Expert: Chris Wagoner - 12/2/2007

Question
Hi, I'm Derek, I'm 16 years old, and live in Florida. I was thinking about a career in the military or law enforcement and SWAT seemed pretty cool. I saw on some of the other answers that whatever you can do to make yourself attractive to SWAT can help. For example medical degrees, gun clubs, etc. I also noticed that you need to be a basic cop for some years before attempting for SWAT. My questions were:
1) Do you need to go to college to become a cop.
2) Do you need to go to college to join SWAT?
3) What are the requirements to become a cop? (Such as eye sight, age, etc.)
4) What are the requirements to join SWAT? (Such as vision, age, education, etc.)

Answer
Hi Derek,

First let me say that a career in the Military is a very Honorable and noble life. I myself would have gone that way had I not been injured while in the military. Its a great a rewarding life to be a career military person. Good for you for even considering it! And you could mix both Law Enforcement and military by going into the Military Police (which I was) and you get the best of both worlds.

In Florida, only sworn Law Enforcement Officers can be part of SWAT/SRT teams. We have a lot of former military on our SWAT teams, its a natural fit if you think about it. And in addition to that, most agencies have a requirement for the officer to put in a certain number of years before they can apply for the SWAT/SRT team. Our local Sheriffs Office is only one year, until your off probation as a Deputy. They just had try outs for the team and of the 8 trying out, the two that got picked were both former Army.

Let me say that we really, really, really need former military people to get into law enforcement. They have the self discipline needed and the mind set required, along of course with all the skills in firearms and physical training already instilled in them. They are a great fit. Also the GI benefits pay for the schooling!! I run a police academy in North Central Florida and love it when I get good former military people as recruits. They usually end up as my class leaders and almost always get hired by an agency before they graduate, or very shortly after it.

You know that the SWAT/ SRT team is a secondary position, not a full time one. That means that you are a regular patrol officer or detective or whatever, and carry the equipment around in your police car with you and then when they need SWAT/ SRT they "call out" the team via cell phones or pagers and you respond to the scene and change into your SWAT gear. SO you have to understand that your a regular police officer first SWAT team member second.

As for requiring college, the answer is "it depends". Some police agencies in the State require College to get hired. Most do not. But you get extra pay as a police officer for having a degree. I would highly recommend at least a 2 year, if not a 4 year degree BEFORE you get into law enforcement. The reason I say BEFORE is that it is very hard to get into and stay in school while working a full time, demanding job like law enforcement. I know, I did it and wish I had gone to college first, before I became a cop, it would have been so much easier.

You do not need college to become a SWAT team member, but it goes back to what I said above. If the department requires it, then you would need it to get hired, before you could then try out for the SWAT team.

The requirements to become a police officer are mostly governed by State Law. FSS 943.13 is the one that sets the requirements. I list the State Law at the end of this answer.

As for vision and age and education. The only one of those that I see would be vision. Your Vision would have to be correctable to 20/20 with contacts. As you are in highly physical situations and wearing glasses does not go well with a gas mask or physical confrontation, most require contacts. 20/20 is because of the observation requirements. A lot of SWAT work is visual. Scopes, weapons sights, just plain good old observation skills are a must. So your eyesight should be correctable to normal.

If you want to make yourself very attractive to both a law enforcement agency, and to the SWAT team then I would recommend the following:

A. Get a college degree. 2 year or 4 year. Get it in Criminal Justice or related field.
B. Get some military experience. Even joining the Reserves or National Guard. Full time active duty is the best, but not required. Picking the Military Police MOS would be the best choice of military jobs to relate back to law enforcement and SWAT.
C. STAY OUT OF TROUBLE. Nothing gets a otherwise good candidate disqualified than a arrest record.
D. Stay away from drug use. Agencies are very likely to pass you over if you have had moderate drug use in the recent past.

Some  high schools offer courses in criminal justice, those would be helpful. Also check out the Explorer Program. There may be a post in your area and they are a great way to get to know law enforcement and the job. I started out as a police explorer at the ripe old age of 13! And I have been doing law enforcement ever since. (http://www.learning-for-life.org/exploring/lawenforcement/)

Also you may not have heard this but if you go into the Military Active Duty, and go to Military Police School and complete 3 years active duty, you do not have to attend a police academy in the State of Florida? Florida has a thing called "Comparative Compliance" where we recognize the training from other states or federal agencies (military included) and once you get out of the military, you take a 2 week course and you are then qualified to take the State Exam to be a police officer! Not a bad deal either.

So you have several options. All of them good. I am glad to see when a young person like yourself considers a career of Public Service in Law Enforcement. It is a very good and rewarding career with lots of fun and no two days are the same! I love it. I will probably put another 10-15 years in before I retire I love it so much.

Good luck and I hope I answered your questions. If you need clarification on anything please feel free to ask a follow-up. STAY SAFE!

Here is the State Law on requirements:
To be eligible for the position of a law enforcement or detention officer, you must meet the following criteria (F.S.S. 943.13):

You must be at least 19 years of age
You must be a citizen of the United States
You must be a high school graduate or equivalent
You must not have been convicted of any felony, or misdemeanor involving perjury or false statement, nor have received a dishonorable or undesirable discharge from any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States. 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 false statement shall not be eligible for employment or appointment as an officer, notwithstanding suspension of sentence or withholding of adjudication. Notwithstanding this subsection, any person who has pled nolo contendere to a misdemeanor involving a false statement, prior to December 1, 1985 and has had such record sealed or expunged shall not be deemed ineligible for employment or appointment as an officer
You must agree to be fingerprinted by the employing agency or training academy
You must pass a physical examination by a licensed physician that will be administered upon a conditional offer of employment
You must be of good moral character
You must successfully complete a background investigation
You must complete basic recruit training
You must complete an Affidavit of Applicant form (CJSTC-68)
You must comply with continuing training or education requirements as deemed by the employing agency
In Addition, in accordance with federal law U.S.C. 922(g), it is unlawful for any person:

who has been convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year;
who is a fugitive from justice;
who is an unlawful user of, or addicted to, any controlled substance [as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substance Act (21 U.S.C. 802)];
who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or who has been committed to a mental institution;
who, being an alien, is illegally or unlawfully in the United States;
who has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions;
who, having been a citizen of the United States, has renounced his or her citizenship;
who is subject to a court order that
was issued after a hearing of which such person received actual notice, and at which such person had an opportunity to participate;  
restrains such person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner of such person or child of such intimate partner or person, or engaging in other conduct that would place an intimate partner in reasonable fear of bodily injury to the partner or child;  
and includes a finding that such person represents a credible threat to the physical safety or such intimate partner or child; or by its terms explicitly prohibits the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against such intimate partner or child that would reasonably be expected to cause bodily injury; or
who has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence;
to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce, or possess in or affected commerce, any firearm or ammunition; or to receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. There is no exception.