The now famous police motto, “To Protect and To Serve”, was the winning slogan from a 1955 L.A Police Department contest. Those five simple, yet impactful words, were the entry made by Officer Joseph S. Dorobek. The slogan has since been adopted by all police forces around our nation and it’s what police officers are sworn to do when entering into their chosen profession.
Police Officer Job Description
The main responsibility of a police officer is to protect citizens and property within their jurisdiction. Police officers have a huge list of duties that come with their position, such as: responding to calls of both emergency and non-emergency nature, warrants, arrests, tickets, court appearances, and more. The job is a risky one that involves putting your life on the line. Police officers' responsibilities differ depending on their experience, and whether they work on the local, city, or federal level.
Qualifications for Becoming a Police Officer
If you want to be an effective police officer, there are various qualities you should have. Police departments across the nation look for candidates who are honest, ethical, hard-working, and empathetic. Police officers should have good judgement, they must remain level headed at all times. Being physically fit benefits police officers greatly; your fitness will be tested daily in the police academy and when you are officially an officer.
How to Become a Police Officer
The basic requirements for entry into the police academy is a high school diploma, or a GED, and being at least 18 years old. Because it’s competitive to gain entrance into the police academy, it could be beneficial to have an associate or bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or related law enforcement fields. Military experience is counted as credit, as well. Having a degree or diploma might give you an advantage in the job market.
There is another factor that will weigh heavily in your acceptance into police academy. You will need to pass the law enforcement entrance exam and all of its components, such as the physical and psychological portion, in addition to a polygraph test. Common entrance exams given are the Compass, LEE (Law Enforcement Examination), and Asset and the jurisdiction determines which entrance exam is given.
After passing the required exams, prospective officers will head to the police academy.
How to Become a Police Officer: Step-by-Step
- Finish high school and get a diploma — or obtain a GED
- Get your degree whether it’s an associate or bachelor’s — the degree should be focused on criminal justice, law enforcement, or a related field (this is optional but recommended)
- Pass a law enforcement entrance exam
- Pass physical exam, psychological exam, background check, and other applicable tests
- Apply to your local Police Academy
- After graduating police academy, get on-the-job training
- Apply for police officer positions
The Cost of Police Academy
The average cost of police academy is about $5,000 and, in some instances, the department that hires you will reimburse a percentage of that cost. The fees should include both the cost of tuition and other expenses associated with police academy, such as the uniform.
As with most educational costs, in-state tuition is far less expensive than out-of-state tuition for police academy. Some community colleges, in conjunction with local police departments, host the police academy. The amount of time spent in police academy can vary, but 6 months is the average length of time.
What is the Law Enforcement Entrance Exam Like?
The Law Enforcement Entrance exam is a fairly large exam due to all of its components. While exact exams vary depending on jurisdiction, there are general similarities among exams themselves.
When you take the law enforcement entrance exam, here is an overview of what to expect:
- The written exam which will have multiple choice, true and false, and open-ended questions
- With the Law Enforcement Exam Essay, candidates taking the exam write an essay in response to a prompt
- Much like a resume, the Personal History Statement will give potential employers a look at your working history, which will include your education, as well as any past work experience
- There will be an extensive background check guided by your Personal History Statement
- Your physical fitness will be tested through the Physical Ability Test (PAT) to ensure you will physically be able to handle the police academy — your strength, endurance, and flexibility will all be evaluated
- A hiring panel made up of police department leaders, local business people, and local government reps will interview you for the Oral Interview process
- Of course, a medical evaluation will be conducted, as well as a psychological examination to make sure that you are mentally and physically healthy enough to work as an officer
How Long Does it Take to Become a Police Officer?
Depending on which route you take toward becoming a police officer will determine how much time you’ll have to invest in your training. College, depending on if you’re going for a diploma, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree, can take anywhere from a few months to 4 years (if you attend school full time). The police academy will take around 6 to 8 months and include 320-800 course hours. The length of your training also depends on the state you're serving. Some states' requirements are more intensive than others.
What is Police Academy Like?
Police in training are called recruits. To be properly trained as police officers, you must attend police academy, or law enforcement training school. Each state has its own set of requirements for their law enforcement training so, depending on which state you’re training in will determine how it looks. Police academy provides the recruit with both hands-on and classroom training.
Classroom subjects includes:
- States laws
- Patrol procedures
- Training in firearms
- Self defense
- First aid
- Hostage negotiations
- Criminal psychology
Hands-on training includes:
- Physical training
- Mock criminal scenes to investigate
- Properly directing traffic
- Driving the vehicles
- Correct use of firearms
- Investigation techniques
- Interrogation techniques
- Ethics
Once the recruit graduates from the police academy and becomes a police officer, they must gain experience hours working alongside a senior police officer as a rookie.
Police Officer Salary and Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average salary for police officers in 2023 was $76,550, with the top 10 percent earning $111,700 or more. Typically police officers receive great benefits packages as well.
Top Paying States for Police Officers in 2023
|
State |
Average Salary |
|
$111,770 |
|
|
$98,070 |
|
|
$94,070 |
|
|
$94,070 |
|
|
$89,850 |
Different Careers for Police Officers
There is a wide variety of career options for police officers. Some will require you to go back to school, while others are based on experience.
Police officer careers on the State level
- Uniformed police
- State police
- Transit or railroad police
- Sheriff or deputy
- Detective and criminal investigator
- Fish and Game Warden
Police officer careers on the Federal level
- Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- United States Secret Service
- Federal Air Marshall
- U.S Border Patrol
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