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Careers: Police/Homicide Detective question
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Question
Hi Commander Wagoner, my name is Stephanie and I'm 20 years old and wanted to confirm a question I have. I'm going to a community college to earn my AA in Criminal Justice to be a Homicide Detective then transferring to a University to finish my other 2 years to get my Bachelor's.I'm taking Psychology as one of my classes as a just in case but was told by my friend who is a lawyer who is friends with some New York Homicide Detectives who went to law school with him that I can go to Law School for about 3 years and apply for a job right after and be put in already as a Detective skipping the Police Officer part. Can I do that? Is it possible to just skip the part of being an officer for 6 months to 3 years and then "maybe" being promoted to Detective? I'm sorry for making my question long but the answer to my question will help me decide if I will attend Law School or if it's not necessary. I know I have to wait several years to earn my spot as a Homicide Detective regardless and I don't mind working for what I want but I would rather attend law school and skip the officer part and be more knowledgeable in law which I know will greatly help me in that field. Thank you for your patience and I hope you can help me.
Hi Stephanie,
I don't know of any police department that allows you to go right to detective without serving some time on patrol. Patrol is where you learn a lot about how the department functions as well as how the bad guys function.
You really have to get a feel for how things work before you can put all that book knowledge to good use, which I am sure you will do!
Good luck and stay safe..
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 9 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Thanks Commander Wagoner your answer cleared up some doubts I was having :) I probaly am going to have to do it that way. You gave me the answer I was looking for, thankjs again. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Chris Wagoner
Expertise
I have been a police officer for 30+ years! I am the Police Academy Commander at the Santa Fe College, Institute of Public Safety in Gainesville Florida It is a full service Law Enforcement and Corrections training facility. I can answer most questions concerning law enforcement procedures, law enforcement training and general questions about law enforcment. I can also answer questions about becoming a law enfocement officer. I have a booklet and web page I have written that answers many questions about how to become a police officer called "So you want to be a cop (police Officer) in Florida?", which is free, Google it.. All you have to do is ask. I teach the following subjects: RADAR/LASER, Law Enforcement Driving, Law Enforcement Firearms and Patrol Techniques, Officer Safety, WMD's for Patrol Officers, Application of Law, Communications skills, Dealing with the Mentally and physically handicapped, and many more subjects. I have worked as a subject matter expert for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and helped to write the police curriculum for the State of Florida. I like answering questions about how to become a police officer, and questions about why did an officer do this or that type questions. I also like answering any questions you may have about police work in general. I do not mind helping with homework questions or trying to answer your questions about legal subjects that I have knowledge of. You will never know the answer until you ask! If you do ask a question, PLEASE take the time to at least rate the answer. I do not get paid to answer these questions and do it on my own time. If you ask, please rate it when I answer. Thanks!!! If its a question about becoming a police officer, it may be answered here: http://sites.google.com/site/flaleohelp/ My "hobby" website - http://www.youtube.com/user/3rdID8487 Military Videos on YouTube and Facebook!!
Experience
I am a 30+ year veteran police officer, I am currently the Police Academy Commander of an Academy in North FLorida. I have been training police officers since 1993 and have trained them in all aspects of law enforcement, including firearms, Driving and legal subjects including patrol techniques and others and training all over the world. I have trained over 5000 officers worldwide in the last 16 years of training.
Publications
I am a published author in Accident Investigation from the University of North Florida, Institute of Police Technology and Management. Also have written and published on the Internet, "So You Want to be a Cop (Police Officer) in Florida?" you can Google it..
Education/Credentials
I have 2 degrees, in Criminal Justice.
Awards and Honors
Phi Theta Kappa, plus 50+ Departmental Awards over the years. FBI Directors award for assisting in a Nationwide investigation into Child pornography.
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