Careers: Police/Police officer

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Expert: - 4/29/2008


Question
I currently live in New York and want to become a police officer in florida.  How do I go about doing so if I still live in NY and want to have a job lined up before I move to florida?

Answer
I can't give you a definitive answer that would fit every police department in the state of Florida but I don't think that you realize what the hiring process is like for police departments.  

If you are asking me if you can get the job while still living in New York then I am afraid that you have chosen the wrong field. If you are asking me if you could get hired in Florida while living in New York then it might be possible if you moved to Florida temporarily while your investigation is going on.

Let me tell you how it would work with MY department.  You would be required to have permanent residence in MY state before any of the hiring process would start.  You would be required to show some proof of where you live such as a rental agreement, utility bills, deed to a house, etc.  Then they would start the process which would include an apptitude test, oral interviews, physical exam, polygraph exam, background investigation, more oral interviews, etc.  Obvioulsy you could not do any of these things while living in another state.

Now again.....the last paragraph applies to MY department only but I suspect that you are going to run into this in Florida also.  But you won't know for sure unless you apply to one of the hundreds of departments in Florida.

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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