Placer County Opens California’s First New POST Academy in 20 Years

Thirty recruits from nine Northern California agencies reported at 6 a.m. on Monday, August 17, 2026, for the first class of the Placer County Sheriff Training Academy. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office describes the program as the first new regional POST academy option to open in California in 20 years. Graduation for recruits who complete the six-month course is scheduled for January 28, 2027.

That is a capacity story, not just a local opening. Across Northern California, agencies have been competing for Regular Basic Course seats. Placer County’s own planning documents have said demand for academy slots exceeds available space, which stretches hiring timelines and can cost agencies candidates. A new POST-certified regional academy in Auburn gives training staff another place to send people.

What the academy is

The academy is a POST-certified regional program run by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. The county says it serves both agency-sponsored and non-sponsored recruits. The course is about 950 hours, aligned with California POST standards, with classroom instruction paired to scenario-based and hands-on work. Through a partnership with Sierra College, recruits can earn about 30 college units.

The inaugural class includes recruits from:

• Placer County Sheriff’s Office

• Fremont Police Department

• Citrus Heights Police Department

• Roseville Police Department

• Nevada County Sheriff’s Office

• Napa County Sheriff’s Office

• El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office

• Napa Police Department

• Sacramento County Regional Parks

Each recruit was selected by their agency. County officials have said the academy will be led by Placer County Sheriff’s Office instructors, with support from Roseville Police Department and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.

“Serving in law enforcement is a calling,” Sheriff Wayne Woo said in the county’s Day 1 announcement. “The demands placed on those in the field continue to grow, and the responsibility we place on them is enormous. It is our duty to give the next generation the knowledge, skills and foundation they need to serve their communities with confidence.”

Where it sits now, and what comes next

Physical training at the temporary Auburn site. Photo: Placer County Sheriff’s Office.

Classes are at 3050 Bell Road in Auburn, the former Rock Creek Elementary School campus. The Placer County Board of Supervisors approved a lease with the Auburn Union School District on March 10, 2026, so the vacant campus could house the academy while a permanent site is built.

The county academy page lists defensive tactics space, a local firearms range, and fitness resources. CBS Sacramento toured the site before opening and reported that 11 classrooms were converted into scenario rooms meant to change from class to class, including rooms built to look like field calls.

This site is temporary. The academy is scheduled to operate at Rock Creek until the Sierra College Regional Public Safety Training Center is built. Sierra College’s project page says Placer County does not currently have a comprehensive public safety training center, so agencies send people out of the county for that work. The college, with regional partners, is planning a purpose-built center for law enforcement, fire, and other emergency responders. As of the college’s current project page, land is secured, environmental review is underway, and design and planning are in progress. No opening date for that center is posted there.

What training staff should take from this

If you place Regular Basic Course students, this is a new Northern California option with POST alignment, college credit, and a stated invitation for outside agencies. The first class is already seated. Agencies that want later seats should use the contact path on the Placer County Sheriff Training Academy page. The county also says partner agencies can observe their recruits through the course.

Treat Rock Creek as the working address for 2026 and early 2027. Watch the Sierra College Regional Public Safety Training Center for the long-term home. The first class’s target graduation date is January 28, 2027.

Sources

• Placer County, Placer County Sheriff Training Academy

• Placer County News Flash, Aug. 18, 2026, Placer County Training Academy: Day 1

• Placer County / Sacramento Bee reporting on the March 10, 2026, Board of Supervisors lease and the Aug. 17 start (SacBee; community report)

• CBS Sacramento, Former Auburn elementary school becomes new home of Placer sheriff's academy

• Sierra College, Regional Public Safety Training Center

American Police Training did not independently audit California POST’s historical academy list. The “first new academy in 20 years” line is the Sheriff’s Office’s characterization, repeated in contemporaneous news coverage.

Featured agency

Placer County Sheriff Training Academy

Auburn, CA

The Placer County Sheriff Training Academy is a California POST-certified regional basic academy operated by the Placer County Sheriff's Office in Auburn. It trains agency-sponsored and non-sponsored recruits through classroom instruction, physical training, and scenario-based exercises, and gives partner agencies a local pipeline for academy seats. The academy delivers about 950 hours of POST-aligned training, and a partnership with Sierra College lets recruits earn about 30 college units. The temporary campus is at 3050 Bell Road in Auburn, the former Rock Creek Elementary site, until the Sierra College Regional Public Safety Training Center is built. Agencies can reserve recruit slots at [email protected].

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