Colorado Springs is nestled at the foot of Pikes Peak at an altitude of 6,035 feet. It is a thriving community with a population estimated in 2016 to be 465,101. Our mild, dry climate provides an average of 285 days of sunshine, 15 inches of rain and 35 inches of snow annually. The City is proud to be host of several large military installations, including Ft. Carson Army Base, Peterson and Schriever Air Force Bases, the United States Airforce Academy, and Norad. Colorado Springs is a year round sports paradise. It is home to the headquarters of the Olympic Committee and the Olympic Training Center, the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, the World Arena Ice Hall, Colorado College hockey and lacrosse, the Minor League Sky Sox Baseball team, and the Switchback pro soccer team. The Colorado Springs Police Department is a culturally diverse organization which employs over 800 sworn officers and nearly 350 civilian employees. New recruit and lateral transfer officers complete a comprehensive 26-week training course at the Colorado Springs Police Training Academy and upon completion earn the Colorado Peace Officer Standards Certification (POST). Graduates then spend an additional 15 weeks in a field training program to fine tune officer safety skills and best practices. The opinions expressed by webpage visitors do not reflect the opinions or views of the Colorado Springs Police Department