What steps does it take to be a police officer?

What steps should I take to become a police officer in California?

• I'm enrolled in Golden West College (Huntington Beach) and I've been wanting to be a police officer since I was a little girl. I've been taking classes such as Drugs, ...show more

• Answer:

  Requirements to become a police officer vary, and how you become a police officer varies depending on the department. Visit the websites of the police departments that you might be interested in working for. Police department websites often provide information about their applicant requirements, about how to apply, and about their hiring process. Some relatively common minimum requirements include having at least a high school diploma or ged, being a citizen, being at least 21 years old, having a valid driver's license, and having no felony convictions. Some relatively common steps in hiring processes include application, written test, physical fitness test, interview, drug test, medical examination, and background investigation. Some police departments will hire you, and then send you to the police academy. You should consider trying to get hired by a department that will send you to the academy. This way, you would already have a job and be paid while attending the academy, and you would not have to pay tuition to attend the academy. Some departments require applicants to have already completed police academy training before being hired. Some police academies will accept students that haven't already been hired by a law enforcement agency. In this case, you pay tuition to attend in hopes of getting hired after you graduate. Keep in mind that you still might not get hired after completing an academy. It is great that you are in college. Getting a college degree is one of the best things that you can do. Many police departments require or prefer applicants to have college. Having a degree could help you get hired by some departments. Some departments pay their officers more if they have a degree. Having a degree could also help you get promoted during your career. Make the most of your time in college. Get the highest grade point average that you can, participate in a couple extracurricular activities, get a good internship, do some regular volunteer work, don't do anything illegal, and maintain a good reputation. Getting police officer jobs is becoming more and more competitive. Do whatever you can to make yourself the best candidate that you can. Keep a good driving record, don't get bad credit, improve all of your communication skills as much as possible, practice to improve your observation and memory skills, and become as physically fit as you can. Consider local, state, and federal jobs. How well you do on written tests and during interviews can be very important when trying to get police officer jobs. Make sure to prepare for any test and interviews. Best of luck!