LEGO City 60372 Police Training Academy review

As one of the largest LEGO City sets so far in 2023, can 60372 Police Training Academy take the training wheels off the revamped evergreen theme?

With 21 LEGO City sets released on January 1, 2023, fans of the long-running theme have certainly been spoilt for choice when it comes to potential models to pick up. Contained within that line-up of builds were four law enforcement-related sets in the shape of 60369 Mobile Police Dog Training (reviewed here), 60370 Police Station Chase, 60372 Police Training Academy and 60392 Police Bike Car Chase.

However, it’s 60372 Police Training Academy that seems to come out on top in terms of price, piece count, minifigures and potential play value. The model offers a variety of training facilities to put rookie LEGO City officers through their paces, from horseback riding, driving an ATV and a two-storey climbing wall to a Wipeout-style obstacle course, monkey bars and a zip line. Oh, and unfortunately, the set doesn’t have any connections whatsoever to the classic series of comedy films from the ’80s, so don’t go looking for a Mahoney minifigure…

— LEGO City 60372 Police Training Academy set details —

Theme: City Set name: 60372 Police Training Academy Release date: January 1, 2023

Price: £79.99 / $99.99 / €89.99 Pieces: 823 Minifigures: 6

LEGO: Available now

— Where to buy LEGO City 60372 Police Training Academy —

60372 Police Training Academy is available to buy directly from LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores, but you may be able to find it cheaper through third-party retailers. Check out the latest deals on this LEGO City 2023 set below.

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— LEGO City 60372 Police Training Academy build —

The 60372 Police Training Academy build is split into three distinct sections, the first being a simple equestrian course. Here, a green baseplate is employed, with basic brick-built challenges, such as fences and jumps, added on top. The set includes a sandy-coloured horse figure with a removable saddle, allowing a minifigure to ride the animal, and its head and rear legs can be posed as required. The set’s steerable police ATV follows, offering a small four-wheeled buggy, with simulated suspension for off-road shenanigans.

Moving on to the main Police Training Academy itself, this part of the model is built in three modular sections, with the back of two of the areas left open for easy access to the interiors. The climbing wall portion of the build is primarily constructed from white and blue pieces on a large grey baseplate, with a separate entranceway containing an area for storing helmets, a small office with whimsical coffee machine, desk, chair, computer and mouse, plus the vertical climbing wall itself. This obstacle features bold blue elements, contrasted with neon yellow tiles forming arrows clearly marking which direction the rookies have to proceed. A rooftop winch allows for minifigures to be raised and lowered up the side, adding some element of fun interaction to the set. When combined, the finished 60372 Police Training Academy build stands two storeys tall and connects to the rest of the model with the aid of several A joints and Technic pins.

The large centre section of 60372 Police Training Academy offers a multitude of play potential, containing as it does a stable for the horse, plus brush and carrot accessories, a parking area for the ATV (complete with orange safety cones), a gym that features workout equipment and a set of red monkey bars on the roof. The latter continues the blue, white and yellow colour scheme to connect the next obstacle to the climbing wall section, ending in a zip line down to the model’s final area. An impressive brick-built police shield with sticker adorns the front of this section, with flowery window boxes and exterior lights breaking up the boxy nature of the build. Again, A joints and Technic pins on the side of the building allow for the modular section to be attached to the rest of the set.

The final area of 60372 Police Training Academy to be made is perhaps the most fun. Two large sky blue baseplates are attached together, with a crazy obstacle course constructed on top to test out the rookies. A doorway leads to the first such challenge, a Technic gear worm screw that can be turned and used to move minifigures on a platform towards a selection of non-lethal challenges. These include a warning panel that can be pushed out into the path of the trainees, a swinging punch bag and two circular platforms similar to those seen in 21331 Sonic the Hedgehog – Green Hill Zone. Cadets who successfully make it to the end of the course receive the ultimate accolade – a police hat!

While there’s certainly plenty of fun to be had for younger builders, 60372 Police Training Academy is a very basic modular construct that’s unlikely to prove satisfying for more seasoned collectors. Sure, there are enough play features and characters included with the set to guarantee hours of entertainment for little fingers, but beyond that, this is a LEGO City set with a limited amount of appeal for builders beyond its target age range.

— LEGO City 60372 Police Training Academy minifigures —

60372 Police Training Academy includes six minifigures in the form of a police chief, a trainer and four cadets. The female chief boasts a double-sided suit torso, complete with gold police badge. The character may only have one face print, but an alternate blonde hair piece can be used when she’s not wearing her hat.

The trainer is a great minifigure with plenty of personality and a visored helmet. Wrinkles on his face suggest he’s a seasoned officer, with one face print grinning encouragingly and the other looking bemused at this year’s crop of bumbling rookies. The character’s double-sided torso is unique to 60372 Police Training Academy and features a gold and silver whistle around his neck, plus he also comes with an alternate brown hair piece.

Rounding out the set are four cadet minifigures, all with identical leg elements, visored helmets and new-for-2023 printed sweatshirt torsos. Three of the characters have double-sided (and hilarious) head prints, while a bearded trainee only has one, but he does at least gain a small hearing aid print. All of the cadet minifigures come with their own unique hair pieces, allowing them to be swapped out with their standard helmets at any time.

— LEGO City 60372 Police Training Academy price —

When it comes to price, 60372 Police Training Academy just about justifies its cost. There’s enough here to keep young hands and minds occupied for a while and the set’s included minifigures do have plenty of personality. However, more mature builders and collectors will find little to appreciate, with the model lacking a certain level of detail or a licensed property to be a truly impressive display piece. 

The set’s play features are aimed at a specific audience though, one that will probably enjoy rearranging the simple modular build into different versions and trying out the various challenges with their friends. That’s not to say the fun is limited with 60372 Police Training Academy, it’s just that those with the money to afford the model will undoubtedly want to spend it elsewhere.

— LEGO City 60372 Police Training Academy pictures —

— LEGO City 60372 Police Training Academy pros and cons —

Those looking to expand their LEGO City collections should certainly consider adding 60372 Police Training Academy. When combined with 60369 Mobile Police Dog Training, 60370 Police Station Chase and 60392 Police Bike Car Chase, the model makes for a satisfying companion piece, albeit one aimed squarely at younger builders.

For more discerning collectors, there’s not really enough here to justify the set’s price, despite plenty of play value and fun minifigures. Once completed (and the model’s interactive features have been tested out), it feels like 60372 Police Training Academy could be retired back into the box it came from in order to make room for more impressive LEGO sets.

LEGO City 60372 Police Training Academy pros	LEGO City 60372 Police Training Academy cons
Plenty of play potential for younger builders	Very basic building designs
Six fun minifigures	Not the most dynamic of display pieces
Modular design allows for set to be repositioned	Not much appeal for older collectors

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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— Alternatives to LEGO City 60372 Police Training Academy —

There are plenty of LEGO City police sets available at a much cheaper price. These include 60369 Mobile Police Dog Training, 60370 Police Station Chase and 60392 Police Bike Car Chase, all of which are brand-new for 2023.

Continuing the emergency services theme, there are also the likes of the impressive 60330 Hospital, 60371 Emergency Vehicles HQ and 60375 Fire Station and Fire Truck, all of which include a main build, mini vehicles and multiple minifigures.

— LEGO City 60372 Police Training Academy FAQs —