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Question
i am only a freshman in high school but i have to know now what career i want to persue. i want to know if i sholud follw the idea of a forensic scientist or a dectective. i want to consider how long it will take and my chances of getting hired as this. the problem is i realize it will take a long time to become a dectective. i am leaning more towards forensic scientist...what experience and grades will i need?
Diana,
I can help you with your question about detectives but the job of "forensic scientist" is an entirely different profession and does not fall within my area of expertise nor does it have anything to do with the police department because they are civilians and work in private labs that are not connected with the police.
If your goal is to become a detective you should have a college degree, have an almost perfect disciplinary and attendence record in high school, and be prepared to pass an extensive background check. And that is only to get hired by a police department. Once you are hired (and only about 10% of people who apply are hired) you would have to pass the police academy course, work in uniform about ten years as a patrol officer, and then apply for a position as a detective. So you can see it is about twenty years down the road.
Forensic scientist would involve an advanced degree which would mean 6 - 8 years of college or more. Your high school counseler probably would be able to start recommending courses now for you to take which would be heavy in science and AP courses.
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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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