Writing Resources
Police Officer In order to be a police officer you need a high school diploma Some police departments require applicants to complete one or two years of college coursework or have a associate s degree A bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement for federal police jobs You also need to pass the law enforcement entrance exam graduate from police academy and work toward a promotion Some skills you need to become a police officer are Empathy Compassion Nonverbal Communication Adaptability Conflict Resolution Critical Thinking and Work life balance You have to be able to work 20 years until retirement and 8 hours a day The amount of time required to complete academy training is an average of 19 weeks as of 2006 according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics The Memphis Police Department Academy usually takes 21 weeks to complete while San Diego s program lasts six months The median annual pay for a police officer in 2010 was 55 010 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics If you were to install one full time cop at each and every school in the United States it would cost more than 5 4 billion While most agencies require you to be 21 by academy graduation date some take cadets as young as 18 The maximum age can vary widely Do not assume that just because you are over 30 your chances of becoming a police officer are over Some agencies have no maximum age Most felony offenses however do prevent people from becoming a police officer or you will result in termination from the police force Misdemeanor convictions especially if they are more than five years old do not typically disqualify someone from becoming a police officer In each state those with a felony conviction are not allowed to become a police officer A felony arrest will not make it impossible to Police Officer become a police officer
