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Careers: Police/Is criminology the best starting point to become a detective in the future? And what are some recommedndation that you think many help me become a detective?

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Expert: - 12/14/2009


Question
Hi my name is Anita,

I am from Australia,i have currently completed a Diploma in law/legal services at college and i have applied for university to study Policing/criminology. My concern is that i really want to become a detective and i do now that i have to sever 2-3 years max on general duties, but i want to study criminology and i was wondering do you personally believe that this degree will help me become a future detective or any law enforcement jobs. I have a huge passion for working with children and i would love to become a detective and hopefully work in that particular area only for children.

I would really appreciate your help and advice thank you.  

Answer
Anita,

I would love to help you but since you live in Australia I do not have the expertise to comment on such an important topic.  No doubt that your country has a different system of policing than the United States and anything that I said would apply to the U.S. which is not what you are looking for.

What about a visit to a police station in your town and get some input from a ranking officer?

Careers: Police

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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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