POPP | Police Orientation & Preparation Program

ABOUT POPP

A two-year Associate’s Degree program in Administration of Justice

LAPD

Magnet schools

Community College

Cal State LA

POPP is a two-year associate degree program supported by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and the Los Angeles Community College District. It is the capstone program of the Los Angeles Police Academy Magnet Schools network, which includes two magnet middle school and seven magnet high school sites.

POPP recruits high school graduates into a fast-paced, career-oriented program for students that aspire to launch careers in first response and public service. Graduates of POPP are regularly considered as top choices for employment as LAPD officers, parks department employees, private security officers, detention officers, and sheriff’s deputies.

POPP has two campuses: one at the Ahmanson Recruit Training Center, which is shared by the LAPD and West LA College, and one at LA Valley College. All POPP classes at both campuses are taught by Los Angeles Community College District professors. Over the course of the program, students complete all academic requirements to earn transferrable Associate of Science degrees in Administration of Justice and Associate of Arts degrees in Sociology, and they also have the opportunity to earn degrees in additional fields.

Indeed, upon graduating, many POPP graduates choose to continue their education by matriculating to Cal State-LA, where POPP supports a summer enrichment program in forensics and where many POPP alumni have gone on to earn bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice, master’s degrees, and more.

How To Apply

What steps do I have to take to apply to POPP?

Frequently Asked Questions

Read
the POPP program requirements to make sure you meet the qualifications for admission.
Launch
the POPP application and gather all required materials, including scanned copies of your transcripts and letters of recommendation.
Complete
the application. Be sure to include thorough answers to the long-form questions detailing your reasons for wanting to attend POPP and your interest in becoming a law enforcement officer.
Submit
your completed application. We will notify applicants on a rolling basis until all spots are filled.

Student Life

Here's what our students are saying about POPP

“My earliest involvement in police programs came in kindergarten when my elementary school first announced a program called the Peacemakers. This program taught us to make reports and keep an eye out for troublemakers. It was like a stripped down version of what a police officer does, which I grew to love. To me, this was a major stepping stone toward my desire to protect and serve. Later on in my time in elementary school, my older sister started training to become a police officer at the Elysian Park Police Academy. Every morning, I watched her prepare her crisp blue shirt, pinned with her name and nicely ironed early in the morning, knowing that at a certain point, I would do the same.”

Abel A

“This program allowed me to kick-start my college education for free. POPP Cadets are meant to join the program when they are about to become high school seniors. Because we are co-enrolled, LAUSD pays for our freshmen year in college, and we can earn our AA degree in criminal justice after our first year out of high school. Over 70% of the professors that teach at POPP are retired or active LAPD or FBI officers. Those professors provide us cadets with a vast variety of information on what it is like to be working in the field of law enforcement. They also give us tips on how to prepare for things such as job interviews and promotions, and they give us information on different job positions in the field.”

Josue C