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QUESTION: hello Jack Toomey i have a question about how to become a sniper. What classes do i have to take to get in to swat and how to become a sniper. the education and all. i am a freshmen in high school and i want to be apart of swat can you give me any ideas on how to do that. please and thanks you
ANSWER: Luis,
Can you tell me why you want to become a sniper? Also why do you want to be a SWAT team member?
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QUESTION: well because right now i shot guns and everyone tells me that i have a good shot. yes, i do also want to be a swat team member. i aloes want to be a sniper because i like to shot people from far distances. are you a sniper? are you in swat?
Luis,
I am sorry to tell you that you are not a good candidate for either SWAT or sniper. The purpose of a sniper on the police department is not to shoot people. That is a very dangerous thing to be thinking about. SWAT team members are there to ensure the safety of other officers and to make entry at houses, to serve warrants, and to safely negotiate hostage or barricade situations.
You probably shouldn't be thinking about SWAT now. What you should be thinking about is getting excellent grades in high school and maintaining a perfect disciplinary record. When you graduate from college in eight years you can start thinking about a career in law enforcement.
Are you aware that IF you are hired by a police department that you will spend many years on the street as a uniformed police officer? No one goes straight into SWAT. So you have at least twenty years before you would ever be considered for SWAT or a sniper position.
No I am not a member of SWAT nor am I a sniper.
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Answers by Expert:
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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