Police/Detective Career Advice?

mor_man73

I think Sparky's pretty much got it.
Now, there are states where having a degree is not required. California is one where they not only pretty much require a degree, but look down on your if you're applying to more than one department. Louisiana, on the other hand, is happy to have guys with GEDs. So, you always have the option of moving to another state that is in greater need of officers, like Arizona.

I really don't think being a Firefighter is going to help you much. Chances are, cops will wonder why you're making the switch. They'll see it is being more suspicious than anything of a benefit.

A better idea would be to get a job as a correctional officer. It's easier to get into and is related to police work. It builds on the skills you'll need as an officer and sets the tone you need for dealing with suspects.

You might also do a private investigation course by an accredited distance education school. I did that when I was working with a sheriff's office, since our department was so small they literally did not send you to any special investigations course. Our primary investigator literally read all the stuff he knew in books and made friends with FBI negotiators to be invited to training exercises and such.

That negotiator was the one that told me about the Detective Training Institute in CA, which both of us did courses through. He went on to become an LT, and I was promoted to Sgt before moving on to working Narcotics. So, for me, doing a little private course on my own paid off.

There are lots of little courses you can do to look better on an application. EMT-Basic is a nice course to go through, costing only a little and taking only a couple of months. Most community colleges have security management certifications that only require about 18-24 credits of classes. Some of the adult learning courses in your area might also offer security installation classes or other related courses that you can go through fairly cheap and quick to make your application stand out that much more.

Good luck.

Brandon N

This site is really helpful:

Sparky

You really have to be realistic about your chances of becoming a police officer first and foremost. Of those that apply, only about 3 to 5 percent actually make it to be full time sworn police officers. Having a a college degree certainly helps but it doesn't guarantee it. So one of the best things to do for yourself is to have a degree that allows you to get a job outside of law enforcement but also make you able to pass their tests.
The colleges promote Criminal Justice or something similar. It is a travesty for them to tell people it will help them get a law enforcement job when so few actually get hired. You would be better off getting a Public Administration, Accounting, Psychology, Business Administration, or anything that can get you a job if you don't get hired as a police officer. These help in promotions if you do get hired. If you insist on getting the law enforcement type of degree, just get it as a minor and get something more marketable as a major.
During the hiring process most are weeded out because they have no common sense. This includes the common sense to get physically ready for the physical part of the test. You also need some real world experience. Coming right out of mom and dad's home usually doesn't give one a lot of "life experience".
You show a desire to advance in the career. That is pretty much a must in law enforcement. They want eager people who want to do things because where you start, as a patrol officer, can be very boring at times. You are really only bored if you want to be. That's because there are always criminals out there, you just have to know where they are or what they do to find them. If you get hired, you'll get training for detectives, if you get that assignment.

Hope that helps

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