AboutJack 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.
Question QUESTION: I will be brief. I have done much research and know many LE officers in my town. I know that the police shows that you talk about are mostly fictional. For years I have known that I wanted to be a sniper involved with the police or sherrifs dep. However i do not want to serve in the millitary, ( i would like to but i am older for my class and do not have time.) what would i have to do to give my self the edge over formal millitary snipers. also how long would it take to get to the point that i would be considered for swat. how big does a town have to be in order for them to have a swat team?
ANSWER: Let me ask you a question before I answer. Why do you want to be a sniper?
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QUESTION: i am an excellent shot, im extremely good at hiding, i play a sniper position on both my airsoft and paintball teams.
ANSWER: Ok let me give you some advice. The fact that you are striving for such a position sends out the wrong signals. I am not sure how old you are but it now sounds like you are still a teenager which I didn't realize before. When you apply for a position on a police department you will undergo a long hiring process which includes a series of psychological tests and your quest for being sniper would be a huge red flag to anyone analyzing you because it tells them that you want to shoot people and that is not what they want to hear. I am sure that you can understand that.
A position on a SWAT team, if it somehow happens, would probably be at least fifteen years down the road and a lot can happen in the meantime. First you have to get hired by the police department and only about 15% of those who apply actually get hired. Not everyone makes it through the police academy and then you face a long time in uniform as a patrol officer before you would ever be considered for a position in SWAT. When an opening comes about on SWAT you will be able to apply just like any other officer. If they need a sniper you would be sent to some kind of sniper school.
My suggestion would be to forget about being a sniper and to not mention it to anyone else. I am sure that you have told other people and some of those will be interviewed when you eventually apply for the position of police officer and that is not going to help you.
You also asked about the size of the police department, etc. There is no "yes" or "no" answer. My department is over 1000 officers and does have a SWAT team but it is more or less a part-time position and the officers work patrol until needed. I can guarantee you that some small time department would not have a SWAT team.
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QUESTION: Thank you for the advice. i am 17, i completely understand what you are saying. when i get out of highschool my plan is to get a degree in criminology. would this increase my chances of getting hired as an officer? i know a sniper position is probably like an "elite" position. i havent told many people about even wanting to do swat work. is there anything i can do in the mean time to prepare for the police academy. (besides keeping my record clean and stuff.) - it is by the way.
Answer Jess,
You first need to be concerned about being hired by a police department before you worry about the police academy. Most high school students think that it is similar to getting a job at Walmart because it looks easy on television. In other words you walk in, fill out an application, and they call you next week. There is only a small percentage of the population who have the aptitude to be a police officer and that is determined early in the hiring process by a series of tests and oral interviews.
Majoring in criminology in college will certainly not hurt you in your career choice but it may not help you. All you will ever need to learn about police work will be taught at the academy and more importantly on the street.
