I Need Help!!!!

[dodgerfan]

hey guys i'm just 18 yrs. old and i wanted to know if it matters if i'm not a police cadet by this age (if it can possibly hurt my chances to being an officer) or it all matters in the education you have. And you guys think that if i get a A.S degree in criminal justice at a two yrs. college is good enough or if i should try to transfer out to a uneversity and get another degree there? And lastly i want to know what are the steps that it takes to finally being a cop for example when does the academy take place? is it before you go to the board interview? can any one go to an acadamy? how much do you pay for the academy? if you pass the academy does it guarantee that you'll be a cop?. thanks alot guys and hope you can answer my quetions.

P.S
I REALLY REALLY WANT TO BE A COP BADLY EVER SINCE I WAS 5 YRS> OLD!!! and hopefully i can get some good advice from here :

[Kotonk]

I thought police cadets are people who are in the academy. Most police departments don't hire people until 21 years of age. I'm assuming since your a dodger fan that your from L.A or CA. Some states are lower, but they want people with experience or education before they hire someone that young.

How much education you want depends on you, but the higher the education the higher chance of getting hired. It doesn't matter what college degree you get, I think its more important to get a degree in something you enjoy. You might also might want to get a degree in something you can fall back on later, like business, public administration, accounting, etc. I suggest taking a lot of writing, math, and Spanish.

The background check, physical, interview and written test takes months to finish. When the Academy has enough people, then they have a class. The LAPD sometimes have to cancel a class because not enough people qualifed. The police department usually pays for the academy, but it varies by each state. I know the LAPD is pretty desperate for officers, I keep reading in the LA Times they are short 1000 officers.

You will have to sit tight for a few years before you can apply for a LEO job. You might want to check out military service to get some experience and help in college tuition.

[Island_Girl]

Relax and take a deep breath. Now....you are off to a good start because you are so motivated and have all these aspirations at such a young age. That's awesome Dodger!! Many people don't know what they want to be well into their 20s.

In answering your question: If just being a cop is what you want to do, the degree of difficulty and the process of being hired really depends on WHERE you wish to be a cop. In some podunk towns, you practically inherit the badge. LMAO!!! If you really want to be a cop, figure out WHERE it is that you wish to be a cop and find out what the requirements are to be hired with that particular unit. Once you figure that out, you have basically laid out your goals. Most agencies have websites and areas with hiring requirements. You may also call and see if you could schedule an appointment with the head of the department. Some departments are not open to this but don't get discouraged. Just search the website or try to get a ride along so you can pick the cops brain for more info.
If I could make one suggestion though, law enforcement is a huge community with tons of various KINDS of work. Instead of just setting a goal to "be a cop", you may want to go even further and set a goal in a specialized area.....a narcotics investigator, a criminal investigator, communications, SWAT, drug task force....there are so many different specialized areas in LE. You are young, research and get exactly what you want. I commend you for having goals set at such an early age. Bravo to you for thinking ahead. Good luck!

[zander_zye]

Inherit the badge? lol - not in CA. - the minimum academy is 680 hours (most are longer). A good source of information is the POST website (www.post.ca.gov) - it gives lots of links to various training facilities, publications, etc. If you call them, they are very helpful (unlike a lot of other CA government agencies - the EDD and DMV for example!)

An AA is a good degree to have in hand. That way you can qualify for the intermediate and advanced POST certificates sooner. If you plan on anything above a SGT, get a Bachelors or Masters. An MPA is good - but a technology degree or a degree in psychology will help you specialize. Someone mentioned learning Spanish. I wish I had done that earlier in life. Beleive me, a good command of conversational Spanish (or Vietnamese) is a definite plus especially in So Cal.

Good luck - and remember me when you pull me over (no tickets --- please!)

ZZ

[dwf]

Knowing what you wish to do at your age is commendable. All I was looking for at 18 was the next beer. (it was the legal age then!)

I would urge you as I do all, get all the education you can. Many (if not most) PD's will pay better for those with degrees in hand. An Associates Degree is nice to have, but a Bachelors degree is better. Also is you have any wish or desire for promotion, a degree is fast becoming an unofficial minimum requirement.

Don't sweat not being a Cadet. I only know one active Cop who was a Cadet. I have nothing against the program, it just doesn't translate into automatic success.

The selection process is brutal if it is run correctly. It is competitive from the start and doesn't stop until you are in the Academy and in some places it extends into Field Training.

Get your education, I think (could be wrong here) that you can't be commissioned in any of the states until you are 21 years old. Make good use of the next three years and don't do anything to screw up your background investigation!