What is training like at the academy?

Would someone elaborate as to what the academy training entails?

What is the curriculum like, PT etc.. Any other helpful info?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

The academy is 8 weeks, this does not include 1 week of high liability training. Just so you know, when you are hired you will go through high liability; this is to get you sworn, get your weapon, qualify, speak with legal so you can take action as a police officer. After this you will go to the academy, it might be in1 week or 1 year. The academy is 8 weeks long in Tallahassee. You will stay with 1 other person in a room, could be the academy or an extended stay Marriott. You will get 2 paid trips home, other than that its your dime to get home. So in other works you can t take the state car home every weekend.

It is mainly classroom work, every other week on Thursday and Friday you will have DT and range. The classroom work is wire taps, legal, fraud investigations, dope investigations, integrity, where your authority comes from, computer crimes, officer involved shooting investigations, task force issues, what cases we work. Its like any other academy but not too basic, a little more advanced. The last week of the academy is when you put everything together and do practical exercises. It goes by fast.

I was notified that I am being forwarded to the Background Inv. Any idea how long it usually is before the BI begins once you are forwarded. Any other premployment process info provided will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

BrowardGuest,

Thank you for taking the time to write your informative post.

BrowardGuest,

You mentioned that after the high liability training one might attend academy either in 1 week or 1 year? 1 year? Why the possible delay and are you actually employed by FDLE during that year?

Only after you are hired will you go through high liability. I went through the academy with a guy who had been with FDLE for 2 years before he went. He was assigned to protective operations. 2007 was the first year FDLE ran 2 academies in 1 year. I worked for 6 months before I went to the academy but one of my friends was hired and he went right away.

If you are hired and working for FDLE without the high liability training, from what was written above, I take it you don't get a firearm and the reqs. that go with it.

Does this mean you are stuck at a desk doing admin work only until you graduate academy?

Yes that is correct, no high liability, no gun and no power. You will do admin stuff until you go. They try to get you the high liability training right away. Don t confuse High Liability with the academy.

Got it, thank you.

How much running and PT is there in the academy?

Yes that is correct, no high liability, no gun and no power. You will do admin stuff until you go. They try to get you the high liability training right away. Don t confuse High Liability with the academy.

This is only for non-certified applicants, correct?

All agents (sworn) go to the 8 week FDLE academy and attend high liability. It does not matter if you were a cop for 40 years you do the above.
As for running, very little but you will have full days of DT

Broward Guest,

What is the chance an applicant that ultimately gets hired can work in Broward? Does MROC cover Broward, or is there an office in Broward County?

If not, I would assume it is not that difficult to get into MROC?

MROC covers from Key West to Palm Beach. Key West, Palm Beach and Broward have field offices. The field offices are all up to staff. The openings are at MROC (main building in Miami) and the Racinos. The Racions have openings and they are all in Broward for now. The offices for the Racino Agents are at each racing facility. Once Dade County votes and passes slots, the Dade County facilities will have to be staffed.

Thank you for the info BrowardGuest.

Could you describe the working environment in the Racino's? I had heard there was a big push to staff the Racino's.

This is shift work no doubt, due to the hours but is there really much to do in the Racino's?

The Racino agents do work shift work and weekends. The weekends are rotated. Every employee who works at the racino’s has a background done by FDLE, this includes the guy who cleans to the CEO. The same goes for companies who do business there. Agents do the backgrounds along with the analysts. The backgrounds have turned up subjects with warrants, the agents will handle that. Agents handle the various crimes that occur, thefts, counterfeits and disturbances. There are more in depth investigations that go on. The Racions have been opened less than 1 year so things are still evolving, everyone is learning as they go. Like any job, you can be a slug or you can get involved and learn new things. If you want to break down a door and chase a doper over a fence it will not be for you.

They are racinos, not racino's. There is currently no shift work, just normal business hours. The number of agents has been reduced, with a handful assigned to each of the three state racinos.

Agents have a steady diet of backgrounds, as well as the more frequently occurring spin off case. These come from incidents that occur in the racinos as well as incidents and practices of vendors, which are covered under the statutes.

Backgrounds are more like traditional long-term investigations than unlike. Agents go out in the field, locate sources, conduct interviews to gain intelligence then write up reports. The nature and type of investigations that FDLE agents do are diferent from the type and pace performed by response agency detectives. Trust me, I've done both, extensively.

Thank you for the info.

I hear that a lot of the new hires at FDLE that go to MROC most likely will get assigned to racinos, is that true?

As to where the agents go, ask the SAC. Not to be flippant, but nothing is written in stone. The racino initiative is everchanging, and it's just one assignment, like public integrity, eco crime, etc. Currently, the racino assignment has been redefined to work with fewer agents, so the weekend/night rotation has been dropped. I understand that the FDLE is de-emphasizing drug assignments as this is seen as duplicative of local efforts. This is typical of the FDLE; I was told at my academy that the only constant here is change. So yeah, there are racinos, there are task forces, there are eco crime squads. Figure that if you're here, you'll eventually get a taste of all assignments.

Broward guest and seajay,

thanks for all your info. I am also in process with fdle. They put me on something called the "fast track" I am assuming a quicker pace hiring program. Can you let us know what the time frame is for hiring? As I know there is an academy in March and I am only scheduled for the PAT and panel interview. Could I possibly make that academy? Also what kind of truth verification does FDLE use; poly, voice etc. I have only been poly'd as I was an officer up north? Just wondering as I like to know what's going on. I stated I would go anywhere in the state, but if you do very good in the academy etc, will this help or do you have no say in where you go?

thanks for any and all of your help