Expert: Loren Stevens - 8/19/2008

Question
I'm not sure how familiar you are with the NYPD, but I am a graduate student who would like to work for the intelligence unit in the NYPD.  What is the general career path timetable of an officer seeking a certain department? I really don't want to be a uniformed "beat" officer for very long...would we be talking years or months before I could enter a specialized department, or is it all circumstantial?  Thanks!

Answer
Hello Jeff,
Kind of difficult to give you a solid path to where you want to go.
But, I'll give you some ideas to entertain.
First, NYPD is like the Army, as it's so large, upwards of 30k I suspect. Probably only Tokyo PD is on the same footing in terms of staffing patterns.
In any event, I submit to you, that all agencies that I am familiar with require entry level be that of uniform patrol, be it foot beat, or in a cruiser.
If you don't distinguish yourself there, it makes any other movement difficult.
Plus, you'll usually need to be off probation to even be considered for a specialized assignment.
It's not unusual for a specialized assignment like Intelligence to also require experience in other investigative units as a precondition for consideration.
You should already have some KSA's under belt on working investigations, e.g.., surveillance, informants, covert ops, pens/traps, mail-covers, search warrants, case presentments, Grand Jury cases, wire intercepts, extraditions, interviewing techniques, line-ups et al.
Intelligence is not usually a place for a "NEWB" to land.
And, I wouldn't tell anybody that you really don't want to work patrol.
Uniform police is the backbone, and held in the highest regard by old salts.
It's a bit like the Marines, where EVERYBODY is first and foremost an 0311 grunt.
Study your craft, learn investigative issues, learn the subculture of your agency in general, and the Intelligence in specific.
Learn what they focus on, be it OC, corruption, etc.
ALWAYS cultivate sources of information. Informants is what separates the lightweights, from the pros in police work...at least that's my view.
Ultimately, who ever can lay the most relevant experience, KSA's and other attributes on the table of who is doing the selecting, will usually receive favorable treatment.
Along the way, you can make your interests known to the "powers that be", and they'll keep an eye on your progress.
There is always an informal pipeline within the interpersonal dynamics of an agency.
Hope this is helpful.
Good Luck,
loren