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Careers: Police/SWAT
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Question
im planing on goin to the marines for 3 years will that give me most of the experience i need to join SWAT and i will also take more schooling
Tyler,
I am not sure if you are the same guy who asked me about SWAT the other day. Going into the Marines is great and it certainly will not hurt your chances of eventually being a SWAT officer.
But many young people are not aware that SWAT is NOTHING like you might see on television. What you see on television is simply NOT realistic and you should not set your career goals on what you see on television. I also need to tell you that once you are out of the Marine Corps that you must apply for employment with a police department. There is no guarantee that you will be hired. It is not like turning in an application for Walmart Very few people who apply actually get hired. But assuming that you do get hired and you do graduate from the police academy will spend many years as a uniformed officer before you would ever be considered for a position in SWAT.
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Answers by Expert:
Jack Toomey
Expertise
U.S.: I am an expert in this category for the purpose of giving young people an idea what the hiring process involves for the position of police officer. I am getting a flood of questions from young people who are being influenced by unrealistic television shows. I'd ask you to consider that when you watch police shows on television that they are NOT realistic and most of what you see does not happen in real life. Please do not ask me about potential jail sentences that you, your friends, or family might receive in court. There is no way for me to know that. I am NOT a probation officer so I cannot answer questions about probation and parole matters. I am a retired police officer with 26 years experience.I worked in a variety of assignments including investigations, homicide, sex crimes, runaway investigations, missing persons, and fraud.I also dealt with the general public during that time giving a wide range of advice on matters such as domestic disputes, problem solving, teenage problems, civil/criminal matters, and dealing with the mentally ill. I am available to give sound and reasonable advice which can solve most problems. Please do not ask me to do homework questions or online interviews. Young people should not rely on the Internet for interviews. Local police officers are normally very agreeable to assist students with interviews and surveys.
Experience
Worked as a police officer/detective for 26 years.
Graduate of the University of Maryland.B.S. in Law Enforcement.Attended numerous schools and training courses involving investigations, interviewing, interrogations, crime detection, domestic violence, and others. Recognized in court as an expert witness.
Received numerous awards during my police career for expert investigations. Handled the most sensitive and confidential investigations. In 1999 I won an award for my work with high school students while working in my new career in a large suburban high school.
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