BPOT ACADEMY OVERVIEW

The Basic Police Officer Training (BPOT) Academy at SNMLEA is a state-certified training program designed to prepare individuals for careers as law enforcement officers. As a satellite academy of the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy (NMLEA) in Santa Fe, the program meets and exceeds the Police Officer Minimum Standards of Training (NMAC 10.29.9.8), and abides by all laws and regulations as established by the New Mexico Law Enforcement Training Act (NMSA 1978, §§ 29-7-1 et seq.) and the New Mexico Law Enforcement Certification Board (NMLECB).

Each BPOT academy class consists of approximately 720 hours of instruction delivered over 17 weeks in a structured, para-military environment. Classes typically remain in session Monday through Thursday, with the occasional evening and Friday trainings as needed.

Prospective applicants must first submit a complete BPOT Registration Form to reserve their spot on the class roster. Additionally, the BPOT Application Packet must be completed in its entirety and either mailed or delivered in person to SNMLEA by the established application packet deadline. Once both have been received, reviewed, and deemed complete and accurate, a member of the academy staff will contact the applicant, or the applicant’s employing agency, to schedule the date of their physical fitness pre-assessment. Applicants who have successfully met the minimum required pre-assessment standards will then be accepted into the academy class, pending final approval by NMLEA.

Upon successful completion of our program, graduates receive Certificates of Completion from both SNMLEA and New Mexico Junior College (NMJC), documenting the completion of 32 college credit hours. These credits may be applied toward an Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice at NMJC or may be eligible for transfer toward degree or certificate programs at other institutions, subject to the receiving institution's transfer credit policies.

All cadets are required to take the Law Enforcement Officer Certification Examination (L.E.O.C.E.) at the conclusion of the program. Following graduation, and upon achieving a passing score on the L.E.O.C.E., NMLEA issues official certifications to eligible graduates upon ratification of the academy class's successful completion by the NMLECB. Due to board ratifications occurring on a scheduled basis, graduates should anticipate a processing period of approximately three to six months before receiving their official New Mexico Law Enforcement Officer Certification.