Age

[COL1N]

What is the average age of a newly hired officer. Do you guys have any 21 year olds on the force?

[acreature]

Search is your friend.

In NC, Police at 20, Deputies at 21 ;)

[Drew27k9]

This has been answered numerous times here.
Try searching.

[DeltaV]

It's so difficult to get hired at my department that we rarely hire anyone who is 21, which is our minimum age. The state only requires that officers be 19, which is IMO, waaaaay too young to be a LEO. Still, 19 year olds routinely get hired at many agencies.

[MORA Ranger]

How do you do that Drew? (No, I don't really want an explanation since I'd get lost after the first sentance, I'm just expressing my amazement at your creativity. I'd give you rep if I could...)

[COL1N]

It's so difficult to get hired at my department that we rarely hire anyone who is 21, which is our minimum age. The state only requires that officers be 19, which is IMO, waaaaay too young to be a LEO. Still, 19 year olds routinely get hired at many agencies.

Woah! 19! That is young. I know I'm 19 I can not see myself out there right now. Sheesh. What state you in BTW?

[cwillis0001]

The youngest recruit un my academy class was 22. I was 23 when I went through.

[ChesCopPodz]

I was 20 in the academy but my department had the requirement that you had to be 21 when you graduated so basically I was the youngest one could be at my department.

[mcsap]

The min legal age is 21, the youngest we ever hired was 23. Still a kid at that age despite what they claim.

[COL1N]

Now do you think that 21 year olds are not common on the force due to the average age of people wanting to join is an older audience or do you think the force just won't take that many 21 year olds?

[DeltaV]

Hiring is pretty competitive. The vast majority of new officers at my agency have prior LE experience somewhere else. Those who don't either have military experience, college degrees, or a combination of both. It's hard to accumulate such life experience only three years after high school.

Basically, what it boils down to is that since so many people apply for the jobs, the ones who are the most qualified and experienced will be hired. That means that they're going to be older.

[duego]

You can apply to join my department at 20, the vast majority of people we hire are fresh out of college. Average age range for a new recruit is about 22-25.

[MoCoDeputy]

I am currently 21 years old. I started in my departments jail division when I was 18, but by Missouri State Law, you have to be 21 to be a commissioned deputy sheriff or police officer. I have since been to academy to become commissioned.