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Mr Wagoner,
I currently live in Delaware and interested in becoming a law enforcement agent in Florida. Although I am currently in the hiring process for the Delaware State Police, I am not a certified Police Officer. The entire process is very different between the two states, and I was looking for some guidance on the best way for an out of state prospect to successfully obtain certification and employment in Florida. Also if you know of or recommend any specific agencies to look into, my wife and I would like to stay near the coast lines if we make the move.
Thank you for your time and help.
Barry Zehnder Jr.
Hi Barry,
Sorry for the delay getting back to you, had a small issue with an on-going investigation. LOL thats the police world as you know.
Since you are not a certified police officer in Delaware yet you do not qualify for the "Equivalency of Training" program we have in Florida. Out of state police officers who have at least 1 years experience can request to have their records looked at and receive credit for the training they have. They then can skip our academy and take the state exam to allow them to then be hired as a police officer in Florida.
Instead of me taking up a lot of time and space, you can go here for all the information you want on how to become a Florida Police officer and all about the training also: www.policecareers.org .
You say you want to stay near the coast, how close? Its funny because almost anywhere in he state is only a couple of hours from the coast. In fact where I am, North Central Florida, we are 1 hour from the Ocean, 1 hour from the Gulf, about 1.5 hours from Orlando (Disney) and 1 hour form Georgia. A perfect location and far enough inland the Hurricanes are not such a concern.
You need to decide how much of a built up area you want to live and work in also, that will make a big difference on areas you may want to look at. And as many people do not know, law enforcement is almost 100% recession proof, they always need cops.
If after you look over that web site you have any specific questions, my e-mail address is there also so feel free to e-mail me directly if you like.
Stay safe and Good Luck!
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Thank you for the response, the website was very helpful. I will be checking into Sante Fe CC and the academy. I appreciate your willingness to help with any further questions. Regarding our desired location, it is actually my wife who wants to be on the coastline/beach, coming from Delaware, I am not a big fan of Hurricanes, so I am sure we will find a mutual agreement. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Chris Wagoner
Expertise
I have been a police officer for 30+ years! I am the Police Academy Commander at the Santa Fe College, Institute of Public Safety in Gainesville Florida It is a full service Law Enforcement and Corrections training facility. I can answer most questions concerning law enforcement procedures, law enforcement training and general questions about law enforcment. I can also answer questions about becoming a law enfocement officer. I have a booklet and web page I have written that answers many questions about how to become a police officer called "So you want to be a cop (police Officer) in Florida?", which is free, Google it.. All you have to do is ask. I teach the following subjects: RADAR/LASER, Law Enforcement Driving, Law Enforcement Firearms and Patrol Techniques, Officer Safety, WMD's for Patrol Officers, Application of Law, Communications skills, Dealing with the Mentally and physically handicapped, and many more subjects. I have worked as a subject matter expert for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and helped to write the police curriculum for the State of Florida. I like answering questions about how to become a police officer, and questions about why did an officer do this or that type questions. I also like answering any questions you may have about police work in general. I do not mind helping with homework questions or trying to answer your questions about legal subjects that I have knowledge of. You will never know the answer until you ask! If you do ask a question, PLEASE take the time to at least rate the answer. I do not get paid to answer these questions and do it on my own time. If you ask, please rate it when I answer. Thanks!!! If its a question about becoming a police officer, it may be answered here: http://sites.google.com/site/flaleohelp/ My "hobby" website - http://www.youtube.com/user/3rdID8487 Military Videos on YouTube and Facebook!!
Experience
I am a 30+ year veteran police officer, I am currently the Police Academy Commander of an Academy in North FLorida. I have been training police officers since 1993 and have trained them in all aspects of law enforcement, including firearms, Driving and legal subjects including patrol techniques and others and training all over the world. I have trained over 5000 officers worldwide in the last 16 years of training.
Publications
I am a published author in Accident Investigation from the University of North Florida, Institute of Police Technology and Management. Also have written and published on the Internet, "So You Want to be a Cop (Police Officer) in Florida?" you can Google it..
Education/Credentials
I have 2 degrees, in Criminal Justice.
Awards and Honors
Phi Theta Kappa, plus 50+ Departmental Awards over the years. FBI Directors award for assisting in a Nationwide investigation into Child pornography.
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