Police Officer Requirements

Becoming a police officer takes a lot of heart and determination. To become a police officer you must obtain a high school diploma or GED, pass the law enforcement entrance exam, graduate from the police academy and work towards promotion. In order to graduate from the police academy recruits must undergo 21 weeks of intense training. At the police academy recruits will learn all the following: state laws, criminal investigations, patrol procedures, firearms training, traffic control, defense driving, self-defense, first aid and computer skills (“An Overview of Police Academy Training”). The final step before graduating from the police academy recruits will take the Oath of Honor. “On my honor, I will never betray my badge, my integrity, my character, or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions. I will always uphold the constitution, my community and the agency I serve” (“What Is The Law Enforcement Oath of

In some small towns, new officers get their training by working with an experienced officer. Inexperienced officers always are accompanied by veteran officers in order for them to learn. In bigger cities, police departments give classroom instructions in laws, accident investigation, city ordinances, and traffic control. Also they give instruction in the handling of firearms, methods of apprehension and arrest, self-defense tactics, and first-aid techniques. Even when you become an officer, you might still have to be trained in order to use new equipment as technology becomes more advanced.

Having had the opportunity to see both sides of the argument play out in the City of Memphis and as a member of the Memphis Police Department. I have become an advocate for requiring entry-level police officers to have at the very minimum an associate degree or the equivalent college credits. The college requirement can only be avoided with military experience. However, my position is not that more education makes you a better police officer or less education makes you a lousy officer. I believe that there should be a “happy medium” when it comes to police work. A good officer will be empathic, fair and in tune with the needs of the community and its members. Requiring a level of education for your entry-level officers speaks volumes about your agency and their dedication to professionalism. The benefits of having a college educated officer have shown to make a difference in the way they do their jobs. An educated police officer is less likely to utilize force when interacting with his co-workers or civilians. A department with educated officers also has shown to see a reduction in misconduct and disciplinary issues(Gómez-Mejía et al., 2016). Some years back the Memphis Police Department had relaxed their

-In order to become a police officer, there is no experience required, however to move up to a detective, there is a minimum of 5-10 years working on patrol before you can be part of an investigations unit.

In order to become a police officer, individuals have to be twenty-years of age, a United States citizen, have basic law enforcement training, mental evaluation, physical evaluation and no crimes committed. This article compares to the next article listed below because it provides background information and insight into how to become a police officer and the training they must acquire. The article helps me understand a basic component of my essay, which is the training police officers receive.

Police officers attend academy for a designated period of time. Every state is different some states require that classes to be taken at a community college, while other states require that training is taken at a local academy. While in the academy police officer are trained to protect and serve the citizens within the community. There are physical and educational courses that are taken to prepare officers to handle crimes that may happen at any given time. Some of the courses include: report writing, patrol procedures, investigations, traffic accident investigation, defensive tactics, use of force, nonlethal weapons, criminal and constitutional law and juvenile justice law/procedures. While in the academy training courses are offered to prepare academy students emotionally, physically, and mentally to handle themselves professionally on the scene of a crime. Training does not end with the academy, officers are required to complete continuing education hours yearly to stay current with training.

A Need for Change: The Importance of Continued Training and Education for Modern Day Police Officers Michael- Criminal Justice Institute

- Cops must complete a two year degree before they can be a certified officer.

In order to create more diversity on the force with the applicant pool, there are a few different approaches or techniques that I would follow through with. The first would be to bring officers of color and female officers to job fairs and recruitment events. With the view of most Police Officers being negative in today's world, I think that bringing diverse officers to these events shows that this job is one that is made available to all who strive for it. Regardless of skin color or gender. When students or young people have the opportunity to see that they can in fact relate to people working in this field and that they are welcome there, it creates bridges and opportunities to create a better world of policing. This also opens up the opportunity for students or people who are considering this line of work, the chance to ask important questions. They can ask the officer of color or

Perceptions of what constitutes a qualified police officer have been crafted as a result of numerous television shows and movies. They are often portrayed as heroic, invincible, and possessors of brute strength. While some of these physical attributes are in fact expected and required of police officers, they are not the only ones and at times,

You do not have to go to college to be a police officer, you don’t need any certificates to apply. However you do have to have a current Kansas Driver’s license, you must be at least 21 years of age, live in the city limits or a maximum of a 30 minute drive, have no felony or domestic convictions, must be a U.S. citizen, and if you’re a military veteran you must have been honorably discharged. Once you have met the requirements you apply, then go through a series of test and interviews. The series of interviews consist of aptitude test, physical test, Health examinations, oral boards, polygraphs, and legal tests. Those are all things that it takes to become a police officer in the city of

Looking at the training on the local level in relation to that of the training academy in Bristol offers a stark difference in the time to train the local law enforcement. The training guide to law enforcement offers that the average training program for local police is about six weeks of training (Academy, 2008). The levels of training reflects the needs of the law enforcement officer and the occurrences that the officer will likely encounter in the field on his patrol. The training of officers usually consists of a classroom part and a field training part. The sessions of training often provide the officers with a balance for the skills and techniques that the officer will likely employ in the field. Such skills and techniques as firearms training, handcuffing, and paperwork preparation are usually training received at a police academy.

Lawyers and psychologists require even more schooling, a minimum of around eight years. Police officers end up being all of these things, and more. To obtain the real goal of law, and prevent crime, officers must have the trust and respect of the community they serve. "Instead, policing has been defined as uneducated people's work" (Fyfe, 262). Many citizens feel that the people protecting them are not as smart as they are. This leads to disrespect, and a sense of superiority within the community. With disrespect comes uncooperation, something any department would be worlds better without. If officers were required to obtain more basic schooling, and focus on social issues and psychology more during training, they would be better equipped to take up the position of law enforcement in any community. Besides the obvious benefit of being more adept at dealing with citizens, there would be added bonuses in police departments requiring more strenuous schooling. With four years of general education, officers would inherently become acquainted with a wide range of topics that they might not otherwise be exposed to with the minimal curriculum now required. Foreign language, art, and psychology classes would be especially useful in exposing up and comers to the varied environments they might encounter in their careers. Most importantly, people in the community would have a new respect for the

Becoming a police officer is not just a choice one makes, but in actuality a life decision. Officers must make sure they follow morals as well as the code of ethics. No matter if you’re an officer that patrols the city streets night after night, or an officer patrolling school grounds or malls, you’re still important. Everyone feels a sense of comfort when they know they are safe.

     The curriculum that is devised for a police officer is very important to the police officer and his or her success in their chosen career path. An officer’s training is also very important to the community in which they serve and the department in which they work. An officer must receive training in a variety of fields to help them be a well-rounded police officer. Officers receive training in such areas as: law, community relations, firearms, vehicle driving, search and seizure, and cultural awareness. The basic curriculum that is offered to a new recruit is focused on giving the recruit the best overall training that will give him or her the tools necessary to become the