Becoming a Police Officer
Police officers are government employees tasked with the responsibility of enforcing the law and maintaining order, protecting life and property, and preserving the peace. They have the authority to detain and arrest suspected offenders.Education, Training & Degrees for Police Officers
For most entry-level police officer positions, the minimum requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent (such as a GED). However, education-specifically education related to the field of criminal justice or law enforcement-always provides a competitive edge in this highly competitive field. Many law enforcement agencies even pay higher salaries to personnel with advanced degrees.Most police departments have certain minimum requirements regarding age, height, vision, and physical fitness which must be met in order to be considered for employment as a police officer. These requirements can vary from location to location, but most frequently include U.S. citizenship; a high school diploma or equivalent; a valid driver's license; and a clean police record.
Once these requirements are met, the police officer candidate can expect to be subject to rigorous testing. These tests vary from department to department, but usually include most or all of the following: a written entrance exam and oral interview; polygraph and drug screening tests; a detailed background investigation; a medical examination and physical agility test; and some form of psychological testing.
Job Responsibilities and Desired Skills for Police Officers
The primary responsibilities of the police officer are to serve the community by enforcing federal, state and local laws, to protect life and property, and to preserve the peace.Additional responsibilities include:
- Investigating, detecting, and whenever possible, preventing criminal offenses
- Apprehending and arresting criminals
- Recovering lost or stolen property
- Conducting preliminary or follow-up investigations of crimes and disturbances
- Collecting and preserving evidence
- Resolving domestic and other disturbances
- Enforcing traffic laws and ordinances and investigating traffic accidents
- Providing public safety services to the community
- Testifying and presenting evidence in court
- Excellent human relation skills
- Emotional stability and self-control
- Sound judgment
- Ability to communicate effectively
- Ability to make reasonable decisions quickly
- Ability to take orders
- Ability to take responsibility
- Ability to observe
- Ability to remain impartial
- Ability to read, comprehend and retain technical training material
Police Officer Salary Range and Employment Outlook
Obtaining employment as a police officer is a highly competitive task. According to some estimates, as many as 100 people apply for every law enforcement job opening. Even so, this is a growing field and career chances for qualified candidates are excellent.The salary range for police officers varies widely and is dependent on a number of factors, among them location (which state; whether the job is in an urban or rural setting), rank, and duties (entry level, patrol officer, administrative), and education.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that in 2004, approximately 842,000 people were employed as police officers or detectives in the United States. About 80 percent were employed by local governments, primarily in cities with populations of more than 25,000 residents, but there are thousands of small communities which employ fewer than 25 officers each. State police agencies, such as the Highway Patrol, provided about 12 percent of police jobs, and various federal agencies about six percent.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2004, police and sheriff's patrol officers had an average annual income of about $45,000, with a salary range running from a low of less than $27,000 to a high of more than $68,880. Median annual wages were $44,750 for similar federal positions, $48,980 for similar state positions, and $45,010 for local positions.
