Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I am born and raised in the States but moved to Israel 3 years ago. I speak Hebrew. I have been serving in a Recon unit for 2 years. I'm about to finish my service and then will finish my CJ degree
and possibly masters at John Jay. I am considering joining the NYPD. I am very interested
in their counter terror bureau. Does anyone have an idea how the NYPD would use
someone with my background?

You would start the same way everyone else does, in patrol.

You would serve in uniformed patrol for a minimum of 3-5 years before you became eligible for a specialized unit position as it came open. You would then compete for that position against all other officers in the department who are also interested in that spot. If they pick you, you get it. If they don't, you stay in patrol until next time.

-Citicop.

I hate to burst your bubble, but you have no background that is anything to rasie an eye at with most canidates. While some have 2 year degrees, most have 4 year. More have advance degree (master and doctorates) than those with 2 year degress. So most have a 4 year...the next chunk have advance degrees and the last few have 2 year degress with avery few just 60 credits.

Military service- dime a dozen. Thousands of vets from all over.

Speaking Hebrew mean nothing more than you go on a list of folks who they can call if needed. Plenty of folks speak Hebrew around here.

Your destiny is patrol with the NYPD form many years. Only other way out is to get yourself a rabbi who has some connections. But even now, there are so many that may nothelp you much.

I appreciate the honesty. Thank you for the reply

It might also surprise you to know that Counter-terrorism uses a lot of civilian analysts, rather than sworn police officers, for some of their more interesting work. Frankly, at this point you don't have what C-T would consider particularly useful qualifications or necessary experience. With your background (assuming the Department took cognizance of it at all, which is not a guarantee), I think you would be more likely to get an ordinary patrol assignment in a precinct (such as the 70th, or the 94th) with a large Orthodox Jewish community, where the ability to speak Hebrew would be considered useful