Expert: Chris Wagoner - 2/22/2011

Question
I am 24 years old and currently attending Ashford University for my Bachelors in Social and Criminal Justice and I was wandering once you become a law enforcement official if you can stay at that position or if you have to move up when the opportunity is available?  I would like to be a detective in either sex crimes or child abduction cases or even homicide but I am also considering possibly going into FBI or DEA.  If I choose to go into FBI does the same steps apply there that would if I was going for detective in a unit?  If you could help with these answers it would be very helpful and I would greatly appreciate it a lot.  

Sincerely,

Becca

Answer
Good morning Rebecca,

once you entered the career of law enforcement you are not required to take promotions when they become available but most people take advantage of that because of the subsequent pay raises that accompany an advancement in rank. But you are not required to do so. I know many officers who have gone through their entire careers and never risen above the rank of Sgt. as there are not nearly as many sergeants the tenants captains and majors as there are road patrol officers or detectives.

If you are wanting to specialize in sex crimes or child crimes cases then once you are in that unit you will find that they will more than likely depending upon the size of the department allow you to remain there until such a time as either one you wish to be removed from the unit or two for the betterment of the department they need to train or advance someone else into that unit to either assist or eventually replace you. Since most agencies in the United States (85%) are under 50 officers the chances of staying in a specialty unit for extended periods of time are pretty good.

Even with large departments depending upon the specialty you can remain in that unit for extended periods of time. An example would be the Broward County sheriffs office where I came from I was in the traffic homicide unit for seven years and I know of other detectives that remained in the unit after I left and ended up retiring from the Sheriff's office from that unit after 15 or 20 years as a traffic homicide investigator. So you can do it it just really all boils down to the agency that you work for.

Now with the FBI or DEA you are more or less placed at the need of the agency. You may have to move from one field office to another, you may have to be assigned from one type of crime to another, and all of this is based on agency need and while you may be asked you really have very little choice in what or where you're going to go and do with an agency like those. Because they are federal agencies that have offices throughout the United States a shortage in one area can be filled from positions in another area and that's part of being a federal law enforcement agent or officer.

If you are set on trying to become a detective in one of those areas and really wish to remain in that field for an extended period of time I believe your best bet would be at a local city, county or state agency and one that is not too large where your expertise once developed is appreciated and can be used in that area on a more regular basis.

I hope that answers your question if you need any clarification feel free to ask follow-up. Be safe and stay well.