Becoming a Police Officer

My question involves labor and employment law for the state of: California
I have a few questions sorry if I'm in the wrong section.. I'm looking to join a police academy and I have heard that most agencies are not sponsoring entry level officers because of the cost to train them, and most people are self sponsored. Is this true? What are the odds of being sponsored these days?

Small and medium agencies are not generally hiring untrained personnel these days because there is a glut of applicants who have been through the academy or have been laid off from active peace officer positions. Larger agencies still like to train their people to their own expectations so many of them will still hire "off the street."

Most academies in the state today have far more unsponsored cadets than sponsored. There is no way to lay any "odds" on being sponsored or not, and even medium agencies - and the odd small one - may find good cause to sponsor a cadet. About all you can do is take a look at the agencies in the areas you want to work and start making inquiries by phone, email, or checking their HR/job sites online.

The way to get sponsored in a small or medium agency that doesn't typically sponsor cadets is to go to work for them in some other capacity and show them your worth. Sheriff's offices may be inclined to hire and sponsor a correctional officer, and police departments might be inclined to do the same for a community service officer or other admin. personnel. If you cannot afford to pay your way through the academy or get a student loan, you might consider a non-sworn law enforcement job and then look into advancement from there.

Do you happen to know what academy in Northern California to attend? I've heard that some academies don't offer the same credentials as others. And how much they cost roughly

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Quoting Milton dew

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Do you happen to know what academy in Northern California to attend? I've heard that some academies don't offer the same credentials as others. And how much they cost roughly

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There are a number of academies in northern California. The one to go to is the one you can attend at the lowest cost to you. In other words, one that's within commute distance of where you live.

All the academies meet the same minimum standards as set down by POST. Where they differ is that some academies might have additional training hours in areas they feel are important, or are important to one or more agencies that they feed into. Some might emphasize academics over physical prowess, and others might be the equivalent of boot camp.

As for the cost, if you count only tuition, books, and supplies (uniforms, gear, ammo, etc. - not counting a firearm), you can expect to pay between $3,000 and $5,000 dollars. This is NOT including transportation, housing, food, etc. Most academies should be at or under $4,000 and student loans and financial aid can apply.

For a listing of academies:

http://www.post.ca.gov/basic-training-academies.aspx