CAPCOG opened its admission process for its next basic peace officer course (BPOC) — a part-time, night course that will take place in Hutto starting June 1 with a projected end date in March 2027. Admission testing will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 4 and 18 at CAPCOG’s offices, 6800 Burleson Road, Building 310, Suite 165 in Austin.
“BPOCs offered by CAPCOG instill the knowledge needed to become a great law enforcement officer, but more importantly they develop the character needed to be an amazing public servant and community leader,” said David Bertling, the CAPCOG Regional Law Enforcement Academy (RLEA) director. “Our part-time courses allow people who have fulltime jobs to complete the same course work as our fulltime courses.”
Classes will be from 6 to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with 8- to 12-hour days on Saturdays depending on the instructional topic. Recent academy cadets have graduated with more than 1,000 Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) certified training hours which include certifications beyond the basic peace officer’s license that prepare them to work in communities throughout Central Texas. Such certifications include OC spray, expandable police baton, patrol rifle, and more.
“Since 1977, CAPCOG has helped communities fulfill their need of hiring highly educating and qualified peace officers who understand the job and know it goes beyond the badge,” Bertling said. “While our cadets are studying, we are working with our communities to get them hired.”
The academy serves as a training program for police and fire departments, sheriffs’ offices, constables, and other policing agencies in the ten-county CAPCOG region. Eight-five graduating cadets from its last two courses have gone to work for more than 25 different agencies in the region. It also allows recruiters from hiring agencies to visit with cadets during the course. The academy has maintained a 100 percent pass rate on TCOLE’s basic peace officer exam for more than the last decade.
