Expert: Jack Toomey - 3/13/2009

Question
QUESTION: I was wondering just how many years you would have to do in uniform to be put in homicide? and when your in uniform can you choose what u want work on? like for instance can I choose to work on a murder case?

ANSWER: Chris,

  I probably should put something on my profile about this time thing because I get a ton of questions just like yours.

  There is no nationally set time limit for an officer to work in uniform before he is allowed to be a detective.  That is because each police department in this country works independantly of each other and no two departments operate the same.  However it would be safe to say that no reputable police department is going to allow an officer with less than ten years on the street to work in homicide.  They would simply not have enough experience.

  When you are in uniform you work on what life deals you.  In other words if you get a call for a stolen bicycle you work on that.  If you get a call for a missing 85 year old woman you work on that.  While a uniformed officer usually is the first one on the scene of a homicide they do not "work on it".  The officer does what is required of him and the case is worked by detectives.

  Just in case you are getting your idea about Homicide from some tv show let me tell you this.  NOTHING that you see on television is realistic.  No show accurately depicts police work.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Okay..im 16 years old and I wanted to know whats the best route to become an officer and then a homicide detective in other words what are the steps to join a force?

ANSWER: Ok it sounds like you want a concise answer.

Maintain a perfect disciplinary and near perfect attendance record in high school.  Have a high GPA  Graduate from college.  Have no traffic tickets, use no drugs, do not drink to the excess, and of course have no arrest record.  

Get hired by a police department.  About 10 - 15% of applicants are actually hired.  The rest are washed out somewhere during the process.
The process is an apptitude test, oral interviews, writing samples, a thorough background investigation, more oral interviews, a physical exam, a physical test, and polygraph.  Assuming that you get through all of this then there is the police academy which you must gradute from.  About 80% of a class usually graduates.  The other 20% gets booted out.

Spend 10 - 15 years in uniform and if you do well and are recommended you might get a position in homicide.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What is the salary when working with homicide is it a little bit more than an officer in uniform?

Answer
No there is no difference.  A detective is a police officer who does not wear a uniform.  A detective might make a little more if you add in the overtime and being away from home for 24 - 48 hours working on a case or going to court but the base salary is no different.