Expert: Chris Wagoner - 7/7/2008

Question
Hi , I'm Chris and I am 12. I want to be on the SWAT but I heard that you have to be a police officer and get a degree in criminal justice .How do you become a police officer? Does it take a long time? Do you need more education? thanks

Answer
Hi Chris!

Good for you! Being a police officer is a great job.

There are a few things you can do that would help you out in a law enforcement career.

Some high schools offer courses in criminal justice, those would be helpful. Also check out the Police Explorer Program. There may be a post in your area and they are a great way to get to know law enforcement and the job. I started out as a police explorer at the ripe old age of 13! And I have been doing law enforcement ever since. (http://www.learning-for-life.org/exploring/lawenforcement/)and it really helped me in becoming a police officer.

Also make sure you understand that what you do today can make or break your chances of being a police officer/SWAT member. Many young people don't realize that some things you might do in high school can prevent you from becoming a police officer. Things like drugs, bad driving (tickets) and of course being arrested. Just stay out of trouble, keep clean (no drugs) and be careful driving (remember your going to be writing people tickets for things, don't do them yourself!!!) and you should be just fine.

Also look at getting a college degree. Most departments like you to have them now, and some require them to be hired or promoted. SO look at going to college right out of high school and when you get out of college you will be the perfect age to join the police force.

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.

A college degree is VERY important these days so make sure you finish that up. It will also give you a chance to age a bit. Most departments like to have you at least 21, and a 4 year degree would be very helpful also. Some police agencies require it to be promoted, so give it some thought.

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!!!