How to Become a Traffic Cop

A traffic cop is a member of the law enforcement community who protect the public and serves their interest by engaging in a variety of duties. The duties of the traffic officer can include such things as managing traffic flow during accidents, providing assistance to stranded drivers and even taking part in high speed pursuits of criminals.

Instructions

1. Meet certain eligibility requirements. These requirements may vary from state to state and even from city to city within a state. Check with your local law enforcement agency for details. For instance, the minimum age requirements may be anywhere from 19 to 21 and the maximum age is usually 35. Applicants to become traffic cops must also have graduated from high school and received a diploma. Anyone meeting these requirements can apply to become a police officer.

2. Take an entrance exam. These exams are typically between 75 and 150 questions divided into sections. Each of the sections are timed, and most entrance exams will take between 3 and 4 hours to complete. Most of the questions on these exams are designed to test the applicant's judgment rather than specific knowledge about laws and regulations. The results of the test will be an overall score; the higher the score, the more likely the applicant will be selected.

3. Interview for a job. A prospective traffic control officer is going to be far more intense than any other job interview the applicant may have gone through previously. The interview is conducted by an official who has a specific set of characteristics that he is looking for. The interview is structured so that the interviewer can assess the answers and the applicant's body language to determine how well he adheres to those characteristics. The applicant should take the opportunity afforded by the interview process to point out any and all experience related to dealing with the public.

4. Pass a background check. Background checks are necessary to detect any information available in public records that the applicant may purposely omit during the interview sessions. While a series of traffic-related problems might not necessarily disqualify an applicant from becoming a police officer, it most certainly will not facilitate easy entry to becoming a traffic cop. Other felonies, misdemeanors and arrests may play a part in getting you to the next step.

5. Attend a police academy or training program. Some municipalities require that the applicant attend a full police academy to become a traffic cop. Smaller cities and towns often require only a short training program before the applicant is put on the street.

Tips & Warnings

• Be truthful during the interview process. Any lie or omission may arise during the background check phase. If an offense is discovered during the background check, the problems are compounded because you lied about it on top of committing it in the first place.