Careers: Police/law enforceent..

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Expert: - 3/5/2009


Question
Hey Mr. Toomey,
I'm 19 and would love to get into law enforcement but I'm being held back by the 21 rule. Do i have to wait till I'm 21 or is there a way for me to get started now. I'm in school working on an AA in CJ and I'm a pilot working on my instrument rating... i tried weed one year ago, will this have an affect on the poly? ill be honest too..

Answer
Doug,

 What is the "21 rule"?  The requirement that you have to be 21 to become a police officer?  If that is what you are talking about I have never heard of a state where someone who is 19 years old is allowed to become a police officer.  There are many reasons but the main one is maturity.  In fact it is my opinion that a 21 year old is not mature enough or have enough life experiences to do the job.  This is no slap at you but many young people watch television shows about the police and believe that they can walk right out of a classroom and do the majority of police jobs that they have seen on tv.

 There is no "yes" or "no" answer about your drug use.  There are thousands of police departments and each has its own hiring standards.  If you were applying for MY department your drug use most likely would not hurt you but it would not help you.  This applies to MY department only.

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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