St. Louis ? At 60, Michael Beach does everything his fellow cadets at the police academy do, from the grueling physical training to the role-playing exercises that test his street smarts.

He has earned praise from his teachers and respect from the other students. Now all he needs is a job.

Three days a week for five months this year, Michael Beach and the recruits at the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy pushed their bodies to extremes – grueling sessions of push-ups, pull-ups, sprints and weightlifting, followed by a 20-minute run around the track.

Academy administrators have monitored Beach’s progress with particular interest. But his performance impressed his instructors and his classmates.

“He never quit once,” said Sgt. Timothy Hagerty, the basic training supervisor. “Not everyone in this class can say that.”

At 60, Beach and his white hair and wrinkled face stand out among the 20-and 30-something men and women in the class. He’s old enough to be father, even grandfather to many in the class.

But in other ways, Beach, of Manchester, fits right in with his peers. Ask him why he wants to be a policeman, and his answer mirrors the rest of his class: He wants to serve his community.

But before Beach can start busting bad guys, he will have to find a police department that will give him the chance, and unlike most of his 22 classmates, he does not have an assured job as an officer when he completes his training Dec. 10.

“If someone hires me, I guarantee they will not regret it,” he said. “I know I’ll be a good police officer.”

Hagerty said Beach has a lot to offer a department.

“Although he might be older, he has the life experience that is going to give him an edge that some young officers don’t have,” he said.

Michael Beach, right, reviews some policing procedures after a drill with classmate Ryan Schieler at the St. Louis Police Academy. Beach is taking the course to fulfill his lifelong dream of being a police officer.

Beach first heard the call to service after he finished high school in the small west Texas town of Anson. His father, uncles and cousins had all joined the military when he was growing up. So, shortly after high school, he did, too.

The Air Force trained Beach in several fields, including computer systems, logistics and airport security.

Beach moved his family 17 times in 20 years of service while he worked to the rank of captain. He was twice stationed at Scott Air Force base.

His wife, Patricia, a part-time teacher, and their four daughters always thought of the St. Louis area as home, he said.

So when Beach retired in 1980, he looked for a job here. With several children to put through college, Beach opted for the private sector instead of the police department because he needed to make more money.

He worked as a computer systems technician at several banks and financial companies. He enjoyed his co-workers but never felt that he fit into corporate life.

“It’s not the same to work hard for the bottom line of a financial statement,” Beach said.

When the job market grew tight and Beach was laid off, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming a police officer.

Beach submitted his application to the academy in May and then spent several months persuading administrators to give him a shot. He passed both the written test and physical requirements, which were adjusted for his age.

He had to run 1.5 miles in 14 minutes, 55 seconds, perform 26 sit-ups and 15 push-ups in a minute and stretch 14.5 inches in the trunk flex.

Instructors and classmates say Beach approaches police work with great ease.

In a role-playing exercise, cadets were to deal with a suspect who would not respond to any commands. Most of the cadets fought with him.

But Beach quickly realized that the subject was posing as a deaf man. He used a few tips he learned in a sign language class years ago to defuse the situation before it became physical.

“Obviously, he brings wisdom of life to police work,” said Officer Andrea Sanderson, an instructor and supervisor for Class 154.