All Dayton Police Officers begin their career at the Dayton Police Academy, with a paid training program that lasts approximately six months. The academy is a “business academy,” meaning recruits attend the training during the day and go home at night. Recruits report to the academy every day at 0800 hours and are expected to be lined up in the morning when Reveille plays over the loudspeakers. The training day lasts until 1700 hours.
Training covers extensive topics and skills, including Ohio Revised Code statutes, firearms, pursuit driving, physical control techniques, and more. Over the six months in the academy, recruits accumulate more then 1,000 hours of professional instruction, leading to an exciting career and camaraderie forging lifelong friendships with a bond that not many people experience.
