Expert: Jack Toomey - 7/7/2009

Question
This may seem strange that I'm asking an unknown source for advice but i heard you were the best person to ask since you give a clear explanation. i live in a crappy podunk town where i cannot ask any of the local officers for advice because most of them abuse the system so they cannot be trusted. I'm still in highschool and i know that most people my age think they want to be detectives because of stupid TV shows they see but they don't have the passion for it like i do. certain experiences I've been through as a younger child have gave me the passion to become a detective. i was wondering what college courses or training will i need to become a detective in the field of sex crimes and child abuse?

i apologize for taking so long to get around to the point. thank you so much for your time and advice.

Answer
I don't know where you live but I think that you would be surprised if you talked to an officer in a situation other than a confrontational one as often happens on the street.

Anyway you are correct.  NOTHING that you see on television is realistic.  Even shows that purport to follow officers or detectives around as they do their jobs.  On those shows it makes it seem that the officers are constantly in motion or solving crimes.  It takes weeks to tape one edition of COPS when it seems that the officers are always in high speed chases, etc.  SVU, CSI, and other are completely fake and kids are devastated when they find this out.

It does not matter what college you go to or what your major is.  What is important is that you get your degree.  You also need a good command of the language and most importantly good writing skills.  All of the training that you need will be done in the police academy.  

I hope that you realize that no one goes straight from the classroom to the detective section.  If you are hired by a police department (and only about 15 of those who apply are actually hired) you will spend many years on the street as a uniformed officer learning the skills that are necessary to become a detective.  If there is an opening in the detective section then you would apply for that position just like you would apply for a job.  You are interviewed, your past performance on the street is examined, and your supervisors have input.  This may come as a surprise to you but not many officers want to be detectives because of the massive amount of paperwork, the hours, being called out in the middle of the night, and other reasons.