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Alternate Route Program

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The Alternate Route Program permits individuals to enroll in a Basic Police Training Course without first being hired by a Police Agency. Graduates will qualify for a State of New Jersey Police Training Commission Certification. Applicants must meet the following minimum standards to be accepted into the program.

Qualifiers

  • The applicant must be a citizen of United States.
  • The applicant must be able to read, write and speak the English language.
  • The applicant must be between the ages of 18 and 35.
  • The applicant must have at least 60 college credits prior to the start of the academy or 2 years of full time active duty military service; or a combination of college credits and full time active duty military service that adds up to two years.
  • The applicant must pass a rigorous selection process; including a written examination, physical agility test, oral interview, application packet evaluation, psychological evaluation, medical exam, and a preliminary background investigation.
  • The applicant must have a valid NJ Drivers License prior to the start of the academy.
  • The applicant must pass a drug test through urinalysis.
  • The applicant must have current insurance (Health / Liability)

Automatic Disqualifiers

  • The applicant was convicted of an indictable offense or is presently under indictment.
  • The applicant was convicted of any offense involving domestic violence.
  • The applicant was convicted of two or more offenses of driving while intoxicated as defined under N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 or was convicted of driving while intoxicated as defined under N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 within the last five years.
  • The applicant is currently on probation or has been on probation at any time within the last 12 months.
  • If the applicant pled guilty or has been found guilty of any motor vehicle moving violation five or more times within the past two years.
  • The applicant has been dishonorably discharged from any branch of military service or law enforcement agency.
  • The applicant was adjudicated by a court or found to by an employer to have violated any person’s civil rights.
  • The applicant was convicted of an offense involving touching on previous public office, position or employment. See N.J.S.A. 2C:51-2(d).
  • The applicant, having been a citizen of the United States, has relinquished his or her citizenship.
  • The applicant is subject to a restraining order for harassing, stalking, or threatening, or a restraining order for any domestic violence related offense.
  • The applicant sold, manufactured or distributed any illegal controlled dangerous substance in his or her life.
  • The applicant engaged in the unauthorized usage of any illegal drug while employed in a position of public trust.

Additional Information

The Alternate Route Program is twenty-three (23) weeks in length and will require the candidate to attend classes Monday thru Friday for the entire length of the program. The Alternate Route Program candidate will be responsible for all costs associated with the application process and academy training. This cost is estimated at approximately $4000.00. This includes $2000.00 in tuition (ammunition included) which is paid to the training center.

The test for Alternate Route Training Program space is limited. Top scorers on the written exam who also pass the physical test will go before an oral review board. A list of successful candidates will then be drawn up in order of their score in the testing procedures. Background investigations will be done on the top percentage of the list. A final list will be made after the background investigations completed. Notification of pending acceptance to the police academy will be mailed out once the results of the medical and psychological examinations are received. Failure to complete any portion of the testing procedures on time, will result in your removal from the process.

Alternate Route graduates must be hired by a Law Enforcement agency within three years of graduating from a police academy. Failing to be hired within the three years will result in you going through a full police academy again.

Contact

For further information, please contact the police academy at (609) 407-6727 or email Police Academy Acting Director, Ed Thornton, at Thornton_Edward@aclink.org or Instructor Michael Fadden at fadden_mike@aclink.org.