete the academy will receive a minimum $2,500 scholarship. With the
scholarship, the Mansfield Police Academy is the most affordable in
Pennsylvania, reducing tuition from $5,499 to $2,999. Additional
scholarship opportunities exist to further reduce the cost of the
Academy.
Cadets also receive free on-campus housing at
Mansfield’s suite-style residence halls, which were named among the best
in the nation by Niche.com.
“Mansfield’s Act 120 Police Academy
Program is attempting to reduce the costs associated with first
responder training as much as possible,” explained Dr. Joshua Battin,
Dean of the Public Safety Training Institute. “It is our belief that
breaking down barriers for individuals interested in these careers is
essential to recruiting high-quality individuals to serve in our
communities. The scholarships, innovative training techniques, and
additional certifications give our graduates an advantage when seeking
their first law enforcement job.”
Because of the Academy’s
exceptional reputation and its network of partners, graduates of the
Mansfield Academy enjoy a 95% job placement rate upon completion of the
program. Graduates consistently rank among the top in Pennsylvania
police academies in GPA and state certification examination scores.
The
Academy features a cadre of instructors with vast knowledge of police
recruit training and the criminal justice system. The instructor cadre
includes active and retired Pennsylvania State Police and Municipal
Police, attorneys, educators, Magistrates, and a Common Pleas Judge.
Mansfield
has been at the forefront of emerging technologies in law enforcement
and was the first academy in the Commonwealth to include
state-of-the-art virtual reality training for cadets. The immersive VR
experience allows students to take knowledge learned in the classroom
and immediately apply it to a variety of life-like scenarios.
Because
the Academy is part of the MU Public Safety Training Institute
(MUPSTI), cadets can gain more than 100 additional hours of training and
certification during the academy training period at no additional cost.
Additional training hours include certifications and micro-credentials
for taser, the G.L.O.V.E., OC, enhanced Community Policing Model
integrating new DEI and compliance related initiatives, Introduction to
the Spectrum, Medical Marijuana, and more.
Anyone interested in attending the Mansfield Police Academy should fill out a Statement of Interest form at mansfield.edu/academy.