Expert: Chris Wagoner - 8/4/2008

Question
i am 22 years old and i will be out the army in 2010 with 3 years service.i am currently doing mp work in iraq in a prison.i have no prior experience with police work or training.i have always wanted to be swat.so i was wondering what procedures do i follow to become an officer or if so bc swat

Answer
Hello Joshua,

Well first, thank you for your service to our country. As you may or may not have read, I was an MP myself with the 3rd ID. SO from on old vet, thank you and be safe!

Now on to your question. Your training and work in the military will help when you get out. First you need to decide where you want to go when you get out, and then research that states requirements. Also you may want to look at trying to get some college courses under your belt while your in the military.

Some states accept MP school as a substitute for the police academy (Fla does most of the time) and you apply to have your training evaluated and if your training meets certain levels, you can actually skip the academy and go straight to taking the state exam to be a police officer. But you have to be evaluated. Here is the information on how and where this is done:

The Equivalency of Training (EOT) process is for Out-of-State Federal Officers and or previously certified Florida officers with a four year or more break-in-service pursuant to section 943.131(2), Florida Statutes and Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.) 11B-35.009(4)(5).

The EOT is an avenue by which an officer can request an exemption from the full academy.

You may be eligible for an exemption from the full basic training requirements if you were an officer in another state or with the federal government and meet the following requirements:
(1) you worked at least one year, full-time as a sworn officer in the discipline you are seeking exemption;

(2) you received training in that discipline which is comparable to Florida's full basic curriculum and/or;

(3) you were previously certified in Florida.  

There can be no more than an 8 year break in employment has an officer, which is measured from the separation date of the most recent qualifying employment to the time a complete application CJSTC-76 is submitted for exemption.  

In order to become a certified officer in Florida, you will need to demonstrate proficiency in the high liability areas and pass the state certification exam in the same discipline within 1 year of receipt of the approved CJSTC-76Equivalency of Training form.

By law, criminal justice employing agencies or selection centers are responsible for reviewing out-of-state or federal officer's employment and training to initially determine eligibility for exemption. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement does not determine a person's eligibility.

Upon collection, verification and authentication of documentation which establishes that you meet the training and experience requirements, a criminal justice employing agency or an assessment center must submit a completed CJSTC-76 Equivalency of Training form to the FDLE for approval.  (The applicant does not complete the CJSTC-76 form)

Documentation of one year's experience as an out-of-state or federal officer may consist of authentic copies of one or more of the following:
payroll records
employment records
verification of employment letters/affidavits
Documentation of prior training may consist of authentic copies of one or more of the following:
training records from prior employers
training records from academies
transcripts
curricula summaries
certificates of completion
verification of training /letters affidavits
Once the request is processed, and if approved, you should enroll in the appropriate pre-exam training, demonstrate proficiency in the high liability areas, and pass the state certification exam.

Contact the criminal justice agency of your choice for specific information concerning job vacancies.   For your convenience, here is a link to the address list of all Florida criminal justice agencies (http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cjst/Publications/AgencyAddresses/index.html)

If you do not qualify for the EOT, then you can apply to and attend a police academy. (http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cjst/officerrequirements/HowToBeOfficer.html)

If you want to help yourself out while in the military and get ready for police work, take criminal justice related courses.

OK now to your question about SWAT. Let me say that we really, really, really need former military people to get into law enforcement. They have the self discipline needed and the mind set required, along of course with all the skills in firearms and physical training already instilled in them. They are a great fit. Also the GI benefits pay for the schooling!! I run a police academy in North Central Florida and love it when I get good former military people as recruits. They usually end up as my class leaders and almost always get hired by an agency before they graduate, or very shortly after it.

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.

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.