Basic Course in Applied Police Science (BCAPS)

General Information

The North Central Texas Regional Police Academy (RPA) provides basic law enforcement training for persons hired by law enforcement agencies who will be beginning a career as a law enforcement officer in the State of Texas. This program covers legal topics, police procedures, investigative techniques, and technical skills.

Graduates of the program receive a certificate of completion and eligibility to take the peace officer licensing examination.

Our classroom facility is located at 624 Six Flags Drive, Suite 125, Arlington, Texas. Classes are held Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 p.m., except the DWI, Firearms and Practical portions of the course, which have some training in the evenings. The Basic Course in Applied Police Science (Basic Peace Officer Course) consists of 880 hours of instruction. The Academy schedules eight basic peace officer programs each year.

Entrance Requirements

Important: Prospective students are not allowed to register themselves for the academy. The HIRING AGENCY must enroll the student in the class.

The RPA is the oldest regional law enforcement academy in the nation, founded in 1968, and celebrating over fifty years of quality law enforcement education and training. The RPA is licensed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

The RPA is founded on principles of adult education and we believe that if students are going to be successful as law enforcement officers, they must demonstrate a capacity to provide mutual respect to all persons with whom they interact. For that reason, the RPA requires a level of conduct which demonstrates that capacity and the RPA encourages teamwork and an openness to learning. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement has established the following minimum standards for entry into a basic law enforcement training program.

Academy applicants must be hired by a law enforcement agency prior to enrollment in the academy and

1. Be 21 years of age or 18 years of age if the applicant has received an associate's degree, 60 semester hours of credit from an accredited college or university, or has received an honorable discharge from the armed forces of the United States after at least two years of active service;
2. Meet the minimum educational requirements by passing a general educational development (GED) test indicating high school graduation level, holds a high school diploma, or for enrollment purposes in a basic peace officer academy only, has an honorable discharge from the armed forces of the United States after at least 24 months of active duty service;
3. Be fingerprinted and subjected to a search of local, state and U.S. national records and fingerprint files to disclose any criminal record;
4. Has never been on court-ordered community supervision or probation for any criminal offense above the grade of Class B misdemeanor or a Class B misdemeanor within the last ten years from the date of the court order; 
5. Is not currently charged with any criminal offense for which conviction would be a bar to licensure;
6. Has never been convicted of an offense above the grade of a Class B misdemeanor or a Class B misdemeanor within the last ten years;
7. Has never been convicted or placed on community supervision in any court of an offense involving family violence as defined under Chapter 71, Texas Family Code;
8. For peace officers, is not prohibited by state or federal law from operating a motor vehicle;
9. For peace officers, is not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition;
10. Has been subjected to a background investigation completed by the enrolling or appointing entity into the applicant's personal history. A background investigation shall include, at a minimum,  the following: An enrolling entity shall: require completion of the Commission-approved personal history statement; and verify that the applicant meets each individual requirement for licensure under this rule based on the personal history statement and any other information known to the enrolling entity; and contact all previous enrolling entitites. 
11. Examined by a physician, selected by the appointing or employing agency, who is licensed by the Texas Medical Board. The physician must be familiar with the duties appropriate to the type of license sought and appointment to be made. The appointee must be declared by that professional, on a form prescribed by the commission, within 180 days before the date of appointment by the agency to be: physically sound and free from any defect which may adversely affect the performance of duty appropriate to the type of license sought; show no trace of drug dependency or illegal drug use after a blood test or other medical test; for the purpose of meeting the requirements for initial licensure, an individual's satisfactory medical exam that is conducted as a requirement of a basic licensing course may remain valid for 180 days from the individual's date of graduation from that academy, if accepted by the appointing agency.
12. Examined by a psychologist selected by the appointing, employing agency, or the academy, who is licensed by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists. This examination may also be conducted by a psychiatrist licensed by the Texas Medical Board. The psychologist or psychiatrist must be familiar with the duties appropriate to the type of license sought. The individual must be declared by that professional, on a form prescribed by the commission, to be in satisfactory psychological and emotional health to serve as the type of officer for which the license is sought. The examination must be conducted pursuant to professionally recognized standards and methods. The examination process must consist of a review of a job description for the position sought; review of any personal history statements; review of any background documents; at least two instruments, one which measures personality traits and one which measures psychopathology; and a face to face interview conducted after the instruments have been scored. The appointee must be declared by that professional, on a form prescribed by the commission, within 180 days before the date of the appointment by the agency; the commission may allow for exceptional circumstances where a licensed physician performs the evaluation of psychological and emotional health. This requires the appointing agency to request in writing and receive approval from the commission, prior to the evaluation being completed; or the examination may be conducted by qualified persons identified by Texas Occupations Code § 501.004. This requires the appointing agency to request in writing and receive approval from the commission, prior to the evaluation being completed; and for the purpose of meeting the requirements for initial licensure, an individual's satisfactory psychological exam that is conducted as a requirement of a basic licensing course may remain valid for 180 days from the individual's date of graduation from that academy, if accepted by the appointing agency;
13. Has never received a dishonorable discharge from the armed forces of the United States;
14. Has never had a commission license denied by final order or revoked;
15. Is not currently on suspension, or does not have a surrender of license currently in effect;
16. Meets the minimum training standards and passes the commission licensing examination for each license sought;
17. Is a U.S. citizen or is a legal permanent resident of the United States, if the person is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the United States with at least two years of service before discharge and presents evidence satisfactory to the commission that the person has applied for United States citizenship.

Tuition and Fees

Through a cooperative grant from the Criminal Justice Division of the Governor's Office, we are able to keep tuition for law enforcement courses at a minimum. Tuition for attendance in the basic course is currently $2,332.00. If the recruit is a military veteran, the academy is approved by the Texas State Approving Agency (SAA) to allow veterans to use their VA educational benefits while attending the academy.

NCTCOG RPA Cancellation Policy

Agency Expectations

State Licensing

Successful completion of this course of instruction does not automatically result in state licensing as a peace officer. In addition to completing the Academy, you must pass the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Peace Officer Licensing Examination, which is administered at the end of the Academy.

Equipment and Clothing Needed While Attending the Academy

1. Regional Police Academy uniform: khaki pants, khaki shirts (long and short sleeves required), black belt, belt keepers, black duty boots.
2. Physical fitness clothing:  black RPA t-shirt, black athletic shorts, white or black socks, running shoes, black sweat suit or black jogging suit (depending on season).  
3. Leather gear, inner belt, duty holster, magazine carriers, carrying bag, flashlights with belt holder/case, handcuffs and case, baton and holder, handcuff keys, and ballistic vest.
4. Handgun and cleaning kits for firearms training.
5. Defensive tactics gear: mouthguard required, black BDUs, black t-shirts, black duty boots, and leather gear/duty belt, and athletic cup (optional).

Contact Information
624 Six Flags Drive, Suite 125, Arlington, Texas 76011
(682) 433-0362 
nctcogtraining@nctcog.org