The Hesse Police Academy is located on the site of the former Kohlheck barracks in Dotzheim, which was built in 1936 for an air force intelligence unit of the German Wehrmacht. In November 1950, the Hessian Minister of the Interior, Heinrich Zinnkann, inaugurated the "Landespolizeischule Süd" here. In January and March 1951, the first 160 police trainees began their training. In December 1951, the "North" and "South" state police schools were merged to form the Hessian Police School. At the same time, the remaining training facilities of the municipal police authorities were dissolved and in 1958 the driving school was integrated and the police dog handler school was placed under the supervision of the Hessian Police School. One consequence of the development towards contemporary adult education was the renaming to "Hesse Police Academy" in 2009.

Today, the Hesse Police Academy is the central training center for the Hessian police. The training program includes all qualification measures that police officers need to carry out their duties and act confidently. This also includes practical training in specially equipped locations. In addition, the integrated Central Police Psychological Service ensures the nationwide central selection of junior police officers, psychological operational and investigative support, psychosocial support for police employees and support for managers in conflict situations.

The Hesse Police Academy currently employs around 300 members of staff (as of 2016), while the administrative department also supports around 2,500 students.