Careers: Police/wondering

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Expert: - 8/25/2009


Question
First off thank you for your time.
I am 24 and live in NYC i was considering joining the New York but recently my wife and i were thinking of relocating to Florida. My question is what are the college requirements to join the force in Florida if any? i currently have no college credits and in NY 60 are required to join the academy. can i become an officer of the law in Florida without any college credits?
Thanks again for your time.

Answer
Hi Albert,

There is no State Requirement for college in Florida, although a few agencies may require college.

Here are the State of Florida Requirements:
There are four primary steps to becoming a certified officer in Florida:


         1.  Meet the minimum qualifications.
         2.  Complete the required training.
         3.  Pass the State Officer Certification Exam (SOCE).
         4.  Become employed as a sworn officer.

1. Meet the Minimum Qualifications established in Florida Statutes 943.13

Individuals must:
be at least 19 years of age.

be a citizen of the United States.

have earned a high school diploma or equivalent (GED) for law enforcement and corrections applicants.

A bachelors degree is required for correctional probation officers.

not have been convicted of any felony or of a misdemeanor involving perjury or false statement. Any person who, after July 1, 1981, pleads guilty or nolo contendere to, or is found guilty of a felony, or of a misdemeanor involving perjury or a false statement, shall not be eligible for employment or appointment as an officer, not-withstanding suspension of sentence or withholding of adjudication.

never have received a dishonorable discharge from any of the Armed Forces of the United States.

have documentation of processed fingerprints on file with the employing agency.

pass a physical examination by a licensed physician, physician assistant, or certified advanced registered nurse practitioner.

have good moral character as determined by a background investigation under procedures established by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission.

Thats it for requirements. You may want to read this
: http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109844

I posted that at officer.com

Good luck and I hope you decide to come to Florida, we love this State!

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Chris Wagoner

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I have been a police officer for 30+ years! I am the Police Academy Commander at the Santa Fe College, Institute of Public Safety in Gainesville Florida It is a full service Law Enforcement and Corrections training facility. I can answer most questions concerning law enforcement procedures, law enforcement training and general questions about law enforcment. I can also answer questions about becoming a law enfocement officer. I have a booklet and web page I have written that answers many questions about how to become a police officer called "So you want to be a cop (police Officer) in Florida?", which is free, Google it.. All you have to do is ask. I teach the following subjects: RADAR/LASER, Law Enforcement Driving, Law Enforcement Firearms and Patrol Techniques, Officer Safety, WMD's for Patrol Officers, Application of Law, Communications skills, Dealing with the Mentally and physically handicapped, and many more subjects. I have worked as a subject matter expert for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and helped to write the police curriculum for the State of Florida. I like answering questions about how to become a police officer, and questions about why did an officer do this or that type questions. I also like answering any questions you may have about police work in general. I do not mind helping with homework questions or trying to answer your questions about legal subjects that I have knowledge of. You will never know the answer until you ask! If you do ask a question, PLEASE take the time to at least rate the answer. I do not get paid to answer these questions and do it on my own time. If you ask, please rate it when I answer. Thanks!!! If its a question about becoming a police officer, it may be answered here: http://sites.google.com/site/flaleohelp/ My "hobby" website - http://www.youtube.com/user/3rdID8487 Military Videos on YouTube and Facebook!!

Experience

I am a 30+ year veteran police officer, I am currently the Police Academy Commander of an Academy in North FLorida. I have been training police officers since 1993 and have trained them in all aspects of law enforcement, including firearms, Driving and legal subjects including patrol techniques and others and training all over the world. I have trained over 5000 officers worldwide in the last 16 years of training.

Publications
I am a published author in Accident Investigation from the University of North Florida, Institute of Police Technology and Management. Also have written and published on the Internet, "So You Want to be a Cop (Police Officer) in Florida?" you can Google it..

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I have 2 degrees, in Criminal Justice.

Awards and Honors
Phi Theta Kappa, plus 50+ Departmental Awards over the years. FBI Directors award for assisting in a Nationwide investigation into Child pornography.

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