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Careers: Police/I WANT TO BE A POLICE OFFICER

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Expert: - 3/1/2008


Question
QUESTION: I WANT TO BE A POLICE OFFICER, WHAT CLASSES DO I NEED AND HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO BECOME A COP? PLEASE ANSWER MY QUESTION

ANSWER: What grade are you?  I am assuming that you are probably in middle school or high school?  You don't need to worry about what classes that you plan to take however if you truly want to be a police officer and plan to go on to college you should stay away from vocational classes.  I say this because you are going to need a very good command of the language and be able to write very long and complicated reports.  So if you get good grades in English classes and your compositions are very good then you are ahead of the game.

What is more important right now is to maintain almost perfect attendance, have a spotless disciplinary record, get all A's and B's, certainly never get arrested and not accumulate traffic tickets.

You cannot apply for the position of police officer until you are twenty-one.

And by the way.......the position is "police officer", not "cop".

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION:  First, let me thank you for replying and so quickly. I am 18 years old and I finished high school last year now I am attending college in Indiana but I have been told that I do not need much of college to be a police officer is that true? Right now I am taking my second semester at the community college Criminal Justice.

Answer
Hi,

  You have to understand something. DO NOT listen to friends when it comes to career advice.  

   There are eighteen thousand police agencies in the United States from the smallest to the largest with thousands of officers.  Every single one has its own hiring standards.  Some require only high school, others require an AA degree, while others require a degree.  DO NOT listen to friends when they tell you don't need to go to college.  Stay in college, get your degree, and then see what happens.  Not everyone is hired as a police officer.  Many people are not.  So you would have your degree to fall back on.

Careers: Police

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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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