Currently I am staying home with our daughter while my wife teaches, but she will start preschool next year and I will be free to pursue my career.

I have a Bachelors in English because I started out wanting to teach, but I grabbed an Associates in CJ along the way because being a Police Officer was appealing as well.

I have been pulling stay at home parent duty home with my daughter the last 2 years since finishing school,  I worked retail on and off through college but thats it for job experience.

I took 3 years of Spanish in HS and 2 years in College, and am currently using online courses to become fluent.

Anything I should look into to make myself more desirable when I apply, or any tips to help me land a job?

Thanks in advance for any help, I have no LEO in the family to bounce questions off of so any help would be appreciated.

I would consider you in the top 99% just with those qualifications.

If you are in decent shape, aren't a slug, have a good record, good credit and some common sense you will sail through.

In general, you have what many departments look for... married, a kid, an and education... people who have responsibilities (married with kids) generally make good employees. People like you with retail experience also possess experience in dealing with people... so I'd say you are off to a great start.

Good health and a clean background are important as well... good luck.

Around here they will take anyone willing to work for little pay.  They are running adds in the paper begging for people to apply.  The BLM movement make nobody want to apply.  That and they arrested over half the police force last year for drug running and corruption one town over.  The following week half of our force retired and resigned.

If you live in a state where you can put yourself through the basic academy on your won dime, do so
Agencies are much more interested in officer applicants who've already been through the academy

Don't get arrested.
No domestic violence issues
Establish a positive work history.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Cj classes were a waste.

Hit the Spanish hard and keep the debt  down.   Start running too.

My part of the State doesn't have that problem.  We have pretty high turnover for people with less than 5 years, but we had hundreds of applicants for our last 6 or so positions open.

I'll try to remember that as I try to rise above the 80K mark... my CJ degrees (AS, BS, MS) helped me a great deal... YMMV.

This.

But if you have to credit score will be looked at.

Join the marines, PDs seem to like that.

start testing and interviewing, improve those skills
maybe minor in CJ, don't major in it
get a stepping stone job, like a jailer
consider an Asian language, if you have many in your area
get in shape now

Not true for my state.  Top paying agencies either have their own or co-op regional academies where they send recruits.  Virtually all of these will not let a recruit skip their academy because they're already certified.  Most other agencies that don't have access to academies only recruit lateral officers with minimum a minimum of 3 years.  

A few departments that do hire people with a POST cert out of a community college pay less and will likely have you move somewhere you don't want to live.  It's still an option and a foot in the door, but the fact is that there are few spots in those shops and way too many people with their certs and zero experience trying to fill them.  Majority of self-sponsored academy graduates in my state will have their certs expire and will not have a job in LE.

We still have places like NYSP that'll take all hires and put them through their own basic school.
Everyone else in my area of my state, unless you check a box for the agency like female or minority, they'll almost always pick someone who has the academy over someone who doesn't.
The days of sending someone through the academy on the agency dime as a general practice are years in the past. Too many guys wanting to lateral from smaller agencies, or have already paid their own way through the school
Since NY adopted the phase one and phase two version of basic ( self- paid through phase one, agency sponsored through phase two ) people who make it all the way through already have an agency that ahs them on the books.
I am not sure how many people make it through phase one only to lapse because they can't find a sponsor for phase two.

For the original question, first ask yourself how you became such a deranged individual, to the point of wanting to become police, especially considering today's climate.

Have no criminal history and keep traffic violations and parking tickets to an absolute minumum.  Don't use illicit drugs, even if you are in a state where they're now legal or if you travel to one of these states.  In the same vein, take it easy on alcohol.  Nowadays, alcohol consumption frequency is a question brought up during several stages of the hiring process.

With current employers, maintain a solid history with no write ups, suspensions or firings for cause.  If you've only had some job for a week, and hate it so much that you want to take a shit on the boss' desk and then do an epic "fuck everyone" speech, because YOLO, just don't.  Assume that your next employer will find out.  With that, do get phone numbers and names of former co-workers, because you will need positive references going back some time.

Get or stay in shape.  Run.  A lot.  Police academies are not SEAL Team 6 training, but if you're a fat turd, instructors will make you hate life and then the academic portion will start slipping.  Furthermore, street police work is physical.  Even when you're not running, fighting or doing other cool guy stuff, you are still driving around in a car for 8-12 hours, wearing an 30lbs of crap and then getting in and out of that car 20 times in a day.  Multiply that by 20+ years.  Add to that having to occasionally stand around in the heat, cold or rain for hours.  Night shift, followed by hours in court in the morning and then back to work on 3 hours sleep.  Stress that will eat at your soul.  If you start out of shape, you might die before you draw pension.  Anyway, I've gone way beyond the original purpose of this, but this is important to get hired, and even more so after, IMO.

Learn how to write well, if you don't already.  After all the "as seen on TV" crap is done, the rest of police work is a lot of writing.  Be able to convey a story in a way that makes sense to someone who wasn't there.  It amazes me how many cops, even those with college or grad degrees, have a hard time putting down a coherent thought on paper.  Add to that a lack of spelling ability or not being able to write legibly by hand, and everything turns into a total disaster.  No one needs to write like Hemingway, but nothing from you should look like it came from 3rd grade either.  IMO, this is the difference between mediocre and good police work.Considering your degree, this shouldn't be a concern, but this is a huge issue today.

If you decide to apply, dress appropriately for your interviews/appointments.  I've seen people dropped because they showed up wearing shorts to talk with the background investigator or the polygraph.  Wear a business suit, unless you're going to the PT eval or the medical screen.  And if they tell you to wear a suit to those, then do it.

If you're asked why you want to become a cop, cliche answers like "I want to help people" or "I want my kids to be proud of me" are actually perfectly fine.  Nonsense about being good with guns or seeking excitement is not.  LE agencies are not filled to the brim with Tackleberrys, but there are more gun guys in police work than GD would have you believe.  No one needs to listen to an aplicant about how many guns he has or how good of a shot he is.  It makes you look like a douche or someone with a very narrow field of interests.  No one needs an adrenaline junkie either.  You're either going to be an asset to the agency or a liability.  People who will try to vet you aren't looking for a guy that will land the department on the front page of the news and cost them millions in courts.

Depends on the department and area also.  My county has so many CJ graduates in the area you can't throw a stick without hitting one, which makes that degree completely useless when it comes to finding employment... You might as well have a degree in cosmetology.

Work history, family orientation, and physical fitness are the key factors in my department

We also hire a lot from local agency reserve programs

Again, this varies by department and who is doing the hiring

You are correct... it varies... in the three states and five departments I've been associated with since 1995, a CJ degree, any degree, was appreciated.

The point is some people work hard and make great sacrifices to achieve higher education... so why speak negatively about degree A or B? Seems to be a lot of that around here... how can spending an entire semester on say the 4th Amendment be considered a waste of time... or useless? Many agencies ask simply for a degree w/o specifying anything specific.

I wouldn't want to work for an agency or individual who discounted my educational achievements...maybe it's ok by you, or others, but not me.

What's your degree in?

It's not a waste of time at all... Education helps a great deal to make rank at my department, and anything above SGT its required, its also required to make Detective.

I currently have no degree, but I do plan on getting one eventually to further my career in LE, maybe Phycology or Management

I'm not discounting any degree, however there seems to be a trend of CJ degrees not helping applicants get hired, but it will help you go further once you are hired

I have an AS, BS, and MS in CJ as well.  I feel that the BS and MS didn't really add anything that my AS and academies started.  When I go back to school, it'll be for something more useful.

 

But then again, we don't get any benefit whatsoever by getting degrees here.

I get $80 a month, and have so for the past 13 years due to my degree(s)... paid to me by the state... that adds up to about $12.5K in incentive pay over time.

Spanish will get you a pay bump as well.
Stick with those online classes
You are already light years ahead of most applicants.

Thanks for the info, you guys are awesome.

I'll keep doing what I'm doing and pray for the best

Where in NC?

Why would marital status and dependents be taken into consideration? It's against federal law and considered discrimination if is taken into consideration in the pre-employment hiring process.

 

From a personnel perspective, they're less likely to make waves because they need the money. So they are less likely to rock the boat

From a call perspective, its a lot easier to have some credibility with the people you're dealing with on some calls if you're an older officer with some life experience....wife, kids, etc...than if you're a snot nosed 21 year old rookie still living in mom and dads basement

I'd hazard a guess that it's NOT discrimination if you go for the guy with a wife and kids as he has more life experience than if you were to deny him a job because he might not be available 24/7 due to having a wife and kids.

Same as it would be illegal to NOT hire someone simply because they're black, Asian, a female, Muslim, etc. but I'm sure no department or company would EVER hire someone simply because they needed a spot filled by someone that would grant them diversity points versus hiring the best-suited person for that job...

Keep hitting the Spanish classes.  I wish EVERY DAY that I spoke the language.

Get in shape.  Many agencies have comprehensive PT tests, so do a mix of running, lifting, and swimming (some places have a swim test).

Have a decent suit and several shirts and ties.  Shine your shoes and have a fresh haircut when you go to interviews.

Keep your credit under control and keep your criminal record clean.  Avoid traffic tickets too.

Some may disagree with me, but go on multiple ride-alongs with agencies you are interested in working for.  Wear khakis and a polo shirt, bring a lunch, ask good questions, and take notes.  Take it seriously, as it may wind up being an informal interview (I met the Sergeant I ended up working for and the Lieutenant that was present in my interview during my ride-along).

I will second the suggestion that you send yourself through the academy if you can.  I don't know what state you're in or what the policies are there, but most agencies would rather hire someone that is already certified and save the time and money it would take to sponsor you.

If you haven't done it already, become familiar with shooting a pistol, AR, and pump shotgun.

Good luck.

Here's what you do.

All of that previously stated stuff is fine, I suppose.


This is what works-

Pick the agency you want to work with.

Go get in their Reserve unit.

This does two things, 1 (and, most importantly), it tells you if being a leo is a romantic notion, or something you really have a knack for, without investing too heavily. Few things are worse than beating your head and your body navigating the process, getting through everything, spending a month solo on the road, and going, wow; this was stupid. (It really does happen).

2 - They get to see you're not a knucklehead, and can handle the job, without wasting a ton of money on you.

I don't know of a single agency that wouldn't hire a Reserve over an outside candidate, anywhere in the country.

You may even decide that part time works best for you and your situation.


College, military, being certified.... if they have someone in mind for that slot, none of that matters in most agencies. Of course, if the agency hires 120 at a time, this is tempered. Historically, there are a ton of applicants for each slot. I don't know if this is the same in the current climate.

I will tell you, college is an issue in some agencies, and so is military. Leaf eating administrators don't like military, because they are afraid they will go actually work.

College people can sometimes think that four years of college is an acceptable substitute for being on the road. You will learn almost everything you need to know on the job. This isn't like a normal job, where education is valued. Also, based on what I've seen over the years, including some very recent ones where I've helped a person with her homework, some of the education can be very biased and exceptionally incorrect, and can get you hurt.

Example: go find the video where the officer is using her verbal judo. The traffic violator states he is going to get his rifle and present his opinion on the matter. As the officer continues to follow her training, the offender proceeds to do exactly this.

Some people will take me to task for saying these things here. I respond by saying show me a single agency where there aren't people at all levels with zero college.

Just my thoughts, and your mileage may vary, what do I know, right?

I lived in a small town with a department that did not have a lot of turnover when I started. I joined my departments reserve program which required classes two nights a week for about 12 weeks. Started working as I could and when a spot opened up, I was one of the first candidates.

As my chief told me when I was hired that I did good for free, might as well pay me.

A shit ton. In my county the local community college seems to hire them and at least give them some hours as peace officers, not that that keeps their certification anywasys but a great deal throw away thousands of dollars. It's quite the racket and standards have only fallen since they got into the money game with pre-employment.

OP I would say vol. fire co.

Lets face it, the whole criminal justice major is a scam
It rarely helps people looking to become LEOs, its worthless outside of a LE career
Now this unsponsored phase 1 system is just an extension of that

 

Funny thing is, around here thats all most departments want.  "life experience" here = speeding tickets, divorce, few beers on the weekend....you know ,"LIFE".  And apparently they dont like that in western wa.

[Be nice - Paul]

honestly:
Spanish will be a plus
retail is good, as I'm sure you have seen how "civilized" some people are
CJ degree...meh
English- good reports (if your supervisor is not an idiot who got their position by being a protected species) will be noticed
Male- that's on the minus side
White?- minus side
Start applying, do some Google searching for oral board interviewing and what they are looking for
Also have a backup plan..something else you might want to do
Depending on where you are, some places will say "start in the jail, we will move you to the road in a few years"..check with people working for them to see if this is true. If their jail is chronically understaffed (never saw one that wasn't), you may get "stuck"

See the bolded part...ya, that's the crux

Honestly? Go be an EMT for a couple years. Since you are stay at home, the shitty pay won't hurt you.
As an EMT you will learn
1) Emergency driving
2) Working shitty hours in all weather.
3) Dealing with people scared, sick, drunk, pissed off, hysterical and what not.
4) Actually get inside the yellow tape and see how all types of scenes work out. Scene preservation etc.
5) Working with fire, ems and popo
6) Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork.
7) Working under pressure from all the above.
8) Radio operations, protocols, communications etc.
9) You can sleep through the first aid/responder portion of the academy.
A general interview question is what have you done to prepare yourself to be a cop. Everyone does criminal justice and works loss prevention at Target or whatever. You could say I was an EMT and learned all the above and how it relates to law enforcement.

I've recently started seriously looking to get into LE. Almost every agency around here requires you to either have an associates or have already put yourself through an Academy. It's not nearly as easy here as most of you make it sound. I'll probably start out doing corrections and work my way out to patrol.

1. Get on with a big PD and get a year or two experience
2. Apply to a suburban PD
3. Profit

or

What would really help you is to become a black lesbian.

Good luck!

If you are not making the cut with what you have the easiest ways to add experience are reserve programs and corrections.

Speaking for myself, I believe my success really came from my corrections time. I did not like the environment working for a state agency ran by people who had zero experience in institutional security but the experience was priceless. Being able to talk with, and not down to, the criminal element is a skill that takes years to develop on the street. You learn it very quickly inside a prison or county jail because if you don't you'll be getting into fights and struggle with maintaining order on your housing unit. The decision making skills learned on the inside by a professional CO translate well to the outside.

The one caveat I would add is it's real easy to become hyper negative as a CO. It's also really easy to get comfortable as a CO if you work for a state or county that pays good.

The CO position I'm looking at starts at 49k a year. I'm 99% positive I'm going to apply. The only thing holding me back is shaving my beard. I've been growing this beast for the last 6 years. It's honestly a very hard thing to do.

If thats a hard decision for you then I think you should look into security or loss prevention. Similar pay, the grooming standards are more lax, and I won't have to worry about you making the same kind of poor decisions about values and priorities which could effect my safety or getting home.

Like, "hkusp9 just called out on a traffic stop with 4 occupants in the hood and I'm thinking about going to back him up but I get off work in 10 minutes and dinner is waiting for me at home and I'm really hungry so..."

the beard thing is to get a seal on masks (gas and fire), if tht is a deal breaker you need to look elsewhere for a job

I just saw a couple kids I knew as fire explorers. About to go into LAPD academy. One is an EMT and one is a paramedic. They have academy experience, code 3 driver training, have emergency scene experience, radio communication experience and on and on. These kids are not the first explorers/emts I've seen almost waltz right in to a LEO position.
I mentioned earlier if you are young enough, go work as an EMT, it's the best place to get some real street experience.

If I was applying for a patrol position, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to shave. I should have worded it differently. The main reason is that I'm afraid I will hate working in the jail, and I will have  quit the job I actually really like and shaved my beard to do it. My current jobs hours won't allow me to put myself through an Academy while working full time. My only option at this point in my life is to start in the jail even though I really don't have any idea what to expect or know if it's something I should even consider. I wish I could do a "ride along" a couple times at the jail to know what I'm getting into. The beard thing is more of an excuse I guess... I mean my Nick name is "the beard".

No kidding.



If that's a hangup, you need to look for another line of work.



 

What's the hangup with working in a jail?



It's not as glamorous as working the road, I get that, but your "customers" in the jail will be the same ones you'll deal with out in the street.