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Question
One of my interests is to become a detective and I was wondering if you had any tips or helpful advice. I have an I.Q. of 131, I am not sure if that would help or hurt me. I also would like to ask if you had any jobs other than that of law enforcement you would recommend for me. I know these may not all be reasonable, but I am going to list them anyway. I would enjoy clandestine work, carrying a weapon would be fine by me, I don't want to have to spend a lot of time overseas (as in most C.I.A.), working for a long time just doing street patrol would not be what I am looking for, relocating is not a problem. I don't want to be part of the drug areas unless it is a prerequisite. I have great writing and reading skills. I am great at math and science. I like the idea of being undercover, but not for a long period of time. Thank you.
Megan,
You seem to want a lot of things and yet you want to eliminate the tasks that the positions require.
The CIA clandestine units work overseas and not in the United States. Police work starts in the uniformed division and in order to gain the necessary skills to move on to a detective position one must work on the street for an extended period of time. In order to work undercover one must (again) work on the street to obtain all of the skills that are necessary. None of the things that you mention can be learned in a classroom or from a book.
To sum up all of these jobs that you want to do require some kind of police experience and that means being hired by a police department which is not easy. I'd suggest that you apply for a position on a police department and go through the hiring process and see where that takes you.
Who knows? You may love police work.
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Answers by Expert:
Jack 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.
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