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These are the 6 Steps to Becoming a Police Officer, and having a successful career. We are with you every step of the way!

STEP ONE; Be sure you are police material - and be sure you REALLY want the POLICE job.

Sounds very simple. You are already saying to yourself, "Of course I want to be a cop. Why else would I have come this far?"

It isn't that simple. To start, take the POAJS self-scoring exam and see how you score.

I was hiring police officers for 5 years for my agency. Nothing is more frustrating for a new police officer, and for the police agency as well, to find out that a person didn't know what they were getting in to, were not happy with the profession, and felt like a failure, and ultimately left employment.

You probably already know that law enforcement is NOTHING like how it is portrayed in movies and television. Not only that, but being a law enforcement officer is stressful, frustrating, and takes an extreme toll on your personal and family life. Rates of divorce, alcoholism and health problems are very high for police officers. Think about that, and whether you have the personality and willpower to fend off these issues associated with the profession.

You should openly ask for the opinion of family and friends, and especially any police officers you know well, whether they honestly feel you would be right for the job.

Try ride alongs if possible, and ask questions of the officers you meet.

Law enforcement is a tough profession. It may or may not be right one for you.

Find out BEFORE accepting a position!

STEP TWO; Be sure you are applying for the police agency that offers you what you want.

Take the time to decide if you want a small or large agency, what your salary requirements are, and think about where you want to live - near family or friends, or somewhere new.

Are you interested in a special unit - like K-9 or Aviation? Marine patrol? Which agencies offer those choices? Are you applying to the right ones?

What is Community and Problem-oriented policing - and is it what you want to do?

These kinds of questions will come up in your police employment interview. You need to know the answers ahead of time.

STEP THREE; Now that you have chosen the handful of agencies to apply to - learn all you can about them.

Also seems obvious ... but you need to know more than the basics. Read through their police policies and procedures posted online, understand the geography and jurisdictional limits of the area. Get introduced to some officers if you don't already know any. Ask the questions that are on your mind ... this is no time to be shy.

Learn ahead of your first interview the answer to some of the questions you are bound to hear. The panel will use these types of questions to gauge your interest in the agency, and whether you are a good fit for police employment.

Learn;

How many officers are there assigned to road patrol? In the investigation section? Do they maintain a canine unit? Is there a School Resource Officer (SRO) position? What are the other special assignments?

Does the agency practice Community and Problem-oriented policing (COP/POP)? Are you interested in serving under this form of policing? Can you describe your understanding of what COP/POP is and how it is practiced?

What is the agency's mission statement? Their value statement?
 
How many years until you are vested in the retirement system?

What is the starting pay? How about the starting pay for sergeant? For lieutenant?

How many weeks is police academy training? If the agency doesn't pay you for attending the police academy (some do, but many do not) how will you support yourself for those four to six months?

How long is the probationary status? How many years of service do you need before you are eligible for a special assignment? How many years of service to be eligible to take a promotion exam?

Will the agency help with the cost of continuing your college education? How about help with scheduling?

If you are not able to easily answer these questions, LEARN the answers BEFORE your police oral interview questions take you by surprise!

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