How do I become a police officer?
I'm a junior in high school and I decides I really wanted to be a police officer (I watch a lot TNT dramas such as perception). I know it won't have as much drama but regardless I want to be a cop. My senior year I'm taking American Law, Psychology, and biochemistry. I'm already do XC and track as well as lift on my own. What else can I do? What do I do after high school? If it makes any difference I live in Chicago.
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Requirements to become a police officer vary and how you become a police officer varies depending on the police department. Visit the websites of the police departments that you might be interested in working for. Police department websites often provide information about their applicant requirements, about how to apply, and about their hiring process. Some relatively common minimum requirements include having at least a high school diploma or ged, being a citizen, being at least 21 years old, having a valid driver's license, and having no felony convictions. Some relatively common steps in hiring processes include application, written test, physical fitness test, interview, drug test, medical examination, and background investigation. You should get a college degree if you can. Getting a college degree is one of the best things that you can do. Many departments require or prefer applicants to have college. Having a degree could help you get hired with some departments. Some departments pay their officers more if they have a degree. Having a degree could also help you get promoted during your career. Choose a major that interests you, that is marketable, and that could be useful for police work. There are many majors that are good for police officers and people that want to become police officers. Accounting, communications, computer science, a foreign language, and psychology are some examples. Whatever major you choose, make the most of your time and money. Make sure to choose a school that is properly accredited, get the highest grade point average that you can, participate in a couple extracurricular activities, get a good internship, do some regular volunteer work, don't do anything illegal, and maintain a good reputation. Getting police officer jobs is becoming more and more competitive. Do whatever you can to make yourself the best candidate that you can. For example, don't do anything illegal, maintain a good reputation, keep a good driving record, don't get bad credit, improve all of your communication skills as much as possible, and become as physically fit as you can. Best of luck!
There are basically 2 ways of becoming a police officer in the US. What method to use, such as the oft cited “go to a police academy”, depends on the state you wish to become a cop in and the specific department.
First the simplest. In many states you must be hired by a department first. They then send you to, at least, a basic police academy. You graduate, take and pass the state certification test and you are a cop working for the department that hired you. No matter what state they are in larger municipal departments like to do things that way.
In other states you can “self sponsor”. That means you find a police academy, those states publish a list of approved schools, you apply, pay them, go through a basic academy, pass the state test, get certified and go out trying to find a job. Not until hired by a department are you a cop.
Most of the larger or better paying departments require at least 60 semester hours of college. None care what you major in. They only care that the school is fully accredited and that all course of the 60 hours were at college level.
Right now there are thousands of self sponsor graduates pounding the pavement looking for work. In most states if they are not hired within a year of certification they have to attend a full academy again.
As far as education goes. No state requires more than a GED or HS diploma. Most better departments do require between 30-60 semester hours from an accredited college.
None, not one that I can find in my extensive research and experience, cares if your major was in English Lit. or in botany.
I feel that criminal justice is way to limited in scope for a future cop. Cops need wide ranging education and experience to be effective.
When you attend a police academy you get the current criminal justice classes you need to be a cop.
So you have to check the recruitment web sites for some departments you may wish to join to see what their requirements are and if they hire first when a test will be given
You want to be a cop? Ok, I may be able to help. First you need to show a healthy amount a cynicism and not be able to turn that thing off. Once you feel you got it mastered on the inside, get your face to show it and be sure to make everyone you talk to aware of this. Next you need an overwhelming sense of righteousness that transcends all common sense and decency. Your belief that what ever you are doing is infallible needs to be sharpened with laser precision. Ok, so we got cynicism and righteousness, the last thing is to simply repel all your senses of empathy. If you possess any empathy at this moment, maybe go strangle a cat or something to begin the process of letting that useless emotion go. You can't go feeling 'bad' every time you billy club a college student in the head or anything stupid like that. This should do it.
(on a serious note; why on Earth would you want to be a cop?! They are glorified tax collectors and corporate bullies living with a false delusion of power, that's it.)
My bf wants to be one too. You can go to community college and get your "basics done" then go to a police academy and I've heard they basically want you to have experience in the field. Yes you can go to a 4 year college and receive your degree in law enforcement, but like they just want experience from you.