History Of the Police Academy

Formalized training of Kansas City Missouri Police Officers first took place under the direction of Chief Lear B. Reed. In 1944 after attending a 3-month course at the F.B.I. Academy, Byron Engle assumed command of the department's recruit training program and became the first training officer. The first recruit program was located on the second floor of Police Headquarters, 1125 Locust, and only Kansas City Police applicants attended these classes. During the war years, a serious recruiting problem existed. Rattier than wait for a class to meet and taking the chance of losing a prospective officer, appointees were assigned directly to the field with a veteran officer. Still considered recruits, they returned to headquarters for a later training period. During the 1950s, classroom and field training for a time was sixteen (16) weeks

In 1956, the Academy moved to the basement of what is now the East Patrol Division at 5301 E. 27th Street. At the time, the building was already occupied by the department’s radio station (Communications Center). The established training curriculum was ten (10) weeks in the classroom and four (4) weeks in the field. In 1962, the Academy moved into its own facility at 4142 Indiana. This building consisted of two offices and two classrooms (each seating 30 people).

On April 1, 1970, the Training Center relocated to 2100 N. Noland Road in Independence Missouri. The centers name was changed to the Regional Center for Criminal Justice reflecting the move to a regional academy function. This facility was located on eighty-eight (88) acres and had a twelve (12) week training curriculum. For the first time an excellent physical training program was initiated, which provided daily exercise, defensive tactics and disarming techniques.
On January 8, 1980, the Academy moved to the Penn Valley Community College Campus at 3201 Southwest Trafficway, Kansas City, Missouri. This move occurred in an attempt to provide a more central location and a better academic atmosphere. The name was changed to the Regional Police Academy. The length of training increased to approximately six (6) months. Through an affiliation with the Community College, entrant officers began receiving thirty-three (33) hours of college credit. On May 30, 1991, the Regional Police Academy relocated to the Pioneer Community College campus at 2700 E. 18th.

A vision to provide police training at a department owned facility became a reality on May 26,1994. The Regional Police Academy was moved to the renovated 1328 Agnes Building. After much planning the new Academy was designed to accommodate two large classrooms, a physical training area, an in-service training room, locker facilities, shower, weight room, Firearms Training System and administrative offices.

With the ever-changing dynamics of modem policing, the Regional Police Academy quickly outgrew the facility at 1328 Agnes and with the approval of voters in April of 2002; the planning for a new "ground-up" facility began.
The first ever-constructed specific training academy for the Kansas City Missouri Police Department broke ground in August of 2005 in the Northland at 6885 N.E. Pleasant Valley Road. This state of the art 100,000 square-foot facility provides more training opportunities with a 500 seat auditorium, six classrooms, physical training facilities, a 30 lane indoor pistol range, a driving track and situational building as well as many other amenities to meet the demands of today's police officer both in basic and continuing education. With the opening of the facility in July of 2007, many of the departments training facilities were incorporated into a campus atmosphere, where law enforcement officers and agencies from throughout the region can obtain the highest quality experience.