How To Become A Police Officer

Learning how to become a police officer is a little more complex these days as opposed to days past. I don’t know about modern times, but back in my day, many boys wanted to be either Firemen, Astronauts or Policemen. As if you didn’t know already, being a Policeman isn’t going to make you rich. It’s one of those jobs you do because you want to help people and serve your community. You don’t do this job because you want to carry a badge and a gun. People who enter the Police force for this reason are generally disappointed in their career down the road. Either they realize it’s not the ball of wax they thought it would be or they end up trouble because they crossed the line. Just remember, nowadays everyone and their brother has a cell phone that will take pictures and video. You’ll be under public scrutiny 24/7 plus the media will be waiting like rabid dogs for you to screw up so they can make you and the Police department you work for out to be monsters. But hey, if you can get past all this, then you may make a pretty good cop!

In the past, some smaller towns and cities allowed you to become a Police Officer by joining their force and being trained by senior officers. In others municipalities, you could become a police officer if you had previous experience such as being a Military MP. Speaking of the Military, a stint in the Military is a good way to get your feet in the door, especially if you were an MP. Not only will it let many departments know you’ve had some kind of formal training, it will also let them know you’ve had the best training money could buy!

Nowadays, more and more jurisdictions are requiring new applicants to have some college educations, certifications as well as some formal training. Larger cities may even require you to enroll into their Police Academy.

Training, Prerequisites and Educational Requirements for Becoming a Police Officer

If you want to make a career out of being a Police Officer, here are a few things you’ll need in order to meet the requirements of becoming a police officer with many agencies.

Most City and County Law Enforcement agencies will require you to be 20 years old, a U.S. Citizen with a High School diploma or GED. Many now would like for you to have some higher education and if you want to go on to be a Federal Law Enforcement officer such as an FBI agent, then you’ll be required to have a four year degree. A second language will also be a feather in your hat!

Keep your nose clean. If you have a rap sheet as long as your arm by the time you’re a senior in High School, you may be accepted into an academy or other training program for Police Officers, but the chances are mighty slim. If any of those hits are felonies, I can almost guarantee you that you’ll be wasting your time trying to get on the Police force of a large city.

You’ll also need a High School education. Some Police Departments have volunteer and ride along programs for young men and women looking to get on the force. If the Sheriff’s Department or a City in your area offers such a program, then it would be good for you to partake in these programs. Even if it is as a volunteer. Some go by the name of Police Rangers, Police Explorers or Police Cadet programs. Ask around and I bet you’ll find either a Sheriff’s department or City in your area that has such a program.

As I said earlier, some departments will require their applicants to have some higher education. An Associates or Bachelors Degree will be required before they’ll even consider you. Obviously some good choices would be Criminal Justice, Crime Scene Investigation and Psychology.

Another thing that most departments are looking for are men and women who are in good physical shape. Many Police department entry exams will require some type of physical test, and if you’re a couch potato, then your chances are looking slim. If you really want this job bad enough, then it’s worth you starting a physical education routine and getting yourself into shape. Judging by what I see out in public, once you’re in the department, they require very little in the way of physical testing. I see some cops pushing 300 pounds or more and wonder how they can remain in the department when they’re so obese. Heck, they probably have a hard time catching a donut that has fallen on the floor! (sorry, no cop article isn’t complete without a donut story!) But thankfully, more and more Police agencies are requiring their officers to be fit and stay fit!

One of the first things you’ll do in order to be accepted into a Police Department is take a civil service exam. The civil service exams are not the same from Police Department to Police Department. There are many study guides out in the market today. Just make sure you find one that is closely related to the Department you’re applying to. You should also talk to some current Police Officers to find out what the exam will cover. This will help you prepare for the day when you’ll be sitting and taking your exam.

Then you can expect to take a physical exam as stated above. You may even be required to take a lie detector test and obviously a drug test. If you get by these test/exams, then you can look forward to a background check and then most departments will start interviewing you. From there, you may have to wait for an opening or go into a training academy if your local area has one. If not, some community colleges have law enforcement training classes. Don’t expect to walk in one day and be handed a badge, gun and patrol car by the afternoon. It doesn’t work that way and the hiring process can take quite a while.

Becoming a Police Officer can be a very fulfilling career. But don’t kid yourself. It’s very physically and mentally demanding. Many officers don’t make it five years. Others are overcome by stress and resort to drinking or illegal drugs to cope. Divorce rates among Police officers are some of the highest of any civil servants. Of course, all this depends on your location also. Being a cop in Podunk USA where you may be one of only a few cops on the force is a far cry from being a Police Officer in a city like Detroit, Philadelphia or New Orleans.

When considering a career as a Police Officer, you need to take all these things into account. Sure, Hollywood has glamorized being a Cop and we’d all like to think life is like Adam 12, but the cold hard truth is, if you want to become a Police Officer, it isn’t going to be a bed of Roses.

Police Officer Job Salary

How much do Police Officers make? That depends on a lot of things. First off, it depends on where you’ll be working. California has some of the highest paid law enforcement personnel in the country. Some of the larger cities have starting salaries in the $50,000 to $60,000 range and I’ve heard that some Officers in the San Fransisco Bay area make in the neighborhood of $100,000 per year.

Most departments will pay your more as you move up in rank or move into a specialized service like the S.W.A.T. Team.

In my little podunk town, we generally have between 9 and 12 Police officers. The town expects you to have at least an associates degree, CLEET certification and a host of other certificates. And what will you make for all this hard work? $25,956 to start!

As you can see, you’ll get paid better and have better benefits if you work for a larger agency. Of course, working in a small County Sheriff’s department or small town can have it’s own benefits, but not many of them will be monetary!

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