Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Hello, I'm from Sacramento CA and am interested in become a homicide detective. How do I start or what would I need to do to complete this? Also, would I have to become an officer first then get promoted? Thank you and any help would be appreciated.

First you need to become a police officer. After a certain period of time (different for each department) you can take a test to become a detective.
Once you become a detective, if you are in a large enough department there may be a homicide section. Smaller departments often have general investigations rather than one unit for sex crimes, one for property crimes, one for homicide/robbery, etc...

First you need to become a police officer. After a certain period of time (different for each department) you can take a test to become a detective.
Once you become a detective, if you are in a large enough department there may be a homicide section. Smaller departments often have general investigations rather than one unit for sex crimes, one for property crimes, one for homicide/robbery, etc...

+1

It's not something you sign up for.

I spent 10 years in uniform before I took the detective test. After being promoted, I worked several other assignments before I was allowed to transfer to homicide 5 years later. It's not that homicide detectives are "better cops", but you have to show that you have the tenacity to sometimes work several homicides at a time.

And it's not all sunglasses and autographs. After the initial investigation, you may keep a case open for years (actually homicide cases are never closed) and it take a lot of boring, prodding work. One example was one of our teams was called to the scene of a fire where a person died inside. People had said she had been fighting with her boy friend. The two homicide detectives spent days with a screen and a wheelbarrow shifting through ashes until they found a spent bullet. Not exactly glamorous work, but sometimes that's what it takes.

But the bottom line is you have to learn and hone investigative skills before you are considered for such an assignment.

I can't add anything to what has already been said except that most departments won't have the specialized units, the "investigator" does it all.

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