Expert: Jack Toomey - 10/25/2006

Question
Jack,

Thanks for you quick response, to follow up yes I do have my HS Diploma.  I also was wondering what would be the difference between Large (big city), large (big county), rural, small town, or state police when it comes to the hiring process?  I have one last question would a speeding ticket and a passing a stopped school bus (both done at ages 16 and 17) have a impact on my hiring process?

Derek
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Jack,

My name is Derek and I am 21, I have been in the Navy working as a Master-at-Arms (police officer) for the past 3 1/2 years.  I am getting out in July and wanting to move to IL with my wife.  I would like to get my career rolling, but I don't know what needs to be done.  Can you help me?

Derek
-----Answer-----
Derek,

   Your situation is backwards from mine.  I was in the Navy for four years and never thought once about being a police officer and look what happened!

   The first thing that you need to do is figure out what kind of department you want to work for.  Large (big city), large (big county), rural, small town, or state police.  There are advantages and disadvantages for each.  But I would bet that you want to stay close to home and work for a department close to where you live.

  I would assume that you have graduated from high school?  If not get your diploma asap.  All departments require high school and some require some college whether it is 30 hours, 60 hours, and a small number a college degree.  I would also assume that you are phsyically fit for the job and that you have a spotless record which includes driving.  Remember.....when a police department has five hundred applicants and four hundred have spotless records they can afford to eliminate the other hundred right away.  

  So if you are at shore station you probably could start making inquiries now (not that you couldn't aboard ship but it would be harder) about the qualifications, pay, benifits, etc.  So that would be my advice now.  Make the inquiries, talk to people, talk to your supervisors who probably have some idea, talk to the shore patrol if available since they have day to day contact with the real police, visit a local department if you are on shore and do a ride-along, and just get a general feel if this job is for you.

  Let me know what else you need.

Answer
In a big city or big county department there would be many officers, maybe as many as a thousand in a county or several thousand in a big city, and the pay would be higher.  However there would be much more competition for advancement and/or promotion.  Most likely there would be more "action" and it would be busier.

   I a smaller department the pay would most likely be lower but you might be living in an area where the cost of living would be lower.  There would be less competion for advancement but then again there might not be any advancement due to the fewer officers.  Depending where you are the amount of "action" would be lower.

   The state police are a quasi-military force almost everywhere I have been and usually only handle traffic enforcement and don't come to your house when you call 911.  But there exceptions to that like in my state where the state police do handle the law enforcement in a few states.  Usually the state police are lower paid and getting into a state police force is much harder because they have a bigger hiring pool and they be very selective in who they take

   I doubt if a ticket when you were sixteen is going to make much difference but if they ask you whether you have ever had a ticket be sure to answer truthfully because one lie on the application or initial interview will wash you out forever.