AboutCommander Chris Wagoner Expertise I have been a police officer for 28+ years and still going! I am the Police Academy Commander at a LAw Enforcement/ Corrections Academy in North Central Florida. 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 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!!!
Experience I am a 26 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.
Publications I am a published author in Accident Investigation from the University of North Florida, Institute of Police Technology and Management.
Education/Credentials I have 2 degrees, an AAS in Criminal Justice Technology from Santa Fe Community College, and a AA from Santa Fe Community College in Criminal Justice Programs.
Question hi my name is aimee i am 14 years old and i have dreamed of being a police officer ever since i was a little girl, i would also love to become a SWAT member. i would like to know if you have to be a citizen to be in the department.
Answer Hi Aimee,
Good for you thinking so far ahead. And being a cop is a great job, it has treated me very well and I have loved it.
You do have to be a US Citizen to be a police officer, but you have time to do that if you still want to be one.
Also as you know you have to become a police officer first before you can become a SWAT/ SRT team member.
You usually go to an academy in the area you want to work. Some cities have their own, some states have them, it all depends on where your going to work. Where do you think you might like to work?
And in order to be a police officer you have to keep a clean record and stay away from drugs. Also you should keep your driving record clean. A lot of people ask me questions on here about does this or that that I did as a teen disqualify me? And they are surprised when a lot of the time it does. What you do today can have far reaching affects on your future career choices, so please think ahead and be smart. I commend you for thinking of law enforcement as a career, but that means you have to start preparing now. By that I mean staying out of trouble and away from the wrong influences and such.
You may want to consider looking into the Police Explorers. They are a division of the Boy Scouts (they include girls!) that explores the criminal Justice/ Law Enforcement field. You get to train, work and assist police officers and police departments. Its a great way to gain knowledge and experience in the law enforcement field. I started at age 13 (age limit is 14 now) and did it for 5 years through the age of 18 (all through High School) and was hired as a Police Officer at the ripe old age of 18. http://www.learning-for-life.org/exploring/lawenforcement/
But you have to be a police officer first before you can become a SWAT member. As for SWAT. Many people are under the impression that being a SWAT team member is a full time position. In 99% of departments its not, it is what we call a secondary position. That means that you are a patrolman or detective or whatever position you are serving in and a SWAT member second. You carry all the SWAT gear in your assigned vehicle or its carried in the SWAT response vehicle, and when you are needed for a SWAT call out, they notify you and you respond to the location and become a SWAT team member.
That’s how secondary positions work. Other secondary positions in most places are teams like Dive team, Search and Rescue and others like these that are not needed all the time. SWAT teams require a lot of physical and mental discipline.
Before you can apply for any additional position you have to have been on the force a year in some places, more in others. Its up to the department.
Here is a list of just some of the additional units available in the police department:
Aviation Unit
Bicycle Patrol
Bomb Squad
Canine Unit
Child Protective Investigations Section
Contractor Licensing and Fraud Unit
Crime Scene and Crime Lab
Crime Stoppers Unit
DUI Unit
Economic Crime Unit
Evidence Unit
Marine Unit and Dive Team
Mass Transit Unit
Motorcycle Unit
Mounted Patrol
Regional Investigations Division
School Resource Deputy Unit
SWAT Team
Victim Services Unit
So you see there are many other specialty units you can get into.
Good luck and be safe. And I commend you for thinking of Law Enforcement as a career.
PS> Please take a second to rate this answer, I do not get paid to answer these and the rating is my only form of "payment", thank you!!!
