Law Enforcement Academy

Are you called to serve your community?
The Law Enforcement Academy is looking for strong individuals like you. You'll learn what it takes to protect and serve. And you'll be ready for a career when you graduate.

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Image of police academy students during training

What will you learn?

Students in the Law Enforcement Academy will spend 22 weeks learning the basics of law enforcement including evidence gathering, investigation and criminal law, traffic control, patrol procedures, defensive driving techniques, and weaponry training based on requirements of Missouri's Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.). You will also spend an entire week focused on Crisis Intervention Training which focuses on how to respond and help those in mental crisis. Upon completion, students will be fully prepared for the state certification exams and ready to enter into the law enforcement field.

Who will teach you?

All of the instructors who teach in the academy are currently working in or retired from law enforcement and related fields. You'll gain valuable knowledge from their combined decades of experience in the field.

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Career opportunities

Obtaining your POST license opens up a wide array of career opportunities. Southeast's academy graduates have gone on to work for agencies at all levels of law enforcement including local, county, state, and Federal. That includes positions with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Agency, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and the U.S. Marshal's service.

Image of an officer with a student from the academy sitting in the passenger seat.

What's unique about our academy?

Students who go through Southeast's Law Enforcement Academy will earn 200 hours of training beyond Missouri's mandated 600 hours. In addition to being one of the premier academies in the State of Missouri, students have the opportunity to earn 24 college credits toward a bachelor's degree as part of a four-year degree program. Additionally, if you choose to take it for college credit, you have the option of using financial aid to cover the cost of attending. Having a bachelor's degree can help you land a job in the competitive field of law enforcement and could put you on the fast-track to promotions.