How to Become a Detective in the NYPD

New York Police Department - Detective Badge

Becoming a detective in the New York Police Department involves two major accomplishments: 1) entry onto the NYPD force as a routine or patrol police officer, and 2) earning a promotion to detective. This article will discuss the steps involved in each of these appointments so that there is a clear picture as to how one can become an NYPD Detective.

Things You'll Need

• New York State Driver's License (current, valid, unrestricted)
• Residency in One of the Five Boroughs of New York City
• U.S. Citizenship
• High School Diploma or Equivalent
• 60 Semester College Units (2.0 GPA) or Two Years of Military Service
• 21 to 35 Years of Age
• Clean Background Check/Criminal Record

Instructions

How to Become a Police Officer in the NYPD

1. 

   File a request to take the required written Civil Service Exam with the New York Department of Citywide Administrative Services. Prepare for the exam, and take it on the day it is assigned to you. Be aware that the score you receive on this exam will place you on a list of eligibility and rank you. The candidates for police officer will be selected from this list.

2. Participate in several required examinations and assessments to determine candidacy. Begin with the pre-hire interview, which consists of a brief medical examination and character investigation. Follow with a day devoted to the full medical examination, documentation of college credits or military service, initial character assessment and fingerprinting.

3. Take the formal written psychological examination. Participate in the formal oral psychological interview sometime after the written psych test. Anticipate the Job Standard Test (JST) to be scheduled for sometime between these two assessments. The JST is a physical fitness assessment based on one continuous event that must be completed in a certain period of time.

4. Engage in a full and final character assessment by an NYPD investigator. Review your complete application and the candidate booklet. Ask and answer any questions that may arise. Address any problems, concerns or discrepancies as brought forth by the investigator. Provide any outstanding documents at this time to complete candidacy process.

How to Earn a Promotion to Detective in the NYPD

1. 

   Pass the probationary period assigned to you upon entering the NYPD. Expect this probationary period to last for several years, typically two years, though it may depend upon which department or unit in the NYPD to which you are assigned.

2. Serve as a patrol police officer for several years. Generally, this will be between two and three years, though even 5 years can be typical. Learn the skills needed to conduct increasing complicated levels of investigations.

3. Apply to transfer to an investigative unit. Request information within your current unit regarding which units are considered investigative, what their availability is in terms of transfer or promotion, and the requirements for transfer or promotion to the unit.

4. Serve a minimum of 18 months in an unit that they NYPD considers to be investigative.

5. Formally request a promotion to detective after the 18-month service requirement has been satisfied, pursuant with New York State law.

Tips & Warnings

• Serving as a routine patrol officer for several years is typical of any NYPD officer seeking advanced promotions. Without these years of street experience and case work, candidates for promotion will generally be viewed as unqualified, inexperienced, or simply disinterested in learning how to effectively perform detective work. Probationary periods can run concurrently with routine patrol officer service and typically do. Despite the length of probation, however, it is likely that an officer will serve in his routine position long after satisfying this probation before he can be considered a serious candidate for promotion. There are no civil service examinations required for promotion within the NYPD. That which is required for entry-level candidacy is the only exam necessary. The fastest way to becoming a detective, as recommended by former and current NYPD detectives, is to serve in the Narcotics investigative unit. This is due in large part to the type of case work Narcotics officers are exposed to and, therefore, experienced with.

• Service with the NYPD can be terminated for any reason during probationary periods. The employment protections of civil service do not apply until after you have successfully satisfied the probationary requirements including time in service. Probationary periods can be extended by the NYPD for validated reasons such as the need for remedial training and evaluation, or to reciprocate an amount of extended leave taken by the officer during the probationary period. There are many NYPD units that conduct investigative work, but do not qualify as an investigative unit with which18 months service will earn a detective promotion. Make sure to verify which units are considered investigative, according to both the NYPD and the New York State law, before transferring to them in your quest for detective.

Resources

• NYPD Website
• NYPD's Detective Bureau Organization
• NYPD Recruitment and Hiring Process
• Legal, Criminal, Justice School and Programs
• Detective's Endowment Association of New York City