How to Become a Criminal Detective
More people are becoming interested in law enforcement positions, especially the criminal detective position. Becoming a detective is a long process that requires a lot of hard work, dedication and a passion to help serve and protect your local community. Although it is a lot of hard work and very time-consuming, it is a rewarding career. It is every bit worth the work you have to put in to finally make detective. Help protect and dispense justice in your everyday work by choosing this career path.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Enroll in a local or state college that offers a criminal justice degree. Most police departments and agencies are requiring new recruits to have a 4-year degree in criminal justice and law. The reason for this is so that the recruits will already have in-depth knowledge about how the legal system works. You will want to specify your studies and take classes on criminal behavior and criminal profiling in order to get the skills necessary to be a criminal detective.
-
2
Join the Police Academy. Complete the courses and training. Just about all police departments require not only a 4 year degree, but they require you to go through academy training which will teach you some of the basics of being a police officer. You will learn to shoot different types of guns, hand to hand combat, defensive driving, and other important skills to help you do your job and stay safe. You will also learn how to apprehend criminals, how to examine a crime scenes for clues and other skills important to being a criminal detective. At the end of all the training, you will have to take qualification tests. You'll get your certificate of completion after you pass those tests.
-
-
3
Apply for work with a variety of police departments. The next step after completing your education and training is to get a job with the local police department. This process can be long, and it may be a little frustrating as some stations may not be hiring. Try and take what you can get, even if it means relocating to a different town.
-
4
Work your way up from patrol man to detective. This step can become quite time consuming. Some departments require a certain amount of time to be served as a patrol man before allowing you to be advanced to detective. It takes more than just serving and doing your job, as you have to excel at police work and truly pour your heart into what you are doing. Show that you are a professional who uses his skills to get clues to solving the crime and apprehending the criminal. You will have to take further training and testing to make sure you are ready for the responsibilities of your detective position. Be patient. Work hard, and keep yourself dedicated and focused on the goal you are trying to achieve.
-
1
