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Question
My name is Tyler I have been looking into getting into the swat team is it worth joining the airforce to become a base gaurd? i heard it will make becoming a police officer to swat alot easier???
Tyler,
The first thing that you need to realize is that absolutely NOTHING that you see on television is realistic. NOTHING. Any tv shows that depict a SWAT team is made up to attract viewers. If they made a tv program that showed the day to day activities of SWAT no one would watch it. I wanted to tell you that first if you are getting your ideas from watching television.
Going into the Air Force might help you in your quest but then again it might not mean a thing. There are thousands of police departments in this country and each one acts independantly of each other so what might be true on department #A might not be true on department #B. What is important is that you graduate from high school with excellent grades and great attendence and disciplinary record because they will be checking all of these things during your background investigation. Of course your criminal and traffic record needs to be spotless.
So lets say that you are hired. You will spend many years on the street as a uniformed police officer learning the skills that might be necessary to eventually be considered for SWAT. How long? I have no idea. It could be seven years, ten years, or longer. It depends on vacancies, how many people apply for the vacancy, and a multitude of other factors.
If this sounds pessimistic I am sorry but I get so many questions from students who believe that they are a lock to get into CSI, detectives, SWAT, etc, etc. It is not the case and in reality only small percentage of officers ever make it, or even want to go into specialized units.
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Answers by Expert:
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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