Question. Help Please.

[Josh]

I am a 20 year old male from Southwest Ohio (Cincinnnati) and I am interested in becoming a police officer locally.  I have been doing some research over the past few weeks on the internet and then I stumbled across this wonderful site.  I will be 21 in two months and I am trying to collect as much info as possible on how to become a police officer.

I have had the same job for the past three years (good work history), I have no felonies and my driving record is average (2 speeding tickets).  I graduated from High School half a year early.  Could one of you fine people help me out and let me know what steps I need to take to pursue a career as a police officer?  You can post a reply on here, email or even call me.

Thanks for the help!

Josh
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone] (cell phone but best way to get ahold of me)

[junior]

josh,

my first suggestion to you would be to enroll in college.  at the very least i would recommend an associates degree, preferably a bachelors.  it does not necessarily have to be in criminal justice etc.  in fact i would get a more well rounded degree in case le doesnt work out.

my second suggestion would be to think about what type of agency you would want to work for.  city/county/state/federal, big/small.  each has their advantages over the other.  start contacting these agencies inquiring about their recruitment policies.  some depts freely hand out applications, but some only do so when they are ready to hire.  find out what the requirements are for the depts you are interested in.

my third suggestion is start working out if you don't do so already.  weightlifting, running at least three times a week.  don't fall prey to the idea that the physical agility test will be a breeze.  i have seen too many people waste their time applying, taking the written, only to fail a portion of the physical.

my last suggestion would be to look at joining a police explorer group.  there is bound to be one in the cincy area.  volunteer at a police dept, take part in ride-a-long.  this will give you a peek at what the job is really like.   most importantly, keep your nose clean!!  stay outta trouble, stay away from ALL drugs.  stick around this site there are many helpful people here.  i know i was general, but i hope i have provided you with some direction.  please keep us posted.....best of luck .

junior  8)

[Josh]

Junior,

Thanks for the help.  I have a few more questions (and statements) that go along with what you said.

1. College is for the most part out of the question for me.  I support myself with a full time job in sales but I do not make enough money nor do I have the time to go to college.  Heck, it would probably take me five years to get a two year degree.  I am a very smart guy, it's just that I have nothing to fall back on (i.e. no parents to help me).  I guess that my question here is: Is it really necessary to have a college degree to become a LEO?  I mean, from most of the research that I have done, becoming a LEO only requires a High School diploma.  A lot of the sites even said "GED".

2.  I'm not sure about the type of agency that I am interested in just yet.  I think that's why I'm doing this research.  I sort of need a 20 mile high overview of the whole system.  At this point I am just a civilian who is nearly clueless to how the entire system works.  Any hints or clues that you could give me on researching the different types of agencies?  You mentioned city/county/state/federal.  I just need to figure out the differences. Any help would be great!

3.  Working out is not a problem.  I work out on a regular basis (lifting and running).  Thanks for that tip.  When the time comes, I may kick it up a knotch but I do work out 4-6 times a week.

4.  The Police explorer program sounds like a wonderful idea.  Any ideas on how to find one in Cinti? I've heard about the "Ride-A-Long" but what does it intail?  This to sounds like a great idea.  Thanks for the drug tip as well.  However, I've never even picked up a beer let alone real drugs.

Thanks for helping out a wondering soul.  Take care.

Josh

[junior]

josh,

to respond to your reply:
1. regarding college, i understand your situation.  but, i would still try to take at least one class or so a semester.  even if it means a night class.  so what if it takes you ten years?  community colleges are relatively inexpensive.  more than likely someone in your finanicial situation would be eligible for financial aid.  

no you don't need a college degree to be a police officer.  BUT, many depts are begining to require a degree or at least a certain amount of hours.  eventually i believe it will be mandatory.  where i am from most depts require some college or military exp in lieu of education.

another reason i recommend some college is that getting a GOOD job in l.e. is becoming more and more competitive.  you will be competiting against people for jobs who do have some college or even a degree.  i will say that based on that alone, they already have the upper hand.  

2. city depts include all of your municipal or small town depts.  you should decide if you are interested in a small or large dept.  usually larger depts offer more advancement opportunities, better benefits etc.  but remember the bad comes with the good...more dangerous etc.  county agencies consist of your sheriff's depts.  in illinois these depts vary in size, from the largest.. cook county which encompasses chicago and has hundreds of deputies, to small counties that may have 3 or 4.  county differs from city whereas they have jurisdiction over every city in the county.

state agencies include state police, capitol police/secretary of state police etc.  state police have jurisdiction statewide and usually is very competitive to get on with.  state agencies have many different divisions, drug task force, air patrol, motorcycle, water patrol, etc.  federal agencies include f.b.i., d.e.a. a.t.f.  theses agencies are very competitive and tend to have very long and tediuos hiring processes.  almost any federal job requires at least a bachelors .  i am not sure how you found this website, but officer.com is a great site that offers the available websites of city/county/state and federal depts.

3. call your local depts and ask if they have an explorer program.  many explorer posts have websites as well.  ride alongs allow a citizen to ride with a police officer for a shift.  this allows you the chance to experience the job first hand, as well ask questions you might have.

maybe some of the vetrans here can shed some light on your situation ;D.  good luck.

junior  8)

[Ron_F]

One other thing you might think about Josh. Many of the l.e. agencies that I have been looking at offer preference to those with college credit as well as an honorable discharge from the military. The military isn't for everyone but it can be a good place to get started. Besides a lot of the training you will receive is worth college credit. Additionally you will be able to take college courses while you are in. It's also a great place to stay in shape.  Just thought I'd throw in my two cents worth.
Ron

[Josh]

;D

Junior,

Thanks for all of your help and guidance.  I guess what you are saying is that it is not necessary to obtain a full degree from a university before becoming an LEO, however it does look good on your resume to show that you are putting forth the effort.  What classes would you recommend I start out with?

The Ride Along Program sounds great and I'm going to really look into it as well as the explorer program.  Thanks a million. I'll have to take you to lunch once I've finished the process.

Take care,

Josh Millburn

[Josh]

Ron_F said:

One other thing you might think about Josh. Many of the l.e. agencies that I have been looking at offer preference to those with college credit as well as an honorable discharge from the military. The military isn't for everyone but it can be a good place to get started. Besides a lot of the training you will receive is worth college credit. Additionally you will be able to take college courses while you are in. It's also a great place to stay in shape.  Just thought I'd throw in my two cents worth.
Ron

Ron,

Thank for the advise on the military.  However, I would like to try to stay away from that route if possible.  I've had a few friends go that way and half of them liked it and half of them hated it.  I'm not really sure which side of the fence I'd be on so I think that I should just steer cleer of the military for now.  You never know though, it may be an option.  I am open minded and willing to consider almost anything that is within reason.  Thanks again Ron and take care.

Josh

[JimCMR]

Josh;

If you don't think the military is for you, you better give some more thought to police work.  The PD is called a Quasi Military organization for a good reason.

The rank structure is similar, you get promoted based on time and tests.  You need to follow orders to the letter without hesitation, you wear a uniform, and better wear it well.

The Academy is a tough as Boot Camp, but you can walk away from a PD, and many do.

You had better give your career choice some serious thought, for you own good.

Good luck.   JImCMR

[Charlie]

Josh--I have to agree with a lot of the information Junior has suggested to you. I would highly recommend that you also get some college. As Junior pointed out, a lot of agencies MAY advertise that they may only require a high school (HS) diploma or GED but, logically, what do you think they're looking for? Obviously, the better well-rounded and preferrably better educated officer! There's nothing wrong with having only a HS education but the reality these days is you often have to have some college or a "piece of paper" that says you've earned a degree in something.

I'd suggest that when you attend college, even at a part time level, try and work on a lot of the basics: English, Social Studies, Math, etc. I would also see about taking some sociology or psychology courses too as well as criminal justice-realted courses as well.

Getting hired at most law enforcement agencies (LE) is often times a very competitive process. To give you a hypothetical idea, often times a department could have 5 openings. You'll often have several hundred people show up for the initial written testing process! Commonly, at large urban agencies, you'll also have to contend with competition as well even though they may be hiring a lot of people. There are big demands for females and/or other minority applicants. If you fall into the minority category, a large urban agency might be something to look at if that interests you. Again, however, it is STRONGLY recommended that you work on the college thing.

Finally, I'd recommend that you participate in a ride-a-long program and I want to suggest one other web site:

LAW ENFORCEMENT SITES ON THE WEB
www.ih2000.net/ira/ira.htm

There are literally hundreds of LE agencies listed. Each department is different and have different qualfications one has to meet to get hired with their department. Not all departments are the same! When you figure out which departments you want to work for, I'd recommend that you find out all you can about their requirements. Then, you'll know what criteria you've got to meet ot get on board.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

Charlie

[Josh]

JimCMR said:

Josh;

If you don't think the military is for you, you better give some more thought to police work.  The PD is called a Quasi Military organization for a good reason.

The rank structure is similar, you get promoted based on time and tests.  You need to follow orders to the letter without hesitation, you wear a uniform, and better wear it well.

The Academy is a tough as Boot Camp, but you can walk away from a PD, and many do.

You had better give your career choice some serious thought, for you own good.

Good luck.   JImCMR

Jim,

Thanks for your advise.  I do know exactly what you are saying.  Boot camp would not be an issue for me.  I am disciplined and in fairly good shape.  I just don't want to leave my entire life behind for the Army (or another branch) if duty calls.  I have a sick mother that I help take care of and I have a fiance that is a senior in college.  It would be too hard for me to leave those two people behind. I have began to speak with some police officers locally and probably 90% of them had no military background.  I think that it would be a great idea to go down that path if it wasn't for my current circumstances.  However, life is what it is and I do feel that becoming an LEO is the right thing for me.  This isn't just an idea that just popped into my head.  I have put a lot of though into it and I feel as if I am ready.  

Jim, if you have any other advise then please let me know.  I'm trying to gain as much knowledge as possible and everyone on here has been a great help.  Thanks again for the advise.

Take care,

Josh Millburn

[Josh]

Charlie,

Thank you as well for helping me.  I am glad that I found a site with such helpful people.  I'm going to check out that website that you segested now.

Also, I'm going to work on getting in on a ride along real soon.  I am a white male so it sounds like I will have the hardest time getting hired.  But, I will try my hardest to do this.

Take care,

Josh

[Josh]