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Police Academy Challenge Coins

Molding Our Nation’s Guardians

Police academies develop the minds and bodies of every sworn officer in our Nation. They are run by individual states and have subtle differences all across the country, however, each produces highly trained and capable officers. The general stereotype of police officers eating donuts all day is misguided when you take into account the physical requirements of each academy.

The recommended preparation for police training in Los Angeles takes recruit hopefuls through an eight-week program that demands 75 push-ups and 100 crunches a day in the final week. This regiment is only to prepare for the academy. In general, recruits are tested upon entering the academy and go through rigorous physical training throughout the entirety of the program. The final scores are compared to their entrance scores to determine improvement and ability to manage police work in the field.

Police Coins

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Police Academy Programs

Most police academy programs are six to eight months long and average 720 credit hours. The LA Police Academy’s coursework in comprises of 828 credit hours and broken down as follows:

Academics ……………………………
230 hrs
Driving ………………………………
40 hrs
Firearms ………………………………
113 hrs
Law ……………………………………
105 hrs
Physical Fitness ……………………
142 hrs
Tactics …………………………………
48 hrs
Academics ……………
230 hrs
Driving …………
40 hrs
Firearms ……………
113 hrs
Law ……………
105 hrs
Physical Fitness ……
142 hrs
Tactics …………
48 hrs

Expertise in these areas of study is imperative for every sworn officer. Even after academy training, police departments have teams of officers go through certification and additional training periodically. For recruits training to be police officers, and cadets training to be state troopers, proficiency in these areas could be the difference between life and death in the field.

It takes dedication and determination to excel as an officer of the law and complete academy training. Police Academy challenge coins are a mark of accomplishment and pride for every recruit, cadet, and active officer. Each is custom designed for individual police academies and represent core values for every officer like integrity, courage, and trust.

Signature Coins handcrafts police challenge coins for department spanning the entire nation. Our police academy challenge coins are handed out to new recruits as they enter the academy and throughout training to recognize excellent performance, improvement, and integrity. At graduation, new officers are awarded special police academy challenge coins that they have earned through long months of sacrifice and perseverance. Each coin is taken with a strong sense of pride and carried for a lifetime.

Academy Life When To Use Police Academy Challenge Coins

Most police academies require recruits and cadets to live on campus in dorms. Lights are out at 10pm every night, and training starts at 5am the next morning. Personal conduct is under scrutiny for the duration of stay at a police academy to prepare recruits for life as an officer of the law. Professionalism and integrity are held in high esteem and demanded of every hopeful trainee.

Appearances are kept in check as well. Men have military style haircuts, and women cannot wear cosmetics or jewelry. Everyone wears military fatigues and shined shoes. Every officer is a reflection of the organization, so standards are high to ensure the reputation of a controlled and capable law enforcement.

Police departments hire future officers and send them to the academy for training. To be considered for admittance into a police force, requirements most often include:

  • Passing a written test
  • Passing a fitness test
  • Passing a background check
  • Passing a drug test
  • A high school diploma or GED
  • At least 2 years of higher education
  • Passing a written test
  • Passing a fitness test
  • Passing a background check
  • Passing a drug test
  • A high school diploma or GED
  • At least 2 years of higher education

Entrance standards vary from state to state, however, most departments abide by these outlines. There is also a minimum age of 21 for all hoping to join a police academy. Police academy challenge coins are a reflection of these requirements, achievements, and ambitions. Every applicant that earns a place among the police academy halls has earned a chance to prove their self as a capable sworn officer.

We make creating custom challenge coins easy!

But we would prefer you hear it directly from other customers 😉

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Police Academy Challenge Coins

Police academy challenge coins are given to recruits and cadets as they enter the program. Artwork of the school grounds, emblems of the academy, and police mottos are inscribed into coin design, setting the standard of excellence and outline the code of conduct for every recruit. Police academy challenge coins create a shared vision for all recruits, binding them together through shared experience and creating strong bonds. They cultivate a culture of teamwork and help teach officers how to rely on each other, just as they will need to rely on their partners in the field.

Legal instruction is a huge part of academy training. To enforce to law, every officer needs a firm understanding of the law. It is imperative for officers to learn about things like civil liability, observation, seizure, and ethics. There is also instruction on how to act under adverse questioning and hostage negotiation. Everything in the academy is tuned to shape recruits into capable police officers that can respond decisively in high-stress environments with precision.

Physical coursework includes martial arts, defense, firearms training, and much more. Officers need to be prepared to subdue belligerent lawbreakers while providing safety for themselves and criminals being detained. While brute force is sometimes necessary, officers take every precaution possible to ensure no lasting damage is caused to arrestees.

Police academy challenge coins are awarded to officers throughout the program as they reach milestones in their academic careers, when they earn certifications, and when they set the example for excellence in service. Recruits and cadets train for high stress and high stakes situations. Complete dedication is demanded of each sworn officer in the field, and police academy recruits fight to find their place among them. Each deserves recognition and honor for their sacrifice, their service, and their commitment.

Police academy challenge coins are a symbol of how a recruit has earned the right to wear blue with their fellow officers. They are never given away. It takes time, commitment, sacrifice, and excellence to earn a police academy challenge coins. Officers carry them for a lifetime and display them with pride as a mark of distinction.

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Police Departments Across the Country Honor And Pride In Service

In 2016, the NYPD had over 36,000 sworn officers in service and a total of over 50,000 employees. The New York Police Department is perhaps the most recognizable law enforcement organization in the country and is easily the largest in our Nation. The next biggest is the Chicago police department with just under 12,000 sworn officers, almost making up a third of the total size of the NYPD.

Police academies are the catalysts for each officer’s career, no matter what department they serve. Cadets and recruits are often hired by specific departments like the NYPD or CPD before starting training. Tuition for the police academy they attend is covered as the training is apart of their job as future officers. Large police departments order custom police academy challenge coins with department mottos and emblems forged into coin construction and hand them out to recruits.

The custom coins are a small piece of department history pressed into metal. Recruits carry police academy challenge coins that personify the values of honor, pride, and integrity as a reminder of their oath to protect and to serve.

Some of the largest law enforcement departments in the United States that use police challenge coins to show appreciation and honor to their officers include:

Police academy challenge coins embody the character of these organization and inspire recruits to endure training and earn a place among the incredible protectors of our Nation. Get started on your custom set of challenge coins today by following one of the links below!

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Signature Coins A Trusted Source For Police Academy Challenge Coins

For over 15 years, Signature Coins has delivered unique challenge coins to law offices and organizations all over the country. Our goal is to give each client the opportunity to see their vision for custom artwork come to life. By offering superior services, our team has earned a trusted reputation and become the go-to source for custom coins used in:

  • Graduations
  • Retirements
  • Promotions
  • Team building
  • Commemorative ceremonies
  • Awards And more!

Police academy challenge coins exemplify the character of sworn officers. We take special care to ensure coin construction reflects the sacrifice, comprehensive training, and honor that being a police officer entails. Commemorative dates, precinct codes, slogans, and emblems are just a few of the common aspects of design that add personal and meaningful value to coins. Officers earn police academy challenge coins and carry them with a strong sense of fulfillment. Get started with your coins today and receive:

  • Free artwork
  • Free quotes
  • Free unlimited revision
  • Free UPS Air shipping
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee

Our design staff will get started on your first free proof of artwork after you fill out an order form. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us. We are happy to help in any way that we can! Thank you for choosing Signature Coins! We are excited to get started!

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Ready To Get Started?

When you are ready to proceed, use the convenient Order Form on our site to place your challenge coin order.

Common Challenge Coin Questions

A challenge coin is usually a metal coin or medallion, bearing an organization's insignia, emblem or logo and carried by the organization's members. Traditionally, challenge coins were used by the military and displayed by service men and women to prove exclusive membership when challenged, and to enhance the military units' morale.

Historically, challenge coins were awarded by military unit commanders in recognition of special achievement made by a member of the unit. They are also known to be exchanged and traded during recognition visits to different international organizations, bases and service tours. These coins have been heavily collected by active and retired service members and law enforcement personnel for years.

Modern challenge coins are made in a variety of sizes and often include popular culture references such as superheroes as well as known characters in a parody. Many companies today are using them to build morale in teams, link people with similar interests and even to promote their brand. Challenge coin designs today are pushing the boundary of what a challenge coin could mean or be used for. One thing is for sure, personalized coins further strengthen the sense of bond within people that both give and receive them.

Challenge coins are often used as a physical token or symbol to represent membership to an organization, unit, or team.

Challenge coins also serve as a lasting personal award for anyone that has received one. Since they are custom and long lasting, challenge coins serve well to commemorate the time and experience put in to overcome overwhelming obstacles or the extraordinary effort and sacrifice needed to reach a given achievement. These keepsake coins become a life long reminder of the achievements made.

Challenge coins can also be used as a token to commemorate a special event or anniversary. You can view some of our commemorative coins here.

Our bravest first responder services also have a history of using challenge coins. Whether for fire departments, emergency medical technicians or law enforcement officers, challenge coins have been used to award bravery, acts of heroism and department camaraderie.

Many companies today have been started by veterans, or are veteran owned and are beginning to use the challenge coin tradition to help represent accomplishments in their businesses. This modern approach to awarding challenge coins has garnered some criticism from the traditionalists. Signature Coins has been making challenge coins for 20 plus years, and we see more and more companies joining in on awarding custom challenge coins to customers, staff, and volunteers. They are using them to build morale in teams, link people with similar interests and even to promote their brand or charities.

Generally speaking you give someone a challenge coin when you want to honor them for a good deed or for their hard work.

Challenge coins still play a major role in the military today, much like a "Thank you Plus" or "Great Job Plus". In the armed forces not every action rates an honorable medal or certificate, for those moments when someone is deserving of more than a thank you, awarding them with a challenge coin fills the gap.

As a very simple miltary example. You're out on a 3 day field op. One of your guys or gals busts their butt during a particularly stressful couple hours of it. Shows great attitude, effort, and was overal top notch. If you tried to write it up, it wouldn't "quite" be "award worthy" but definitely deserved "recognition."

Now even if you’re not a veteran or a member of the armed forces, you can still recognize and award someone with custom challenge coins.

You can use challenge coins to reward employees after the completion of a special project or if huge accomplishments have been made company wide. The coin design can be representative of the achievement, the employee or the company goals. Studies show when employees are recognized for a job well done, they feel more satisfied with their job performance, are more likely to reach for higher goals, and are more loyal to their organizations.

Finding the right time and place to give someone a challenge coin can be, well, a bit challenging.

  • Military tradition has a few ways of approaching this honor. One being "The Secret Handshake" where commanding officers, department officials or the president himself would shake a soldiers hand and "slip" them the coin via the handshake. Transferring the coin shouldn’t be dramatic or obvious, like a quiet wink and a nod, this honor is more personal to the people giving and receieving the award and less ceremonial. Although a bit more obvious, another military tradition is to hand them out in front of a formation or during a meeting, but it's more commonly done one on one.

  • As more civilians and businesses use challenge coins, they have taken a more ceremonious and inclusive approach to awarding them. When looking to give a challenge coin to an employee or team member most businesses will do it during a team meeting. Some businesses have even integrated their employee award recognition into their annual and quarterly ceremonies. Awarding their employees in front of others can be a great way to show the rest of the team that you too can be "recognized" if the effort is there.

  • Modern marketers are also finding that custom challenge coins make for great business cards, so many high end service providers, such as lawyers, accountants and commercial developers are now giving their custom coins out as a means of promoting themselves or their business offerings.

Challenge coins typically cost $3.00 -$5.00 per coin for a full production run of 100 coins generally speaking.

More specifically though, it depends. Challenge coin pricing is dependent on a variety of factors including size, quantity, and coloration. Your organization’s insignia or logo, as well as the brand standards surrounding it, will often dictate coloration. The level of complexity, industry standards, and personal preference will dictate the size of the coin.

You can view our challenge coin pricing here.

Designing challenge coins is a lot of fun, but there’s also a ton of things to think about before getting started. Luckily, we have years of experience making custom coins, and we’re happy to help you every step of the way.

We have put together a how-to guide that will tell you everything you need to know about challenge coin design.

Challenge Coin Design 101: A How-To Guide For Creating Challenge Coins