Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the film, Leslie Barbara is inside the Photo Booth. The guys throw the booth off the bridge and as it hits the water, the black roof is seen to fall off. In the cut scene, the roof is back in place. (00:06:00)
Continuity mistake: At the start of the film, Mahoney is wearing a white shirt with badges on it from the company he works for. When he's being interrogated by Sgt. Reed the shirt remains the same until the last part of the scene. The camera stays on Mahoney and we can see that the badges on the shirt are gone. If you look closely, you will notice that he is even wearing a completely different white shirt, which now looks more scruffy and creased. (00:08:00)
Continuity mistake: Near the beginning of the movie when Mrs. Fackler runs through numerous backyards, including swimming in one part, to stop her husband from joining the Police Academy, her robe is soaking wet. When she gets on top of the station wagon, only her hair is wet, her robe is mysteriously dry. (00:10:15)
Continuity mistake: At the end, after Mahoney kisses Karen, she takes off her hat and the position of her fringe changes between one angle and the other.
Continuity mistake: When the female trainee is doing the driver training, she goes under the water spray but the next shot shows the windscreen dry and clean. There is no sign of the wipers being used.
Continuity mistake: In the beginning when the Kodak photo booth is thrown from the bridge, its moving away from the bridge - not under it. The next shot the booth changed directions as it goes under and comes out the other side of the bridge.
Continuity mistake: When Harris is walking through the cadet's barracks as they're sleeping, he walks into Jones' and Barbara's room and sees Jones pretending to play an arcade game. In a close up shot of Harris, he is seen with a white cloth in his right hand. In the next shot, the cloth is now in his left hand.
Continuity mistake: At the end, when Lassard says "You men stop that!" Thompson's hair is in a tight bun. After she turns around and shows herself, and the camera cuts to Lassard and back, her hair is suddenly down and flowing.
Continuity mistake: When Mahoney first meets Jonsey, his (Jones') hands are cuffed behind him. Then he demonstrates why he's there in the station. His left hand has the cuff on. Then it's behind him again. Then, as he goes to mime playing a harmonica after Mahoney is led away, he rubs his right wrist as if it were cuffed the whole time.
Continuity mistake: The patches on Mahoney's shirt switch sides during the movie.
Continuity mistake: When the recruits are going to attend to the riot, Mahoney is on the bus wearing a brown uniform, as he has just been dismissed by Lieutenant Harris. However, later on, when he is rescuing Harris from the rooftop, he is wearing the regular uniform.
Suggested correction: Mahoney is always wearing the blue uniform; there wouldn't be two colors of a uniform, they're designed to match.
Continuity mistake: When Lassard sees that there is shoe polish on Harris mouth, Harris holds his baton by the shaft. In the close-up, he's holding it by its handle.
