AboutEric Potts Expertise I am a Veteran of The United States Army where I served as a Military Police Officer for 6 years and have been a Municipal Police Officer for 20 years. I am a certified Arson Investigator, as well as a certified Community Police Officer. I am a DARE teacher in the local schools. I am a Defensive Driving Instructor and worked for years as a Detective specializing in White Collar Crime.
I'm qualified to answer general law enforcement questions, general procedure questions (all departments have different rules and regulations. I can answer questions about how to become a law enforcement officer, and questions that might help someone understand why an officer acted a certain way.
I am also a Police Suicide Awareness trainer and a member of the NJ Critical Incident Response Team.
PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO SWAT-I AM NOT QUALIFIED TO ANSWER THEM AND WILL REJECT THOSE QUESTIONS.
Experience I have 27 years total Law Enforcement experience in a wide range of areas. I have worked as a Detective and a Patrolman and have made well over 2,000 arrests in my career.
Education/Credentials Graduated from the United States Army Military Police School
Basic Law Enforcement Training
Arson Investigators School
DARE Officer Training
Interview and Interrogation School
Police Suicide and Awareness Trainer
Question QUESTION: Hi! I am 18 and I want to become a police patrol man right after I finish high school, (at age 18-19) and then a year later I would like to become a Police Sniper, but I no most states require me to be 21 to become a police patrol man, including my own.....)= so I was wondering what should I do in the 3 or 4 years of waiting, I cant join any armed serves because of my 20/400 uncorrected vision, and to tell you the truth I really don't want to go to college. I just want to get my real life going and become a Police Sniper/Police Patrol man. Is there any Police academies I can go to? and do you go to a Police academy before becoming a cop? any help? Thanks allot for your time!
ANSWER: Enthusiasm is a good thing but sometimes reality steps in and directs us down the right path.
I'm not sure why you think you can't join the Service with your eyesight being what it is, my eyesight is 20/500 uncorrected (thank goodness for modern technology or my glasses would be very thick) yet I was able to join the Army and serve 6 years as a Military Police Officer. Check again with all branches of the service.
As far as College goes, I would highly recommend you get a college degree. First off it can only help you in life and secondly most departments require at least a two year degree now a days.
Usually you go to the Police Academy after you are hired by a Police Department, although in NJ we have what is known as Alternate Route. Where you as an individual pay to attend the Police Academy, but before that can even happen you must go through the same stringent selection process as if you were being hired including an extensive background check and interview process. Then, once you're accepted, you attend the academy like everyone else, only you pay to attend and once you graduate there is a good chance you'll get picked up by a Police Department since you've already been trained.
You don't become a Police Sniper after only one year, although I suppose it could happen in a smaller department, usually, like anything else, you have to pay your dues working as a Patrol Officer for a bit before you can apply to any advanced position.
Hope that answers your questions and if I can be of any further assistance please don't hesitate to contact me.
Eric
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QUESTION: Thanks allot for that info! it really cleared my head, but what do you do as a military police officer?
Answer As a Military Police Officer I did much the same as I do now. Enforce the laws of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). We made arrest, issued tickets, investigated crimes, accidents, and assisted the community.
We also went out in the field where we did Route Recon, Rear Area Combat Support, Escorted Convoys, manned Traffic Control Points, set up and maintained POW (Prisoner of War) camps and a myriad of other things soldiers do everyday.
Remember it has been 20 years since I was an MP, but at the time, the Military Police Corps was moving to become a much more combat oriented occupation specialty and the role of an MP may have changed to much more field duties than what we called "garrison" duties of patrolling the base we were stationed at.
