Plot

The mayor declares that anyone can enroll in the police academy irrespective of their physical condition or education level, and many misfits descend on the academy, including a young troublemaker who's forced to apply or go to jail.

In desperate need of a fresh batch of police officers, the newly appointed Lady Mayoress of a crime-plagued metropolis lowers the bar for the recruitment process. As a result, all types of misfits start flocking into Commandant Eric Lassard's prestigious Police Academy, and the leader of this assortment of pariahs is Carey Mahoney: a light-hearted, devil-may-care young rebel. But now, there is no turning back, and to make matters worse, the autocratic martinet, Lieutenant Harris, can't wait to see them quit. Then, a full-scale riot breaks out, and the inexperienced but dauntless cadets will have to put their training to good use. Do they have what it takes to be law-enforcement officers?—Nick Riganas

The newly elected mayor Mary Sue Beal changes the hiring practices of an unnamed city's police, ending age-old discriminatory policies. Hundreds of people apply for training in the Metropolitan Police Academy, many of which would be considered unfit by previous standards. The Academy is no longer able to reject them. The police chief Hurnst is a reactionary who would prefer all officers to have "the right color" (white) and right gender (male). He instructs commandant Eric Lassard and lieutenant Thaddeus Harris to pressure "undesirable" cadets into quitting their training. Lassard is reluctant, but Harris is enthusiastic about the plan. Harris convinces cadets Chad Copeland and Kyle Blankes to make life miserable for their fellow cadets until the plan succeeds. Some misfit cadets have to shape up to stay in the Academy. The entire graduating class gets their baptism of fire when called to face angry rioters.—Dimos I

New rules enforced by the Lady Mayoress mean that sex, weight, height and intelligence need no longer be a factor for joining the Police Force. This opens the floodgates for all and sundry to enter the Police Academy, much to the chagrin of the instructors. Not everyone is there through choice, though. Social misfit Mahoney has been forced to sign up as the only alternative to a jail sentence and it doesn't take long before he falls foul of the boorish Lieutenant Harris. But before long, Mahoney realises that he is enjoying being a police cadet and decides he wants to stay... while Harris decides he wants Mahoney out!—Rhino <rhino@blueyonder.co.uk>

Due to a shortage of police officers, the newly elected mayor of an unnamed American city requires the police department to accept all willing recruits, regardless of sex, body weight, skin color or age.

Carey Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg) is an easy-going man who has repeatedly gotten in legal trouble when standing up to arrogant people. He stands up to arrogant customers when he is the parking lot attendant. Captain Reed (Ted Ross) has been lenient because he knew Mahoney's father, a policeman.

To avoid jail, Mahoney reluctantly joins the police force, planning to be thrown out as a loophole. Mahoney tries many schemes to get thrown out as he cannot quit, as part of the deal made with Captain Reed said if he quit, he was going to be sent to jail. The Chief of Police, Henry Hurst (George R. Robertson), outraged by the mayor's plan, wants the new cadets to be forced to quit rather than being thrown out.

Lieutenant Thaddeus Harris (G. W. Bailey), an ambitious instructor, makes their lives miserable to force them to quit. Harris appoints two cadets, Copeland (Scott Thomson) and Blankes (Brant Von Hoffman), as squad leaders to help him. Commandant Eric Lassard (George Gaynes), the only dissenter to Harris and Hurst's schemes, wants to give the new cadets a chance.

St. Debbie Callahan (Leslie Easterbrook) oversees the daily exercise routine for Harris's squad. Mahoney schemes to fail. Lassard reveals to Mahoney his deal with Capt. Reed to keep him at the police academy for the next 14 weeks. Eventually Mahoney has a change of heart, having fallen in love with cadet Karen Thompson (Kim Cattrall). Karen is from a rich family and wants to do something useful with her life.

Mahoney becomes friends with fellow cadets Larvell Jones (Michael Winslow) a human beat-box arrested with Mahoney, George Martin (Andrew Rubin) a ladies' man who visits the women's dorm every night, Eugene Tackleberry (David Graf) a gun-obsessed security guard, Leslie Barbara (Donovan Scott) an overweight cowardly man, and Moses Hightower (Bubba Smith) a gentle giant. Laverne Hooks (Marion Ramsey) is an extremely soft-spoken cadet of color.

Mahoney and Harris build up a mutual enmity when Mahoney pranks the lieutenant in retaliation for his harsh measures. Mahoney puts brown shoe polish on Harris' loudspeaker. Harris agrees to kick Mahoney out of the academy, but now Mahoney wants to stay because Karen is finally warming up to him.

At Lt. Harris' request, Blankes and Copeland investigate a weekend party organized by Mahoney. Mahoney tricks Blankes and Copeland into attending a party at a gay bar called the Blue Oyster, where they are intimidated into dancing, with the real party taking place on the beach. Seeking revenge, Blankes and Copeland plant a prostitute in Mahoney's dormitory, to be conveniently found during mandatory room checks.

While smuggling the prostitute off the campus, Mahoney is forced to hide with her under a podium as Commandant Lassard leads in a group of senior officers to give a lecture. While Mahoney is not looking, the prostitute performs fellatio on Lassard, who struggles to keep a straight face. As the room is cleared, Mahoney steps out from under the podium but finds Lassard still present, leading Lassard to assume Mahoney was under the podium alone. Despite attempting to report this to Harris, Lassard eventually relents.

Hightower reveals to Mahoney that he has not driven a car since he was 12. To help Hightower prepare for a critical driving test, Hightower, and Mahoney steal Copeland's car. The police chase them when Hightower over-speeds, and Hightower greatly sharpens his driving skills while escaping. Immediately after Hightower passes the driving test, Copeland racially insults fellow cadet Laverne Hooks (Marion Ramsey) for an accident as she runs the car over his feet. Hightower, quietly angered by the insult, overturns Copeland's police car, despite Harris' demands and Hooks' pleas for him to stop. Harris promptly ejects Hightower from the academy, upsetting the other cadets.

Mahoney admits his frustration to Barbara but refuses to quit. Blankes and Copeland fail to trick Mahoney into fighting them after they find Copeland's destroyed car. Upset with their misconduct, Barbara stands up for Mahoney and shocks everyone by knocking out Copeland with a lunch tray. Blankes retaliates, and Mahoney inadvertently becomes involved in a brawl. When Lt. Harris asks who started the fight, Mahoney takes the blame to protect Barbara, allowing Harris to expel his most despised cadet.

Before Mahoney leaves, a riot breaks out downtown, accidentally caused by Douglas Fackler, a clumsy cadet. Mahoney helps the cadets pacify the crowd. The cadets are accidentally transported to the epicenter of the rioting. During the general confusion, one criminal steals Blankes and Copeland's cadet revolvers. They seek refuge in the nearest building, only to discover it is the Blue Oyster Bar. Barbara runs past Harris and a gang surrounds him, with their group leader taking Harris as a hostage. While running, Barbara encounters his former tormentors from civilian life, who are apparently stealing furniture and electronics out of a building. They attempt to intimidate Barbara and order him to leave, but Barbara knocks all of them down, only to learn that the furniture and electronics belong to them.

Meanwhile, Mahoney attempts to rescue Harris but is taken as a second hostage. Just as both hostages are about to be killed, it is none other than Hightower who suddenly appears on the rooftop in civilian clothes. The former cadet, who went back to his old job at a nearby florist just minutes earlier and left his shop due to the riot, manages to fool the hostage taker that he is a fellow crook. When asking whom the hostage-taker should shoot first, Hightower points at Harris, before knocking the hostage-taker out with a massive punch, thus rescuing Mahoney and Harris just in time.

Mahoney and Hightower are both reinstated and graduate. For their rescue of Harris and capture of his kidnapper, they receive the academy's highest commendation and medals. Each address the crowd, but as Mahoney attempts to give a long speech, the same prostitute appears from within the podium (it is strongly implied Lassard has arranged this as payback).

All the cadets (minus Blankes and Copeland who were likely to be expelled) graduate, finally winning a respectful salute from the reluctant Harris and Hurst.