Expert: Loren Stevens - 12/11/2008

Question
Hello my name is Jeffrey Gonzalez im 17 yrs old and i have a few questions about this career.

1. What schools would be good for becoming a police officer and joining SWAT because i wanna be a swat officer but i dont know if i have to go to a good school for CJ or Law E. in order to get in it.
2. If i were to attend the U.S. Marines, will i be able to join a really high grade swat force? I wanna be in one of the top swat teams but i dont know which states are good for that.
3. Which states have very good SWAT teams?

That is all that i wanted to know, i thank you for helping me out. Take care Loren :)

Answer
Hello Jeffrey,
I congratulate you on formulating a plan at an early age.

First, I would like to invite you to review many of the pages on my site, as this subject has been discussed in great detail.

Now then, look at SWAT as a "specialized assignment" within an agency. The chances (and desires) that you would even spend 1/3 of a career in SWAT is remote, for several reasons.
Concentrate at getting hired at the entry level position, which is usually a uniform patrol officer. THAT, is your first big hurdle, as less than 10% of applicants get hired, and some of those wash out.
Most agencies only require a HS or GED. Obviously, the more education you can pony up, the more attractive you are as an applicant.
Work hard on your written and oral communications.
Naturally, you need to stay out of trouble, no drugs, or alcohol abuse, and a decent driving record.
Any domestic violence stuff is a career destroyer.
Keep your grades up, and engage in hobbies that will be helpful.
Again, focus on the entry level position.
Chances are, you won't even have a shot at a SWAT assignment in less than 6 years.
I know of no agency that approves of specialized assignments prior to an employee being off probation, which can easily stretch to 2 years. Then, you'll need to distinguish yourself at the entry level position, to illustrate your skill sets, and initiatives.
There is no "SWAT" school that you would be eligible for that I am aware of.
Yes, there are aspects of the military that are viewed as valuable. Basically, maturity, team work, organizational understandings, discipline etc. All have value.
However, once in, you could be assigned as a mechanic, cook, truck driver, or whatever. These type assignments do not lend themselves to SWAT functions, as you can easily see.
It's my understanding, that there are SWAT competitions where various agencies compete for a high score. But again, you would not have access to that.
Most large agencies have a very fine SWAT unit. Some departments are better than others, depending on what measuring stick you use. You need to look at the totality of the agency qualities, prior to trying to determine the quality of a subdivision therein. At least, that is my view.
LAPD and LASO both have had high quality SWAT units for several years, if that is what you are asking. But again, many agencies have outstanding special operations units.
If you are looking at the Military, you would want to see if you can qualify for the MP's prior to enlisting. Sometimes, a class "A" school requires a certain enlistment period.
If you are thinking about college, focus on lower division undergraduate classes first, and don't load up on junk classes for electives, that won't transfer to a 4 year program.
Meanwhile, stay fit, upper body and hand strength, endurance, and get as many first aid certificates as you can.
Hope this is helpful.
Good Luck,
loren