Expert: Dick Rogers - 9/22/2006

Question
i am still in high school but i am planning on becoming a homicide detective in the future!! is being a homicide detective really hard or its not as hard as it looks? and is there anything in specific that you would need to know before becoming one? like major subjects?

Answer
Heba E...if you want to become a homicide detective, there is really only one way...to become a police officer or deputy sheriff...work patrol, detective bureau, etc...gain years of experience while building a great reputation and, finally, applying to the homicide unit.  All the fancy things you see on TV are not the real world.  CSI, forensic this and that...all that amounts to is fluff.  They basically provide information to the detective working the case.  The homicide detective is responsible for determining who should respond to the scene of a killing and whomever responds will submit their investigative findings to the detective who will prepare the case for filing with the district attorney.  Basically, you would have to devote a number of years to gaining experience in police work, including knowing case law, court procedures, evidence rules, devopment of good informants and a good street sense.  Hope this helps.