How to Become an Assistant Police Chief

You can work through the ranks to become an assistant police chief.

Career advancement is a normal part of the work life. Once you get a job you enjoy and are good at, you want to keep improving and moving up to higher positions in the company. Serving as a police officer is no different. You can move up through the ranks and serve as an assistant police chief in your town or state to protect residents and lead other officers to be successful at their jobs.

Instructions

1. Obtain a bachelor's degree in criminal justice or a related field. This will give you an educational foundation of police procedures, policies and ethics you will use in your career.

2. Serve as a police officer. This will give you the hands-on experience you need.

3. Work your way up the ranks of the police department. The police department, similarly to the military, has ranks, and police officers can be promoted based on their performance. Some ranks may require additional education or certification.

4. Serve the police department in a managerial or command-level role for at least three years. This will give you experience as a supervisor of other police officers, which is needed as an assistant police chief.

5. Apply to be an assistant chief of police. Make sure you follow the application procedures carefully, including any tests or certification required.

Tips & Warnings

• Talk to officers who are or have been assistant police chiefs to get an idea of what's expected of candidates during the application process.

• Different states and cities may have specific requirements to become an assistant police chief. For example, your precinct may require that you have at least 10 years of experience as a police officer to be considered for an assistant police chief position. Obtain a list of requirements from the precinct you want to work in to make sure you qualify.

References

• University of Texas at El Paso: Human Resources Services; Job Description: Assistant Chief of Police