Meridian Facility
Facilities Request | ISP/POST Campus Photo
POST has been serving Idaho from its facility in Meridian since 1994. Its mission began in Pocatello in 1970. Ten years later it moved to Boise. In 1994, POST and the Idaho Department of Law Enforcement (which became the Idaho State Police in 2000) relocated to their current 43 acre campus.
The POST Academy conducts Patrol, Adult Detention, Juvenile Detention, Juvenile Probation, Correction, Felony Probation and Parole and Emergency Communication Academies year-round. POST additionally coordinates several thousand hours of In-Service training.
POST occupies two training buildings, a dormitory, a driving track, and a cafeteria. The Idaho Peace Officer Memorial is also located on the campus.
Classrooms and Computer Lab
The main training building (Bldg. 3) houses two auditorium-style classrooms, seating up to 50 students. Each classroom is equipped with touch pad command centers, audio-visual equipment, and computers capable of running audio/visual presentations. Document cameras display three-dimensional objects or documents. Slide projectors have small video cameras inside to convert slides to video, allowing instructors to zoom in on slides and change colors and intensity. Two classrooms are constructed in standard flat configurations for various table arrangements for practical exercises. These rooms also have high quality audio/visual equipment and one has a sink for forensic training. All classrooms have banks of power and Wi-Fi access. The Computer Lab, in Bldg. 8, allows for research and training with special applications in Crash Investigations, Drug Evaluations, Patrol Reports, Employee Training Records, and other POST-specific software. Online courses are also accessible through this website for academy students as well as seasoned officers.
Emergency Vehicle Operations Track
Approximately ten acres of the complex is devoted to the Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC). Academy students and In-Service officers alike, can simulate real-world conditions and scenarios to practice their driving skills on the mile-long road course. A fleet of training cars, equipped with roll bars, radios and emergency equipment, is available for use. POST has two patrol vehicles with attached SkidCar frames, used to reduce traction and create loss-of-control situations and at safe and manageable speeds. A section of track is designed for testing perception/reaction time with three fully functional traffic lights. Vehicles approaching the traffic lights cross an electric eye beam starting a timer. This gives instructors the ability to automatically activate lights at a reactionary time within one-hundredths of a second.
Firearms Training
To teach firearms skills we utilize a three part range located a short distance away from city limits. This range includes a classroom, a computer controlled qualification target range, a combat range and a rifle range. Students train with handguns, shotguns and rifles against running man, pop-up and fixed targets. Back at the Meridian facility, a Firearms Training Simulator (FATS) allows students to receive intensive shoot / don’t shoot training.
Production Studio
Idaho POST has a full size video production studio located in the main building (Bldg. 3). Using professional audio and camera equipment, green screens, and lighting, POST is able to produce training programs in house for academy classes and other agencies across the state.
Dormitory
A two-story dormitory with 78 beds is located onsite. Accommodations are arranged for two students per room, with private restrooms and desks in each room. Handicap accessible rooms are available, accommodating one person per room. A lounge area with a television and DVD player is located on each floor. Also, there is a laundry room on each floor with washers and dryers for student use. For more information or reservations E-mail our Dorm Manager.
Fully Equipped Weight and Cardio Rooms
Idaho POST places great emphasis on physical training. The main building includes a fully-equipped weight room and cardio room for students and In-Service officers alike to use. A wide array of free-weights, machines and cardio equipment offer a total-body workout. Locker rooms and showers are also available.
Gymnasium and Full-size Training Tank
The main building also has a college-sized gymnasium. Defensive Tactics Training, and group workouts, scenario training, and even basketball games can all take place on the hardwood. The gym has an electronic curtain to divide it into two rooms for additional training. The facility also has a stage and floor covering which converts it into a theater for graduations and special presentations, complete with a built-in sound system.
The indoor training tank is open year-round to provide a place for swimming exercises and water rescue training.
ISP Cafeteria
A large cafeteria is located on campus. The full-time staff of dietary personnel serve three meals each day during academy training. If you do not wish to charge meals directly to your department, the cafeteria accepts cash, checks and credit cards. For information on meals or to make arrangements for charges, call the Cafeteria manager at 208.884.7287
The cafeteria also has an executive meeting room for special events and meetings.