WA Police Academy, Joondalup
the 28-week course and what follows

WA pays its recruits well and trains them in one place. Every entry-level recruit spends 28 weeks at the Academy in Joondalup, and so do the interstate and overseas officers WA has been recruiting since 2022, on a shorter course. The Academy is built around scenario training, with a full-scale mock town on site.

The trade-off is rigidity. WA Police says time off during the course isn't possible, and most recruits commute because on-site accommodation is being rebuilt for regional recruits only. If you live in Perth's north, Joondalup is easy to reach by train.

The Academy is at 81 Lakeside Drive, Joondalup WA 6027, about 30 km north of the Perth CBD. WA Police says it's about a 15-minute walk from Joondalup station, which makes the train a realistic option for metropolitan recruits.

Regional recruits: free accommodation, home-district postings

In May 2025 the WA Government committed $15.6 million to redevelop on-site Academy accommodation, which will be free for regional recruits. About 10% of recruits come from regional WA. Regional recruits can also ask to be placed in their home district for their first four to six years.

Entry-level training is 28 weeks, full-time, five days a week, in squads of about 30. You attend from 8am to 4pm on business days, and WA Police says time off during the course isn't possible.

1. 1

   Start: squad and induction

   Week 1

   You join a squad of about 30 recruits and stay with it through the course.

2. 2

   Study and skills

   Weeks 1 to 28

   Police Studies, Legal Studies, Operational Safety and Tactics, Driver Training and Physical Training run through the course.

3. 3

   Scenario training

   Throughout

   Simulations and scenarios, including exercises in Scenario Village, a full-scale mock town on site.

4. 4

   Graduation

   Week 28

   You graduate as a Probationary Constable and start 18 months' probation.

WA Police doesn't publish a week-by-week breakdown, so we can't tell you when each subject falls. The structure above is the published outline; ask at induction for the timetable.

WA says time off during the 28 weeks isn't possible. Clear your calendar before you start.

WA Police lists six subject areas for entry-level recruits, taught through scenarios, simulations and tactics training.

First aid isn't listed as an Academy subject because you need a current certificate (HLTAID003 or HLTAID011) to apply. Investigations aren't named as a separate entry-level subject, though they're part of the transitional course. Ask WA Police if you want the unit-level detail.

WA Police doesn't publish its Academy assessment rules, pass marks, or what happens if a recruit fails. We looked and found nothing on re-sits, moving to a later squad or termination.

The fitness standard to keep

The Physical Performance Evaluation is your entry benchmark. Arrive well above it: 28 weeks of tactics, scenarios and physical training is demanding.

Our WA Police fitness test guide covers each test, including the bag carry.

You're paid from day one at the Recruit-in-Training rate: $74,309 a year from 1 July 2026, under the WA Police Force Industrial Agreement 2024. WA Police says salary and super are paid fortnightly during training.

Shift allowances aren't paid to Recruits-in-Training, except in limited cases under cl 11.19. Once sworn, WA pays flat dollar amounts per shift: $74.11 for a weekend day shift and more for nights, from 1 July 2026. Our recruit pay comparison shows WA near the top nationally.

WA charges no course fees, and it reimburses several recruitment costs. Our data records: Final-stage recruitment costs (first aid, medical, vision, bankruptcy check, fingerprints/DNA) are reimbursed.

For a metropolitan recruit, the main costs are getting to Joondalup each day and lunch. On about $2,308 a fortnight take-home, the course is affordable for most people living in Perth.

WA Police gives the hours as 8am to 4pm on business days, five days a week. You'll spend the course with the same squad of about 30.

The hours and subjects are WA Police's; the daily mix is our general summary, not an official timetable. Rules on phones, alcohol and conduct on site aren't published on the pages we read.

You graduate as a Probationary Constable. WA Police says new officers are usually posted to a metropolitan location, but must be ready to serve anywhere in the state. Regional recruits can request their home district for their first four to six years.

Regional service brings district allowances, fully subsidised housing in 56 Schedule G towns, extra leave and other benefits. See the WA police salary guide for the detail.

WA has put more effort than most forces into making the Academy work for people from the regions. About one recruit in ten is from regional WA, and since May 2025 those recruits have been promised free Academy accommodation and the option of a home-district posting for their first four to six years. That means you can train in Joondalup and go back to your own community as a police officer.

If you're posted to the country, the WA Police Force Industrial Agreement 2024 and the recruiting site list a range of extra benefits. Some amounts aren't published, so we've said so where that's the case.

None of this is paid while you're at the Academy, but it's worth knowing before you choose a district. Ask the recruiting team which locations count as Schedule G towns and what the attraction payment would be for the district you want.

18 months as a Probationary Constable after graduation; transitional (interstate and international) officers serve 6 months. New officers are supported by the Probationer and Cadet Development Unit during that time.

1. 1

   Probationary Constable

   Years 1 to 2

   18 months on the job after graduation. Constable 1st and 2nd year pay is the same: $94,651.

2. 2

   Constable 3rd year

   Year 3

   Pay rises to $97,542 from the 3rd year of service.

3. 3

   Diploma of Policing

   Optional

   Open after the Academy, probation and appointment as constable, with North Metropolitan TAFE.

4. 4

   First Class Constable

   Year 5

   After 5 years, with all studies and assessments complete.

First Class Constable after 5 years (with all studies and assessments complete). Our WA Police profile covers promotion beyond that.

Serving officers from other Australian states and New Zealand, and from the UK and Ireland, do a 13-week paid transitional course at Joondalup instead of the full 28 weeks, followed by 6 months' probation. WA Police says time off isn't possible on this course either.

International officers need more than 2 years 8 months' operational service, and service is recognised up to Constable 5th year for pay. Our WA joining guide has the full eligibility rules.

WA combines a mid-length course with high recruit pay and the highest first-year constable base in our data.