Municipal Police Academy Programs

A three-hour course highlighting pertinent court decisions and significant pieces of legislation that affect police operations and investigations. Lessons will address changes and updates to the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, Vehicle Code, and Rules of Criminal Procedures as well as decisions from Pennsylvania's Commonwealth, Superior and Supreme Courts, various Federal Courts, and the United States Supreme Court. This course will be offered in two segments online via pavtn. The first segment will be available in the middle of 2023 for officers who wish to receive advanced notice of changes to the law. The second segment will be released in January 2024 at the same time the entire course will be released also as an in-classroom training. 

A three-hour course specifically focused on the phenomenon of suicidal individuals who choose to end their lives by confronting a law enforcement officer. The course will define suicide by cop, identify risk factors and warning signs, discuss intervention techniques, tactical communication, de-escalation techniques, and best practices to increase the chances of a successful and safe outcome. The course will also assist officers in recognizing and recovering from the trauma in the aftermath of such an encounter, as well as providing resources for officers to maintain their health and wellness. 

A three-hour course focused on the importance of building and maintaining trusted relationships with the communities police officers serve and protect. The course will review how to strengthen awareness regarding cultural diversity, competency and sensitivity within various communities; and to recognize trauma's impact on members of the community and the importance of applying a trauma-informed approach. The course will conclude with highlighting strategies that officers can implement when working with their community members. 

A three-hour course exploring the issues of modern-day ethics in law enforcement and discussing what, if any, changes have occurred throughout the history of policing in Pennsylvania. The course will examine how hiring standards influence hiring ethical police officers and what impact that has on Pennsylvania law enforcement. The course will also suggest ideas which can assist officers in remaining ethically sound throughout their careers.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania requires that any person wishing to become a certified security officer, or who is privately employed and is required as a condition of employment to carry a lethal weapon, must participate in a 40-hour Lethal Weapons Training Program. Pennsylvania also requires that every five years individuals who have been certified must attend an eight-hour recertification (renewal) program. The Mercyhurst University Police Academy offers these classes periodically each year, with sessions held at the Academy’s HQ in North East, PA. The price for the 40-hour course is $475 and renewal is $175. Please view our FAQ for important facts about the Lethal Weapons Training Act.

To apply for either the basic forty (40) hour course or the eight (8) hour renewal course, please fill out the Mercyhurst University ACT 235 form. Please note that you do not have to pay in advance for this course but must bring a check or money order (payable to Mercyhurst University) to the first class. Finally, after receiving approval from the Pennsylvania State Police to attend one of our courses, they will send you a letter to this effect. This letter, or a copy, MUST be brought to the first class or you cannot be admitted.

Please call 814-725-6137 for dates. Sessions begin at 7 a.m. and end at 8 p.m. at the Mercyhurst University Municipal Police Training Academy, 5999 State Rt. 89, North East, PA. Please note: this class is NOT located on the main Mercyhurst campus.

Please call 814-725-6137 for dates. Sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 3:30 p.m.  Students will need a serviceable duty sidearm, revolver or semi-automatic, a holster and sturdy belt, magazine holder, ball cap, ear and eye protection (safety glasses), and 130 rounds of factory ammunition. Shotguns and rounds will be provided.

The cost for these programs is $475, payable to Mercyhurst University Police Academy. $150 is due before attending. The balance MUST be paid by the final day of training. Checks can be sent to Bill Hale, Director, Mercyhurst Municipal Police Training Academy, P.O. Box 246, North East, PA., 16428. DO NOT send a check until the state has authorized your attendance. More information can be found on the Lethal Weapons Training Program website.

Questions can be directed to Bill Hale, Director, Municipal Police Training Academy, at whale@mercyhurst.edu or 814-725-6137.

Complete an online (Basic Applicant) application using the TACS System.  Log in as a First-Time User on the left side of the screen. If the system recognizes your information, you may be instructed to select the other option to log in with your existing profile, also on the left side of the screen. Once you are in the system select the Home Act 235 button and select the Basic Training Application. Scroll down to select “Start Application”. Complete all required information on each screen and submit when you have finished. This will require a credit card payment of $50. 
 

When you submit your application you will receive an automated email from Identigo/Morphotrust with instructions for scheduling your fingerprint session. You must be fingerprinted at one of the approved Identigo/Morphotrust locations. You will not receive the results of your fingerprints, these will be forwarded directly to the Lethal Weapons Certification Unit for review.
 

When you submit your application you will also receive a confirmation email from the Lethal Weapons Certification Unit with instructions to download and print the physical and psychological examination forms. You must undergo a physical and psychological examination at your own expense. The physicians must be PA licensed and the physicians must submit completed and signed forms to the Lethal Weapons Certification Unit.
It is the applicant's responsibility to schedule the training after receiving the approval letter from the State Police*. After you receive approval, contact the Mercyhurst University Municipal Police Training Academy at 814-725-6230 to schedule training. Once you have scheduled, fill out the appropriate registration form for that class and mail it to:  

Mercyhurst Municipal Police Training Academy
Act 235
P.O. Box 246
North East, PA 16428

*Individuals who have completed comparable law enforcement training within the past five years may be waived of the academic training requirement. Individuals who have successfully qualified on a law enforcement firearms course within the past 12 months may be waived of the firearms training requirement. 

To request waiver consideration, please submit the following supporting documents to the Lethal Weapons Certification Unit at mpolethalweapcert@pa.gov or at the address listed above.

Physical Form
Psychological Form

In response to requests from the public, and in keeping with the pledge to provide “services for a safer tomorrow,” we offer unique training programs designed specifically for citizens. These programs are fairly short in nature to acknowledge that our students are busy adults, yet inexpensive in order to provide this training to as many people as possible.  Additionally, all instructors are employees of the Mercyhurst University Municipal Police Training Academy especially suited for working with adult students concerning public and personal safety issues. More information can be obtained by contacting the Mercyhurst University Municipal Police Training Academy at 814-725-6230. To request a program, please download our application and send to:

Bill Hale
Program Director, Municipal Police Academy

Current programs include:

Situational Awareness

In response to the dangers inherent in a free society, public safety experts at the Mercyhurst University Municipal Police Training Academy developed a concise but intensive training program titled “Situational Awareness.” This is NOT a “fighting” curriculum, but rather one focused on developing the mental and emotional skills needed to survive high risk events, either personally or in the workplace.  This program runs from four to seven hours depending on the material requested by our students. Please click here to download our Sitational Awareness program flyer.