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Question
hello, my name is Brian and i'm 16 right now. i really want to become a cop, but i haven't prepared for it. at this age I'm smoking and im trying to quit and im not doing that well in school(gpa 2.5). i was just wondering if it would be better for me to go to college and then apply as a cop or be better to server as a military police for about 2 years and then study while I'm in the army online and then go to college afterwards and then apply?
if you can give me any advices on any colleges for what i should do from now on to make my chances on becoming a detective higher would be very helpful. i appreciate your time reading this. thank you
Hi Brian,
Well first, stop smoking and start doing better in school. That is the very first thing you need to do.
After that it is really up to you. Find a college with a good Criminal justice program and attend that, if you decide you want to go into the Army that's great also, just remember it's a little tougher to complete online schooling in the Army because of your time committment-but it can be done.
I wish you much success!
Eric
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Answers by Expert:
Eric Potts
Expertise
I am a Veteran of The United States Army where I served as a Military Police Officer for 6 years and have been a Municipal Police Officer for 20 years. I am a certified Arson Investigator, as well as a certified Community Police Officer. I am a DARE teacher in the local schools. I am a Defensive Driving Instructor and worked for years as a Detective specializing in White Collar Crime. I'm qualified to answer general law enforcement questions, general procedure questions (all departments have different rules and regulations. I can answer questions about how to become a law enforcement officer, and questions that might help someone understand why an officer acted a certain way. I am also a Police Suicide Awareness trainer and a member of the NJ Critical Incident Response Team. PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO SWAT-I AM NOT QUALIFIED TO ANSWER THEM AND WILL REJECT THOSE QUESTIONS.
Experience
I have 27 years total Law Enforcement experience in a wide range of areas. I have worked as a Detective and a Patrolman and have made well over 2,000 arrests in my career.
Education/Credentials
Graduated from the United States Army Military Police School
Basic Law Enforcement Training
Arson Investigators School
DARE Officer Training
Interview and Interrogation School
Police Suicide and Awareness Trainer
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