1/23/07 - Andrew Andryka joins Ford City Police

Former IUP student-athlete Andrew Andryka is now a member of the Ford City Police Department.  Upon his graduation from IUP's Department of Criminology (3.25 GPA) and IUP's Municipal Police Academy, Andrew just began his duties in early January, 2007.  He was a four year baseball letter winner.

Andrew Andryka gives his first-hand experience as a police officer

I graduated in May, 2006, from IUP’s Department of Criminology.  After graduation I had to test to get into IUP’s Municipal Police Academy.  The testing consisted of a physical test, stress test, and a psychological test. To get into the academy an individual had to perform at the 30th percentile for the physical test. I had to run 1 ½ miles under 13:22, do 35 sit-ups in one minute, bench press 93% of my body weight, and run the 300 meters in 62.1 seconds.

The academy started on July 10, 2006.  It was five days a week, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm each day. We had Physical Training (PT) almost everyday at 7:00 am for an hour and had class the rest of the day. We had four PT tests throughout the academy (every six weeks).  Once accepted into the academy the standards bumped up to the 50th percentile for the physical test. I had to run 1 ½ miles under 12:18, do 40 sit-ups in a minute, bench press 106% of my body weight, and run the 300 meters in 56 seconds.

We were in the classroom for a majority of the time during academy.  Some of the topics covered were Laws and Procedures, Motor Vehicle Investigation, Patrol Procedures, Criminal Investigations, Report Writing, and Case Presentation.  We were given tests regularly on all of the material covered in the academy.

As a group, we went to a nearby shooting range and qualified in handguns, adverse light conditions, and shotguns. We also had a Defensive Tactics class were we learned how to restrain and control suspects and a CPR/First Responder class to be certified in CPR for the Professional Rescuer, Automated External Defibrillator Essentials (Adult) and Child AED, First Responder, Bloodborne Pathogens Training, Oxygen Administration for the Professional Rescuer, and Hazardous Materials.

We also had a hands-on driving course by the baseball field, learned how to better control and take control of a vehicle.

The academy lasted 19 weeks and totaled of 750 hours of training. I graduated from the academy on November 17, 2006. My final quality point average for the academy was 95.5 %.

Once the academy concluded, I sent out resumes to numerous police departments in the area. I had an interview November 29 at Ford City Police Department and was hired as a part-time police officer.  Once hired, I went to Harrisburg and took a written test to get certified as a police officer in the State of Pennsylvania. The test consisted of the material that was covered in the academy.  After passing the test, I took a physical and psychological test through the department.  I also had to do a physical agility test and qualify with the firearm that I would be carrying. Once complete and passed, I was certified and I started working at Ford City, PA, on January 10.

IUP's Criminal Justice Training Center

Andrew Andryka Profile
Hometown:  Kittanning, PA
High School:  Ford City, '01
Parents:  Mark & Carol Andryka

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