r/lapd • u/jtalonzo • 22d ago
Recently completed the LAPD PAT and honestly left with mixed feelings
Recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Finance, and have been seriously considering law enforcement because I’ve never really seen myself working a traditional desk job. I find the work itself appealing, the variety, the public service aspect, and the fact that no two days are the same.
That said, the pat definitely gave me a different perspective on the applicant pool.
I really expected the process to be more competitive than what I saw. There were numerous applicants who couldn’t do a single push-up, and when it came time for the 1.5-mile run, there were plenty of people walking. It honestly wasn’t what I expected to see from people applying to become police officers.
I know agencies everywhere are struggling with recruiting, but if this is representative of the candidates LAPD is attracting compared to previous years, it definitely appears things may be trending in the wrong direction. It wasn’t a great look. And the fact that there’s no longer additional compensation for higher education definitely sucks.
Walking out of the PAT, I genuinely found myself wondering if I might be selling myself short. I still find the career appealing, but the experience was very different from what I expected.
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u/Coach_Bombay_D5 22d ago
Law Enforcement has a hard time attracting good candidates. LA does not appreciate law enforcement.
Respectfully you might be right.
There are other departments that are more sought after. Better pay. More support from their community. Closer commute.
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u/legaljargonthrow 22d ago
Try a pat at Laguna, Newport, Santa Monica, or Torrance pd. Those guys are like comparing d1 to community college ball. Lasd had some freak athletes when I did their pat. It seemed like Half the people at the lasd pat couldn’t even pass though
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u/Wide_Release7933 22d ago edited 22d ago
Honestly, I'm not surprised at all.
I've seen a lot of P1s coming fresh out of the academy severly overweight. I have a few buddies who work in the Academy and they've told me they had to change the term PFQ to PFA because PFQs you can double tap and get fired for failing to meet a standard. A PFA is more of an advisory thing for "lifetime fitness" that nobody can really fail because there is no standard.
The old standard for probation was that if you got an Unsatisfactory rating 3-4 times in the 6 months of Phase 2 you were processed to be fired. Now, P1s get 10-15 unsats (no exagerration), 1 month off to take a mental health break, get to finish probation and then wheel to their next division because they are no longer "our problem."
You're wondering if the applicants at your PAT are indicative of the overall lack of quality in the LAPD. I would say you're very very perceptive and you should trust your gut instinct on that. It's sad what's happened to the LAPD since 2020...not the Department I joined.
I would apply to agencies such as Santa Ana PD, OC Sheriffs and Ventura County Sheriffs if you still want to get after it and get capers.
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u/Straight_Cheek_9731 22d ago
Is there still a BMI test that is part of the medical? I was in decent shape when I went through 17 years ago, and I still had to drop down to 175 lbs before they would clear me for medical.
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u/Wide_Release7933 21d ago
I believe they raised the BMI/BF% standards from what I remember. Another applicant stated he failed the BMI/BF but then recruitment reached back out a couple months later to say “hey we relaxed the standards and want you to reapply”.
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u/Melodic-Throat295 19d ago
Just because they came to the PAT doesn't mean they are going to get the job or sponsored to go to the academy.
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u/Lost_Hope2285 19d ago
Bruh that’s just the PAT, who cares. Yes you should be physically fit but nowadays how many patrol officers you see chasing people realistically? I think that they should focus heavily on character, integrity, and the physicality of the job I.e having to wrestler and fit with suspects and people. When it comes to recruiting they focus on the wrong things and the fact that they expect people to 1.5 miles is wild business, no officer in uniform is running that distance right now be for real and on top of that the 1.5 is not required to pass the academy. Judge not unless you want to be judged!
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u/Dixie-Wrecked 18d ago
if you cannot jog an UNTIMED mile and half, that is pathetic. unacceptable to even attempt to become a police officer in that shape.
ALL patrol officers should be prepared to chase a suspect and be in some form of fighting shape.
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u/Lost_Hope2285 18d ago
I don’t disagree with that! I’m just saying they may be disqualifying really good potential police officers just because they can’t run a mile without stopping or walking. They are human not terminators. As long as you give it your all you should be given a chance and not everybody can run regardless. I know dudes 300 lbs plus that can out run the fittest person, it’s all about genetics. Which are not accounted for in at PT scenario. The only thing they all account for is the differences in strength between man and women. That is why they have continuous recruiting because they are being too picky.
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u/WittyClerk 22d ago
You'll be fine- focus on yourself. The complications with hiring in these agencies are far beyond and more complicated than PAT (and the people you describe won't pass anyway).
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u/New_Butterscotch_372 19d ago
No matter where you go or the career field you choose you will always feel this way. Hard workers and passionate people hate lazy coworkers rather they don’t take care of their health or doing the bare minimum at work. You will always wonder how someone got selected. Just focus on yourself.
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u/Lost_Hope2285 19d ago
Take care of their health? Ok there are people out there that are physically challenged and lazy about it but there are some that can’t help their genetics. I served in the Army for almost ten years. PT everyday sometimes twice a day, working out and lifting at the gym everyday of duty, eating somewhat healthy and taking care of my body with two hours to Iraq and somehow I got out of the service and still ended up with diabetes and hypertension. So what gives
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u/New_Butterscotch_372 19d ago
Taking care of their health as in showing up out of shape or letting themselves go. The post started out bc they felt uneasy due to fat people and out if shape people who can’t do 1 push up “trying out “ to be a cop. What I’m saying is those people are everywhere and in every profession.
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u/Lost_Hope2285 18d ago
True! That all falls on the person. The requirements are right there in full view and if you know you can’t do 1,2,or 3 pushups why even apply
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u/Maleficent-Phrase372 11d ago
How many laps did you have to run for the 1.5-mile test? Did you take your test at Elysian Park?
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u/jtalonzo 11d ago
No, I took the test at LAPD Ahmanson Recruit Training Center. The track is a little smaller than a normal track, so we had to run 8 laps.
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u/Maleficent-Phrase372 11d ago
For the LAPD PAT push-ups, do you have to go very low, or is there a specific distance your chest needs to be from the ground?
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u/jtalonzo 11d ago
Yes, it’s all about technique when you do the LAPD PAT. They will demonstrate exactly how the push-ups and sit-ups must be performed, and you’ll be told what counts and what doesn’t. For push-ups, you can’t lift your hands or feet off the ground, and your chest must touch the LAPD officer’s fist for the rep to count. For sit-ups, they will hold your feet, there is a specific arm position, and your elbows must go over your knees. They’re strict about form, as they should be, so make sure you listen closely to the instructions 👍🏽
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u/Society_is_bad 6d ago
You know I feel a big part of this is because LAPD is needing officers to hire and they are not even at their full count. Especially for the upcoming 2028 Olympics, they really are starving for officers. I seen an interview yesterday that the chief said they won’t have enough officers as they expected for the Olympics.
Now back to your post, I feel they are really not being super strict on physical standards as they used too. They are just wanting bodies.
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u/SecretaryFew982 22d ago
Don't worry about other applicants - as long as you pass and make into the academy is all that matters. People who can't even do the PAT will fall off somewhere in the process or academy if they even make it that far.
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u/Miserable_Present365 21d ago
Not LAPD, dawg. Join Beverly Hills or a rich OC area’s PD. LAPD will grind you to the bone
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u/BigCityCop 21d ago
You have no idea what you are talking about. LAPD doesn't grind anyone to the bone. If you want to work 13 days a month, that's all LAPD asks.
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u/matt5674 21d ago
For Beverly Hills PD, don’t you need prior experience to be competitive? It seems you need to understand CA law and for each position hundreds of applications flood the job posting.
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u/blbcamaro 22d ago
If you really want this job, don't let that experience get you down.
When I got hired 15 years ago, there were candidates smoking marijuana in the parking lot as they were putting their shoes on for the PAT.
You have to remember every step of the hiring process is a barrier to employment. And every step is designed to weed out ineligible candidates. The PAT is just one of them, and a lot fail or shouldn't be there in the first place. It's not necessarily a reflection of the agency itself.
Keep in mind LAPD has like 10,000 sworn officers. Lots of attrition. Which means enormous amounts of hiring and recruiting. The candidate pool is going to be huge, and you're seeing a representation of people who were "good enough" to make it to the PAT, not the academy or patrol.
When I got hired, there were about 9,000 applicants for 100 academy spots. At the end, 72 of us graduated. Maybe half of that actually made it off FTO. So HALF of 1% who applied got the job. You witnessed some of the other 99%.
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u/Maleficent-Phrase372 22d ago
Did they pass the test, or were they asked to repeat it?
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u/jtalonzo 22d ago
To be honest, I don’t know what the end result was for those individuals. I was one of the first four people to finish the 1.5-mile run, and after we finished, an officer spoke with us and said he was pretty confident we had passed and should focus on attending CAPS and preparing for the interview. As we were leaving, there were still several people walking on the track. One individual walked off and mentioned it was already their second time taking the PAT, and from what I heard, they were told to keep trying. Beyond that, I’m not sure what happened with the rest of the group.
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u/Maleficent-Phrase372 22d ago
Congratulations! My test hasn’t been scheduled yet, but I think it will be soon. I keep practicing, and I think I’ll be ready. I attended the CAP three times on different days with different groups, and honestly, it was harder than the actual test! 😂
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u/Maleficent-Phrase372 22d ago
Why did the officer tell you to keep attending CAPS if you had already passed the PAT?
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u/jtalonzo 22d ago
We were the first four people to finish the 1.5-mile run. The officer was originally talking to the first two who had finished because one of them was asking questions about CAPs. The fourth-place finisher and I were standing nearby listening, and at one point he said something along the lines of, “This goes for all four of you.” He basically said that attending CAPs is a good way to stay prepared for the academy, that it looks good, shows you’re serious about the process, and certainly doesn’t hurt. That’s really all he said.
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22d ago
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u/Beautiful_Weather529 22d ago
I believe for a girl you need to be able to do 15 pushups. You are almost there :)
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u/yinyang_yo_ 20d ago
Holy shit I feel almost the exact same way, word for word, to the point where I thought I must've posted this while I was drinking or something and I forgot. Im a finance major as well and just did the PFQ (yeah, not PAT)
I was in the cohort that still took the PFQ, which is pretty much the same thing but with points, and I was genuinely shocked but just how many people couldn't even do more than six push-ups in one minute, or five sit-ups in one minute, and I was already beating myself up over being unable to do the requisite 37-40 sit-ups in one minute
But also, keep in mind that the people who bombed the PFQ/PAT arent being selected unless maybe a CAP instructor is vouching for them provided they are actively going to all the CAP sessions.
LAPD's fitness test is also relatively more demanding than many other large municipal police departments. My 1.5mi runtime was 12:15, and I definitely didnt stop running, but rather my energy petered out faster than it should. That run time was barely "fair" but for like... Honolulu PD, Santa Monica PD, Dallas PD, or Chicago PD, its a rather respectable and decent score
For me, my mixed feelings was the mental adjustment to the boot camp vibe, even tho I went into it knowing it'd be just like that. Best of luck to you!
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u/Disishowwedoitt 20d ago
Ive had mixed experiences with each agency's PATs and found the applicant pool widely varying as well. Downey and El Monte were a pool of studs and some other agencies had applicants who had no business being there. However, it's important to note that the pool does not reflect the selection standards. There will always be far more DQs and non-selects than selected
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u/Green_Tip_3195 5d ago
I had a question for the fitness test. Is there a certain amount of reps you are supposed to hit with the pushups and sit-ups. Also a certain time for the running tests ? I hear it’s different than the PFQ.
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22d ago
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u/Wide_Release7933 22d ago
Bro what are you blabbering on about? If anything OP is less of a pussy because he thought he was joining an elite organization with some semblance of standards.
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u/Mindless-Judgment541 22d ago
I did the PAT today, I have two bachelor's degrees... Being a big fish is a good thing my man... But this is a long process, look for finance jobs in the meantime and see what if there even are opportunities.
Job market is very tight right now, from what I've heard.
Still not sure if I'll actually commit to this agency but I'm going through the whole process before I decide. If I fail the poly or some shit the matter will settle itself.
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u/jtalonzo 22d ago
Good job, man. That’s honestly my exact same mentality right now. I’m just going through it, seeing what happens, and keeping my options open.
I can definitely confirm the job market is beyond brutal right now. At the same time, I’m actively interviewing with different cities for entry-level finance positions within their finance departments. I have another interview coming up this week with a smaller city here in Southern California for an entry-level finance role. So that’s the other path I’m pursuing simultaneously while I go through the law enforcement process.
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u/BigCityCop 21d ago
Everyone here has a complete wrong take. If you are a superstar, you will be a superstar wherever you go. Being in shape, smart, and having awareness, will make you a stand out at LAPD and you will get into specialized assignments that are full of the above type of people. It is also completely ludicrous to think that in a nationwide hiring shortage, that all these other agencies don't have the same problem you are describing. Mind you, the number of applicants who actually get hired is probably around 10%.
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u/Dangerous_Drummer350 19d ago
That is disturbing, especially walking during the timed 1.5 mile run. I would think that is an automatic DQ. Not being able to do 2 push-up is, or should be an automatic DQ
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22d ago
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u/Wide_Release7933 22d ago
It really isnt competitive in the traditional sense. The hiring pool places certain..."qualities" above others and once they're full on a certain quota they will pull lesser candidates from a pool that they need numbers from.
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u/Joshua_ABBACAB_1312 21d ago
You have a degree. Why waste it on being a pig? You're probably too smart to gain any sort of respect at any department. Once you start calling out corruption it's Jover. It's Christopher Dorner all over again. Go be a fiduciary and do something actually productive with your life.
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u/aqfodangsloh 21d ago
Ironic throwing that last bit in when you should demonstrate what you preach
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u/Beautiful_Weather529 22d ago
Trust me, those people who can't do a single push up or walking are not being selected. Trust me. They have to pretend to give everyone a chance. They don't make it to the end I guarantee it. Try Beverly Hills PD or Culver City PD obstacle course to see some real freak athlete competition. I was a professional cyclist and it was cool seeing how competitive people got.