Expert: Loren Stevens - 5/3/2010

Question
Hello Loren,

I currently go to Westwood College majoring in Criminal Justice.
This is my first year towards my Bachelors degree, I want to become a homicide detective, what are all the requirements needed for this field, are there any programs that I can enter while I'm still in school to get the necessary work experience in this field? I don't want to just stop at my Bachelors degree, I'm going to get my masters and then my Ph.D in this field. Also is there an age limit to being in policing, if so what are they? Where can I get more information, I'm located in Chicago.

Answer
Hello Stephanie,
Congrats on targeting a career path.
As you might have guessed, there is no template for becoming a homicide Investigator. If you polled an entire detail of these Investigators, you'll likely find a variety of answers, on how they got there.
College is good, no question about it. And, I think a case can be made of separating the "hard sciences" from the "soft sciences"...to a point.
And also keep in mind, that most college environments tend to be theory oriented to a large extent.
The qualities of a good homicide Investigator, are not unlike the qualities of any good Investigator, regardless of their duty assignment.
Attention to detail, skilled in articulating comprehensive reports.
Human biology, grasp of toxicology, studying blood spattering (it's a science).
Non verbal communications (body language) Interview and interrogation techniques, and so on.
I would suggest you do well in written and oral communications. Those skill sets will favor you. Grasp the law of parsimony in report writing, which is to say, be complete, but demonstrate word economy.
Study search warrants. The list is extensive.
But ONE common thread you'll soon discover, is that virtually all homicide Dets worked their way into that assignment.
First get hired, at the entry level, usually uniform patrol. You'll be there well into 4-6 years is my guess.
Distinguish yourself as a thorough investigator. Patrol officers are responsible for "preliminary" investigations on most part 1&2 UCR offenses.
Take those cases as far as you logically can, given other pressures on your time.
Let it be known, that you are interested in INVESTIGATIVE assignments.
You earn your rep when working property crimes: burglary, larceny, auto theft etc
When there are openings in any of the crime against persons units, they scout the property crimes units first, and poach the best Dets there...it's a given, believe me.
So, you keep enhancing your KSA's (knowledge-skills-abilities) in 'persons' crimes: Robbery, kidnap, extortion (sometimes) homicide and sex crimes. Sometimes, missing persons are a subdivision of a homicide unit, which if the case, a good stepping stone.
Usually, when a commander of a homicide unit is trying to fill a personnel spot, s/he'll look to a top Detective currently assigned to a crimes against the person unit. There is one exception to this generalization....a side track of working traffic fatalities is another consideration.
There are plenty of various training schools and seminars, but the good ones are reserved for badges.
The Southern Police Institute, at the U of Louisville has some good stuff.
If you have your eyes on a fed police agency, you have to be in with them, prior to your 37th birthday. Most other city, county, and state police agencies have long ago dismissed age discrimination issues by having no age limit. But then, the feds have a forced age to retire too....plus, feds make the rules......
I'd look at police agencies that are big enough, that they are not stagnant. Little agencies or even medium agencies are slow in movement..somebody has to either die or retire, for an opening in a specialized assignment, and the competition is spirited.
Something like the las vegas metro police LV NV is a very good idea.
Think about getting your lower division undergraduate stuff done, then put in an application, and get your career going. Plus, most agencies reimburse tuition costs for officers. It's like a scholarship.
But don't even think about college for the first 2 years or so on the job, as you will be much too busy learning essential stuff for the job (or should be)
Also, think about a double major, no miner....have your second major in something like biology, chemistry or something in the physical sciences...make sense?/
OK, I think this is enough to get you thinking about your next step.
Hope this is helpful.
Also, consider doing some volunteer work at the medical examiner's office...you'll learn a bunch!!
Good Luck, Semper Fi.
loren