| Becoming a Detective |
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I always shudder and shake -- just a little
-- when I think back on how naive I was
when I began my police career. As you
contemplate a police career, you're
naturally going to take great interest in
the opportunities that will be available to
you. For many of you, the goal of
becoming a detective will be one of those
opportunities of most interest.
Perhaps it's the culture; wherein,
television and movies depict detectives as
the true cops with the guys and girls in
blue uniforms as background for the real
action. While becoming a detective is a
worthy goal for you, you should not be
disappointed when you find out that just
being a good police officer and investigator
is not enough for you to capture that
position. In fact, you'll see excellent police
officers and investigators who never seem
to make the grade.
If you think that if you enter your police
career already possessing education, prior
training or experience in criminal
investigation, you'll have an advantage in
becoming a detective, you'll be incorrect.
While education and background
experience certainly won't hurt you,
-- when I think back on how naive I was
when I began my police career. As you
contemplate a police career, you're
naturally going to take great interest in
the opportunities that will be available to
you. For many of you, the goal of
becoming a detective will be one of those
opportunities of most interest.
Perhaps it's the culture; wherein,
television and movies depict detectives as
the true cops with the guys and girls in
blue uniforms as background for the real
action. While becoming a detective is a
worthy goal for you, you should not be
disappointed when you find out that just
being a good police officer and investigator
is not enough for you to capture that
position. In fact, you'll see excellent police
officers and investigators who never seem
to make the grade.
If you think that if you enter your police
career already possessing education, prior
training or experience in criminal
investigation, you'll have an advantage in
becoming a detective, you'll be incorrect.
While education and background
experience certainly won't hurt you,
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If you have a parent, or close blood
relative, who is a high ranking member
of your police department, or he or she
occupies an influential position in local
government, you will become a detective
if that's your desire. If you come from a
family which is politically well
connected, your chances of becoming a
detective will improve immensely. If
you're female, drop dead gorgeous -- or
close to it -- with a flirtatious personally,
and you don't have too much similar
competition, you too can become a
detective. As for the rest of you, you're
going to have to work very hard to
become a detective.
Now...while some police departments
may put detectives into higher pay
grades than police officers, most simply
change your title from police officer to
detective police officer or police
detective. Any monetary increase
usually comes in the form of a clothing
allowance. Even if your elevation to
detective is not an actual promotion in
authority and pay grade, your
department may well have a formal
selection process in the form of a
written examination and oral interview.
A formal selection process has two
advantages. First, it makes everybody
participating in the process feel better
about their chances of becoming
detectives. Secondly, it gives the
department cover when it picks those
already chosen. It's not a complete
waste of time though. If you join a
relatively large police department, and
you wow them on the interview, you
could slip through.
Okay...now that brutal honesty is out of
the way, you know that you'll have to
avoid cynicism as you work toward your
goal of becoming a detective. As for
your preparation to become a detective,
your patrol experience will be your best
single training ground for that
preparation. Patrol will give you the
opportunity to experience every facet of
police work. Far too many police
officers fail to appreciate or take
advantage of the patrol experience.
Many will drift toward areas of
investigation and enforcement which
interest them while neglecting others.
While it's only human to do things that
you best like to do, or in which you
excel, it's extremely important for you
to gain the widest and deepest
knowledge and experience in everything
available to you.
In police work, there is nothing worse
than not knowing something you're
expected to know. While being a
detective is a prestigious assignment,
only those detectives who possess
knowledge and experience also enjoy
respect along with the prestige. If you
become a detective after the proper
preparation, you'll make few mistakes
initially, and any mistakes you do make
will be minor.
relative, who is a high ranking member
of your police department, or he or she
occupies an influential position in local
government, you will become a detective
if that's your desire. If you come from a
family which is politically well
connected, your chances of becoming a
detective will improve immensely. If
you're female, drop dead gorgeous -- or
close to it -- with a flirtatious personally,
and you don't have too much similar
competition, you too can become a
detective. As for the rest of you, you're
going to have to work very hard to
become a detective.
Now...while some police departments
may put detectives into higher pay
grades than police officers, most simply
change your title from police officer to
detective police officer or police
detective. Any monetary increase
usually comes in the form of a clothing
allowance. Even if your elevation to
detective is not an actual promotion in
authority and pay grade, your
department may well have a formal
selection process in the form of a
written examination and oral interview.
A formal selection process has two
advantages. First, it makes everybody
participating in the process feel better
about their chances of becoming
detectives. Secondly, it gives the
department cover when it picks those
already chosen. It's not a complete
waste of time though. If you join a
relatively large police department, and
you wow them on the interview, you
could slip through.
Okay...now that brutal honesty is out of
the way, you know that you'll have to
avoid cynicism as you work toward your
goal of becoming a detective. As for
your preparation to become a detective,
your patrol experience will be your best
single training ground for that
preparation. Patrol will give you the
opportunity to experience every facet of
police work. Far too many police
officers fail to appreciate or take
advantage of the patrol experience.
Many will drift toward areas of
investigation and enforcement which
interest them while neglecting others.
While it's only human to do things that
you best like to do, or in which you
excel, it's extremely important for you
to gain the widest and deepest
knowledge and experience in everything
available to you.
In police work, there is nothing worse
than not knowing something you're
expected to know. While being a
detective is a prestigious assignment,
only those detectives who possess
knowledge and experience also enjoy
respect along with the prestige. If you
become a detective after the proper
preparation, you'll make few mistakes
initially, and any mistakes you do make
will be minor.
When you do become a detective, your area(s) of investigation may not
be your choice or they may vary. In a small police department,
detectives will likely be responsible for all types of investigations. The
larger your department and instances of crime, it becomes more likely
that you'll specialize in certain areas of investigation. If your
jurisdiction experiences a high rate of homicides, your department will
have detectives solely committed to homicide investigations. The same
thing goes for crimes like rape, robbery and burglary.
If your department has you investigating all types of crimes, it's not a
bad thing. However, it's all about volume. When incidents of particular
crimes reach certain numbers, specialization becomes a matter of
necessity rather than choice. Never forget that the more prior
experience you have in investigating all types of crimes, the easier it
will be for you to perform at a high level of efficiency in any area of
specialization.
Here's the most important thing for you to remember. Don't be in a big
hurry to get out of patrol. You'll see some police officers who obviously
have the connections to move all over the place spending little time in
any one place. While such movement may be good for a resume, it
doesn't do much for their depth of knowledge and experience. If you
really want to excel as a detective, you must obtain as much knowledge
and experience as possible.
Above all...don't get discouraged when you're denied assignments simply
because you haven't connected with the right people. Look at me. For
twenty years as a police officer, I couldn't get close to a detective unit.
In the end, I commanded three squads of detectives.
be your choice or they may vary. In a small police department,
detectives will likely be responsible for all types of investigations. The
larger your department and instances of crime, it becomes more likely
that you'll specialize in certain areas of investigation. If your
jurisdiction experiences a high rate of homicides, your department will
have detectives solely committed to homicide investigations. The same
thing goes for crimes like rape, robbery and burglary.
If your department has you investigating all types of crimes, it's not a
bad thing. However, it's all about volume. When incidents of particular
crimes reach certain numbers, specialization becomes a matter of
necessity rather than choice. Never forget that the more prior
experience you have in investigating all types of crimes, the easier it
will be for you to perform at a high level of efficiency in any area of
specialization.
Here's the most important thing for you to remember. Don't be in a big
hurry to get out of patrol. You'll see some police officers who obviously
have the connections to move all over the place spending little time in
any one place. While such movement may be good for a resume, it
doesn't do much for their depth of knowledge and experience. If you
really want to excel as a detective, you must obtain as much knowledge
and experience as possible.
Above all...don't get discouraged when you're denied assignments simply
because you haven't connected with the right people. Look at me. For
twenty years as a police officer, I couldn't get close to a detective unit.
In the end, I commanded three squads of detectives.
| Copyright © 2006 - 2011 - Barry M. Baker - CareerPoliceOfficer.com |
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neither will it help you in getting a detective's badge. A police
department isn't any different from any other government organization.
department isn't any different from any other government organization.