To become a police officer, you definitely have to have a high school diploma or a GED. A college degree is not always necessary, but it does benefit you even more in your police officer career. Earning a degree in criminal justice or law enforcement can be a career advancement. Degrees can help you get into better positions in the department. Most federal and states departments demand for applicants to have a college educatiom.Police departments require for applicants to be U.S citizens or a resident. They also require the applicant to be 21, but some police officers start it off as young as 18 years old. It is also essential for the applicant to have a driver's license because most likely you will be driving a cruiser(police car). Typically, if you attend college, afterwards police academy is the next step. Police academy is typically 3-4 months long. In police academy, you go through physical training and learn things in classes that you will have to know to in order to become a police officer. You will learn things about firearm use, self defense, accident and emergency response, etc. In police academy, you have to pass various different exams that will you have to pass in order to become a police officer. Field training is the next of the police academy. After the completing the police academy and field training, you can apply to police departments. It is important to know that each department is different and require different things.
Knowing that after college, I will have to attend the police academy excites and terrifies me. Right now, it does not seem hard so I assume police academy will be a bigger challenge. I do not even have my driver's license yet and I am terrified to drive, but I will have to learn and get it as soon as possible.
http://study.com/requirements_to_become_a_police_officer.html
http://discoverpolicing.org/what_does_take/?fa=requirements
http://discoverpolicing.org/what_does_take/?fa=training_academy_life
My uncle is a police officer in Detroit, but went through the academy when I was young so I don't remember the process he went through. I thought this post was very insightful. I didn't know that a college degree isn't technically required for the job. I was also shocked to read that some people start the job as young as 18!
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