Before you proceed, please make sure to review the material below to make sure you are qualified.
To be considered as a Police Cadet with the Albuquerque Police Department, applicants must successfully complete the selection process. Listed below are the requirements.
Any candidate who does not meet the minimum requirements or fails at any point in the selection process will be immediately dropped from the process.
- Interest Card
- Personal History Statement (PHS)
- Additional Documents Required
- Nelson-Denny Exam
- Written Psychological Exam
- Background Investigation
- Polygraph
- Psychological Assessment
- Chief's Selection Committee
- Medical Exam and Drug Screen
- Physical Abilities Test (administered 2-4 weeks before the start of the academy)
The Albuquerque Police Department's Law Enforcement Academy is a 40 hour week, twenty-six week program, structured around each functional area necessary for New Mexico State Law Enforcement certifications. Instructional areas range from the criminal justice system, law, patrol, investigation, physical fitness, and traffic investigations to defensive tactics, use of firearms and police driving.
These areas, taught by certified instructors and according to Department of Public Safety lesson plans, furnish the cadets with the knowledge and practical skills needed to successfully serve their community. Each successful graduate of the Albuquerque Police Academy is equipped with marketable skills that will serve him or her throughout their lifetime.
Albuquerque Police Officers are required to manage their own time, build relationships, tackle challenges creatively and produce tangible results in a team-oriented environment. The Albuquerque Police Academy is a challenging and satisfying start to a career in one of the most demanding fields in America.
The principal functions of a police officer are the preservation of the peace and maintenance of order, the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of offenders, the protection of persons and property under the law and the performance of the multitude of tasks relating to public welfare and safety.
- You must be 21 years of age by graduation from the academy.
- You must have a valid driver's license and obtain a New Mexico driver's license within 30 days of your hire date.
- You must be a United States citizen.
- You must have a high school diploma or GED.
- No felony convictions. Criminal activity in which applicant has been convicted of, pled guilty to, or entered a plea of nolo contendere to any felony charge, been involved in any prosecution diversion program (PPP) as adjudicated for a felony crime committed will be permanently disqualified. Felony arrests will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
- No misdemeanor convictions within the last 3 years from the date of initial testing. Misdemeanor arrests will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
- No DWI convictions within the last five years from the date of initial testing, whether from an administrative sanction by a Motor Vehicle Department, criminal conviction, or military disciplinary action. Multiple DWIs in the most recent 10 year period disqualifies an individual as an applicant. (Multiple is defined as 2 or more DWIs). DWI arrests will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
- An applicant cannot have been convicted of a Domestic Violence Act. Domestic related arrests will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
- No use in the last 2 years of any illegal misdemeanor drug (does not include marijuana).
- Marijuana use is reviewed on a case by case basis.
- No use in the last 5 years of any illegal felony drug (includes felony prescription drug use).
- Any financial accounts referred to collections, written or charged off will be reviewed on a case by case basis and may result in disqualification.
- Any history of discipline, termination or resignation in lieu of termination may be grounds for disqualification.