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Degrees and Schools
Entry-level applicants for police or sheriff's patrol jobs have usually completed some postsecondary education, and many are college graduates. Vocational schools and community colleges offer two-year degrees, and four-year universities and colleges offer four-year degrees, in administration of justice, law enforcement, police science or criminal justice. Many agencies pay some or all of the tuition for their officers to pursue additional education.
Before being first assigned, recruits are usually trained for 12-14 weeks at a local, regional or state police academy.
Classes
College-level coursework for aspiring police officers and sheriff's patrol officers is often geared towards preparing students for police academy entrance exams, and emphasizes:
- Criminology and criminal justice
- Crime theory, analysis and control
- Fundamental criminal justice system procedures
- Policing, courts, punishment and corrections
- Juvenile offenders and white collar crime
- Rehabilitation and recidivism (repeat offenders)
- Investigations and procedures
- Report writing for law enforcement
- Cross-cultural relations and community building
In addition to coursework, physical fitness training is essential.
Police academy training typically includes classroom instruction in:
- constitutional law and civil rights
- state laws and local ordinances
- accident investigation
and training and supervised experience in:
- patrol and traffic control
- the use of firearms and self-defense
- first aid and emergency response
Online Classes and Programs
Online associates and bachelors degree programs in law enforcement, criminal justice, police science and related areas are plentiful. Some are offered by brick-and-mortar colleges as an alternative to on-campus learning, while others are Web-based only schools. Any program should meet the requirements of the state where the student plans to work, and be part of an institution with accreditation from agencies approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or United States Department of Education (USDE).
Employment Requirements
Requirements for police officers or sheriff's patrol officers vary by state based on civil service regulations, which include:
- Candidates must be U.S. citizens
- Usually at least 20 years old
- Acceptable performance in competitive written examinations
- Previous education and experience
- Assessment interviews by senior officers
- Pass physical and mental fitness tests
- Pass background investigations, lie detector tests, drug testing and other assessments
A high school diploma is the minimum educational requirement in some states, but many states require at least a year of postsecondary education. An associates or bachelors degree from an appropriately accredited school in law enforcement, criminal justice, police science, administration of law or related majors, as well as advanced physical fitness, increases employability.
All police recruits participate in training at a local, regional or state academy prior to initial assignment.
Some states offer opportunities for agency-sponsored certification.
How to Evaluate Schools
Police Officer and Sheriff's Patrol Officer students comparing degree programs in law enforcement-related fields of study should consider asking these questions:
- State acceptability - Does the program meet the standards set by the state in which the student will be seeking employment, such as accreditation?
- Focus and preparation - Are course offerings geared towards preparing students for acceptance into police academies in the state where they will be seeing employment?
- Classes and subjects - Is the program or are specific classes difficult to get into? Are subjects offered that allow the student to learn about areas of specialty, such as firearms or forensic investigations?
- Financial aid and expenses - Does the school offer plenty of resources to help students take advantage of scholarships, student loans, grants and work / study?
- Graduate success - Over the last several years, how many graduates have made it into police academy training?
Police Officer or Sheriff's Patrol Officer Job Description
Citizens of any community - rural, suburban or metro - rely on police officers and sheriff's patrol officers to protect their lives and property. Most police officers work for city government, while most sheriff's patrol officers work for county government. Some work for tribal government, public universities or college police forces, school districts or agencies serving facilities and transportation systems. Their responsibilities generally include:
- pursuing and apprehending suspects and criminals
- enforcing traffic laws
- issuing citations and warnings
- writing incident reports and maintaining records
- patrolling jurisdictions and investigating suspicious activity
- investigating crimes and collecting evidence
- responding to calls for service
- resolving problems within communities
- directing traffic and giving first aid at accident scenes
- building relationships with neighborhood citizens and mobilizing the public to help fight crime
Police officers and sheriff's patrol officers may specialize in areas such as training and firearms instruction, chemical and microscopic analysis, or handwriting and fingerprint identification. Those who work in special units may ride on horseback, bicycles or motorcycles, or be part of harbor patrol, emergency response teams, canine corps or Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT).
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