How does this sound?

[doubleup]

Hello, I'm new to this forum and have a few questions about becoming a police officer. I am 19 years old, presently in the United States Air Force and I also just enrolled into an online college to get my Associates in Criminal Justice. With the U.S.A.F. I also hold a Top Secret clearance, the background check provided by the F.B.I. I get out of the Air Force in 2 years, which is enough time for me to complete my online degree. When I get out of the Air Force I was also planning on going to a police academy. I was wanting to know what the chances of me getting hired would be and if it would be smarter for me to re-enlist for another 4 years to finish a bachelors in Criminal Justice or if I would have a good chance with getting out in 2 years with the Associates. I don't want to re-enlist, but I have a wife and daughter to support so I will need to find a quick job once I complete the academy. Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.

[JSimmons]

Aloha,

Well...I suppose it depends on what you want to do. What is your job in the Air Force? If you have a Top Secret security clearance, and depending on your job experience, there are a lot of companies which would be willing to hire you purely because of the security clearance.

I recently DEP'd in with the Army to be a Human Intelligence Collector/Interrogator which requires me to have the Top Secrect clearance as well. I've been told that having that clearance gives me a better chance at jobs with the FBI, CIA, NSA, etc. if I meet the other qualifications. Also, I'm headed to the DLI to learn Chinese Mandarin which gives me an even better chance at a federal job later on down the line.

I don't know about the Police academy where you're thinking about attending, but here in Honolulu it is a 7 month committment, which doesn't really make it a "quick job." Look at what you have with the Air Force and see where it can get you. I'd go for a federal job first since you have the clearance...it pays better which is especially helpful if you have a family to support.

Lastly, I would suspect that you could complete your online degree no matter where you're located. Can you complete a B.A. online? If so...go for it. FYI, if you want to make a career out of law enforcement and want to be promoted up the ranks, I think most departments require you to have a college degree at some point. Here in Honolulu they encourage you to get a masters degree when you get into the upper levels (so I'm told). Either way, most places have a tuition reimbursement program which would pay for your degree anyhow.

[Charlie]

doubleup--

Your military qualifications and having top secret clearance is a plus. But to better answer your question, it is also going to depend upon WHICH department(s) you decide to apply with for a LE job. In general, all departments have different qualifcations and standards applicants must meet before being considered for a position. And in some cases, depending on the the department, getting hired can be a competitive process.

2-year degrees are good but a 4-year would be better. There are only, to my knowledge in comparision to most departments, a handful out there that require a 4-year college degree. And I generally hear the 4-year degree requirement is a growing trend. BUT, there are still a lot of departments out there that may require SOME college hours but no 4-year degree.

As far as your plans on going to a police academy: This will depend upon WHICH academy you're going to attend and WHO you plan on working for after completing the academy. In some situations, having previous academy training can be of help to you. Commonly, a lot of small agencies cannot compete with larger agencies nor can they afford the expense of sending someone through an academy. Therefore, a smaller or more rural agency might be more interested in you IF you have paid for your own academy training. Course, entrance requirements, fees, required equipment, etc. varies from one academy to the next depending upon WHERE you go to the academy IF you can sponsor yourself to begin with. AND, keep in mind that even IF you go through some academy somewhere, this does not guarantee you're going to get hired somewhere!

It's generally a more complex process than you think in reflection to the information that you've posted. I would suggest you pursue the education AND, if you have an idea as to WHERE you'd like to become a cop, I would contact that departmen's recruiter and find out what their requirements are to get a job before hand. Then, you might have a better idea of what you need to do to maybe get into that department. AND...in some cases.....even IF you've previously completed an academy elsewhere and get hired by a department, SOME departments may require that you go through and complete THEIR academy anyways! Something to think about.....

--
Charlie