The Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC), released a report summarizing survey feedback from Police Academy cadets who graduated between March 2024 and March 2025. This report is based on a collaborative initiative that was launched in partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) to collect responses from cadets after completing their required coursework.
The report analyzes responses from recruit classes 401 through 408 and provides insight into how new officers experienced their academy training. The survey combines quantitative ratings and written feedback from cadets to provide a data-informed view of training strengths and areas where recruits identified opportunities for improvement.
Overall, cadets reported feeling prepared for real-world policing. Across all training modules, when asked on a four-point scale (strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree) an average of 53 percent of recruits said they “strongly agree” that the lessons they received prepared them for their job as Philadelphia police officers.
The report emphasizes that these findings reflect cadets’ self-reported perceptions of preparedness immediately after graduating the academy, rather than an independently validated measure of training effectiveness.
In addition to generally positive feedback, the survey identified several areas where recruits suggested additional attention or modernization could strengthen training, including:
• Reality-Based Training (RBT): Cadets strongly valued scenario-based training that simulates real-world police encounters, but many said it was concentrated near the end of the academy and should be integrated more consistently throughout the curriculum.
• Defensive Tactics: Some cadets reported that certain techniques felt outdated or not sufficiently realistic for real-world encounters.
• Physical Training: Written feedback suggested physical training sessions were sometimes infrequent or unevenly integrated into the academy schedule.
• Firearms Training: While ratings for preparedness were positive overall, some cadets expressed interest in additional training time or more practice under dynamic conditions such as movement or stress.
Several improvements have already been implemented by the PPD in response to survey findings. Police Academy leadership has indicated that the survey results have been helpful in refining training lessons and have expressed interest in continuing to collaborate with CPOC to improve the survey and strengthen training evaluation.
“This report reflects another way the Commission is working collaboratively to support transparency and strengthen policing in Philadelphia,” said CPOC Executive Director Tonya McClary. “Hearing directly from new officers about their training experiences can help identify opportunities to improve how officers are prepared for the realities of policing.”
CPOC has continued collecting feedback from subsequent academy classes and may release updated findings in the future. The Commission also plans to revisit the survey to ensure it stays in alignment with state standards.
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About the Citizens Police Oversight Commission
The Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) is an independent civilian oversight agency designed to advance the just, transparent, and efficient administration of criminal justice in Philadelphia. CPOC is committed to conducting fair and timely investigations into police conduct, enhancing the quality of internal investigations, and fostering community engagement and trust.