Expert: Jack Toomey - 3/14/2009

Question
QUESTION: I am 14 years old and in 9th grade. i have had a pass that i rather not talk about, but my pass has influenced my decision to be an SVU detective. can you please tell my a lot of information about that job. like the schooling, training, ect.

~SunniGirl
thanks

ANSWER: Sunny,

I have no idea what you mean by "I had a pass" but if you would rather not talk about then that is fine.

There is no such thing as a "SVU" detective as depecited on television.  NOTHING that you see on television actually happens in real life.  If they made a show about real police work no one would watch because it would be boring.  I get a ton of questions just like yours and CSI and SVU lead the parade.  

Some detectives perform some of the duties that you see being performed in SVU but there are no special units like you see.

Either way if you want to eventually be a detective and do some of these things you have about twenty years of hard work in front of you.  Graduate from high school with a perfect discplinary record, high GPA, almost perfect attendence record, go to college and graduate, apply for some police department, go to the academy, graduate, work on the street as a uniformed officer for about ten to tweleve years, and then if there is an opening in the detective section you could be considered.

Sorry to disappoint you but television has lied to a whole generation of kids.

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

QUESTION: I understand about the fact that TV is not like real life. But Is there a different unit dealing with only sexual abuse victims Are is there any job set aside just for sexual abuse victims?

Answer
Yes there are detective units that investigate sexual offenses.  There are also units that investigate auto theft, deaths, financial crimes, and missing persons.  But in order to get the experience necessary to get into these units an officer must spend many, many years in uniform as a patrol officer.  There is no other way to do it.