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FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS!!!
Here are some FAQ's that I see quite frequently. If you
have any other questions, head to the Ask-a-Cop message board.
How old do you have to be in order to become a Police
Officer?
ANSWER: Each State is different but for the most part,
you need to be 21 years old to get hired. Some states will allow you to enter
the police academy at the age of 20. I have heard rumors that there are states
that allow you to become an officer at age 18, although I am not sure about
that.
How long is the police academy?
ANSWER: Again each State is different, but in most
cases the academy lasts anywhere from 2 to 6 months. In the old days officers
did most of their learning on the job. It became obvious that because of
liability and other problems that there needed to be a period of formal training
for new recruits. The police academy then became the standard. Each State runs
the academy differently. Some states require the recruits to stay on premises
for the entire length of training, others allow recruits to leave on weekends. I
think that the standard these days is basically a Monday-Friday, 8-5 schedule. I
was lucky enough to get into a Police Academy class that was taught like a
college class. I went to class at night and worked a regular job during the day.
The major draw back was that this stretched out the length of the academy to
about 1 year.
How much money does the police academy cost?
ANSWER: The total cost of the academy for me was about
$5000. The costs included, the cost of the academy itself at about $2500. I paid
for the uniform, several drug tests, a duty belt, a gun, workout clothing,
shoes, boots and more. This does not take into account all of the overtime from
the job I was working, I missed out on while going to the academy.
It should be noted that in my home state, there are about 3000
academy graduates waiting for jobs to open. There is obviously no need for a
particular department to pay for someone’s police academy training because of
this fact.
Luckily, most other State this is not the case. In most
States, a person gets hired by a department and then goes through the police
academy.
How does one get into the police academy?
ANSWER: In my case, I applied with the State Peace
Officers Standards and Training (POST). They required fingerprints, quick
background check, a physical test and any court records on any criminal activity
you may have been involved. I then was accepted into the academy, although I
knew that I must pay for it myself, then pass the tests and graduate. I knew
that after graduation I had the incredible task of trying to get through the
hiring process for a department—do you remember all 3000 or so qualified
applicants out there applying for the same job I want?
In many States you start the process by applying directly with
a certain police department. If accepted you will generally go through the full
interview process, written tests, oral boards, a full background, B-Pad test,
polygraph test, psychological tests and physical agility tests. I will explain
each of these tests later, and what you can expect on each. At this point, if
you are good (or lucky) enough pass the tests and get hired by the department,
you will begin the police academy. You then are still required to pass and
graduate the academy before starting your "Life on the Beat".
What is the Police Academy?
The police academy can be compared to a tough college course,
only much more fun and rewarding. And definitely more practical. My academy
started with a classroom section in which note taking and report writing are the
focus. Then you move into other area’s constitutional law, family law,
criminal law and traffic law. During the course of the academy you will run, do
push-ups, sit-ups, and other physical tests. There are many other subjects,
legal ethics, courtroom demeanor, cultural diversity, first aid, patrol tactics,
arrest control techniques, accident reconstruction, radar certification, DUI/DWI
training, investigative skills and more.
How much to police officers make?
This depends on many things. The first consideration AGAIN is
the State and city in which you work. I would say that general wages for a
starting officer range from $25,000-35,000. I agree that this is not much money,
when you think of the risks and dangers of the occupation. Not to mention the
general hardships on the family. There are a few things that help make up for
the low wage. The benefits include a 20 year retirement, excellent medical
benefits, a personal police car, tons of training. I guess that the best thing
about the job----is the job itself. The excitement of the job and the reward of
helping others makes up for any lack in pay.
What is the best college major?
This is a tough question. I graduated as a paralegal with a 2
year degree. Most people prefer to get a 4 year degree in criminology. A friend
of mine was greatly helped with a minor in psychology. An officer that I work
with is currently pursuing a degree in English. It sounds strange, but the Chief
(a very educated Chief), thought a degree in English is an excellent idea.
Can you deal with "Life on
the beat"?
Before you go and quit your job ask answer some of these questions.
There are few other careers that are as thankless as Law
Enforcement.
Think of this scenario before you jump to quickly past this question. Lets pretend you are
on a typical day at work.
The first thing you do is go into briefing. You
sit at a desk while the sergeant from the previous shift tells you about the calls that
were taken during his shift. Then you get into your patrol car and test all of your
equipment. just as you get that started you get a call. Dispatch requests that you respond
CODE 3 (lights and siren) to the scene of a traffic accident. When you get there you
realize that you are the first "rescue" person on the scene. You can see that
there are two cars that are now just twisted pieces of metal. One car has ran a red light
and broadsided another. The victim in the car that was hit is bleeding and crying and
screaming for help. You think to your self WHAT AM I DOING? Ya, sure you were trained for
this, but come on......"I am really the same person I was before the academy".
As you put on your rubber gloves and put some pressure on the victims wounds you realize
that it is a young female, you think to yourself "she must be only 20 years
old". The paramedics have arrived now and are taking over the assistance on the
victim. You go and do the accident investigation. This takes 30 minutes to an hour. When
you are done you get in your patrol car and drive around the corner and stop in a parking
lot. You stop and think to yourself how precious life really is.......You try to think
about the consequences of that accident, think about the families that are going to change
forever....JUST then you get another call from dispatch...This call they want you
to unlock a car door for a lady at a local grocery store. You hurry right over there and
get out your tools, the first thing that she says is "What Crappy response time, I
have been waiting for ten minutes, it's a good thing that I wasn't being robbed or
something". Now you bite your tongue and do what you came for....When you are done
you finish out the rest of your shift....But all night you think about that poor girl,
bleeding and crying. You remember hearing the paramedics saying "She does not look
good". That is a bad sign.....You think about your own family.....What if that was
them in that car......Well after your shift you go home to your wife......She is busy
cleaning up the house and making dinner.....you think again about how bad you felt about
the victim......and how mad you were when you remembered about the lady who locked her
keys in her car. Just then your wife begins to cry, she tells you how bad her day
was......how she forgot the checkbook and was embarrassed at the store.....how she is out
of milk and had to borrow from the neighbor.....Then she complains to you because you
forgot to pick up the mail on the way in the house.
Now ask yourself if you could deal with a life
like this!!! It is really like this. Not all days, not even most, but a lot of days are
similar to this. Can you deal with it?
Think of the family first! Shoot, you were looking for
a job when you found this one.
Have you heard that Law Enforcement
officers (LEO'S) have a 60% divorce rate?
The above narrative is just one reason why
LEO'S have a hard time staying focused in marriage. Of course it is not the only reason.
Maybe it's the long hours and overtime. Maybe it's the second job you'll
get, just to make it through the month. Maybe it's all of the temptations
of police life-- the pretty girls who love a man in a Uniform, the long hours
with officers from the opposite sex. Maybe it's that one dispatcher that seems
to know exactly what you are going through our there. Whatever it is for
you, every police officer in the world deals with these problems. All of these
problems help tear the
very fabric of a marriage. Now this is not to say that all LEO'S have bad marriages, but
it does mean that we have to take more time to focus on what is important to us in our
lives.
Always remember that it goes in this order ------
1) Family
2) Yourself
3) Your Career
Are you able to be criticized even if you
are doing everything right?
You have to realize that there are people out there that
just do not like police officers. It is just that simple. There are people who will never like
police officers no matter what you say or do. And there are people who just HATE
cops---period!
While we are on
the topic of being criticized lets look at a few other areas of police
work.
YOUR SERGEANT:
Whenever you make an arrest, prepare for some Sgt. to question you, its a fact
of police life. They want thing ran their way, period. There are good reasons
why they question you though. Whatever you do on their shift, directly reflects
them. When you screw up, it makes them look bad.
THE MEDIA:
I could go on for days on this topic. I have seen times when I am involved
in a case, and the media prints it. They always seem to screw up the
details. It seems that weekly on the news there is some stretched out
story of police misconduct. In reality I know that they could devote entire
newscasts to the positive things that officers do on a daily basis. If your
going to become a police officer, prepare to get shredded by the media.
Prepare to get pissed off at the stories they will print about you and your
brothers in blue.
DEFENSE ATTORNEYS:
Heck, lets group all attorneys into this one. Every time you go to
court, the prosecutor is dropping charges on the suspect that you arrested. Then
the defense attorney is ripping you and questioning you like you are the one on
trial.
Are you willing to risk your life for
the community?
Everyday
you will put on the bullet proof vest (you find out later that its not really bullet proof
at all). Then you put on the badge (which is a target for some). Every call you take you
have to be aware your surroundings. You have to stay completely alert at all times. Even
when you do a simple traffic stop, not only do you need to stay aware of the occupants of
the suspect vehicle, but you need to be aware of passing vehicles.
Will you be able to put your biases aside?
Now don't confuse this for racism!! When I say
biases I mean the dis-content that we have for those who hit women, children, and animals.
I mean thieves, liars, and cheats--understand? Yup, you have to treat everybody the same.
Remember this--- We are there to collect evidence and statements, then in some cases we
need to take a subject to jail. Always remember that we are not there to punish anybody.
Just collect evidence.
What
questions can I expect on an oral interview?
Thanks to all of the people
on the message board who have helped me answer this question so
completely. Shon and Chris especially on this topic.
First of all remember
to sell yourself. The purpose of the oral interview is simple. This person, or
panel of people, are trying to find out whether or not you will fit into their
department with other officers, and work well with the citizens in their city.
They are trying to figure out what kind of person you are in only a matter of a
few minutes.
What you need to remember is that this is your chance to sell yourself.
Take every opportunity to answer the open-ended questions with a chance to tell
how you will make a good honest officer. Hit on your high spots. Tell them all
of the good things about yourself.
It is a good idea to study town's history as well as the local official's names
(mayor, judge, city prosecutor etc.).
Here are a few questions that you may get:
Why do you want to be a police officer?
What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?
What are you doing to strengthen those weaknesses?
Do you know the Chiefs' name?
What is the name of the Mayor?
What is the name of other city officials?
Would you ever break policy? Why or why not?
What would you do if you stopped a fellow police officer DUI/DWI, Speeding,
beating a spouse, cheating on a spouse?
How would you handle a certain conflict within the department?
What if you were in route to a family fight and:
You see a possible drunk driver?
Hear a fellow officer call for assistance?
See an armed robbery in progress?
Are waved over by a family standing in the cold near a broken down car?
What is a felony?
Are you familiar with the streets, roads, landmarks in this city?
Do you know your way around?
What kind of education do you have to assist in your career with the department?
Have you been in the military? Why are you still not in the military?
What is community policing?
Do you know CPR?
Do you have a 2nd language?
What about your computer skills?
Do you have good people skills?
How would you feel about getting a call to unlock a car door for a citizen? What
about your feelings about responding to a barking dog call?
Do you plan on staying with the department for 20 years?
Define the term "Moral Courage" and explain you definition.
You are on patrol at night,
when you witness a driver swerving in and out of their lane, run through a red
light and almost cause an accident. After pulling the driver over, you smell a
"brewery" on his breath. The driver then exits the car and attempts to
give you his liscense- only to fumble and drop it on the ground. Then, the
driver informs you that he is an deputy with the Sherriff's dept. and begs you
to cut him a break. What do you do?
What do you think about the term "Dirty Cop"? Explain your answer.
Why should we hire you over someone else?
INSIGHT & TIPS on the Psych Test and Oral Review!-BY SHON (recently
hired by a very respected, large city police department)
First of all, I would say you are on the right track. I just finished up all of
my testing for the academy...so this stuff is still fresh in my noggen!
The orals can DEFINITELY be intimidating! Just remember that, as far as posture
and tone of voice go, they are generally looking to see if you are calm, cool,
and relaxed. Don't drink a whole pot of coffee before your boards! Just stay
calm, look your interviewer in the eyes, and answer the questions honestly.
Don't just give them what they want to hear- they will be able to see right
through you! Be yourself, be yourself, be yourself!!!
What
are some tips for the Psych test?
The following
tips were compiled by Shon (check
for him and many others for more assistance in our chat room)
As far as the Psych test....well, nobody on this website can tell you what to
say. The whole point of the test is to elicit your true feelings. Expect
questions like " Do you think someone should get fired for stealing on the
job"? Also, expect to get asked the same question about 15 times! I took
the "Reid" Psych test. I believe it was 600 questions long. In
reality, it was really only 30 questions repeated like 50 times each!
A couple of months ago I was
posting the same questions as you are now. The biggest piece of advice I got was
to be honest, be outgoing, and BE YOURSELF! I had no idea how important
the last was until all my tests were over.
Remember, they want to get to know YOU. When you go in for your orals, remember
to sell yourself to them. Make them understand that you are the best candidate
for the job. Be confident and you will be fine.
A lot of the questions are focused (from what I gathered) to get a sense of your
moral fiber- if you will. Be ready to not only answer the questions, but explain
your reasoning as well.
Here is a tip that one of my cop buddies gave me:
You can back up your answers to REALLY tough questions with things like,
"Well sir, I feel that with the proper police training, my response to this
question might be different from the one I am giving you now. I can only tell
you what I would do in this situation as a civilian...what I think is
right."
Again, tell them the answer that is in your heart, not just what they want to
hear. I don't really know if there are any WRONG answers to give at an oral,
because you ARE a civilian and they know this. I believe that they take this
into consideration. Again, don't BS these guys/gals, they can look right through
you!
With my last statement, I think I should also give you one tip that really
helped me out: Remember that you interviewers ARE people. Think about that right
before you walk into the room, and it may help to
calm your nerves a bit.
I think another key point in the interview is at the very end when they ask you
if you have any questions for them MAKE THIS YOUR ADVANTAGE!!! Don't just shake
their hands and say "No, I don't have anything for you." Think about
those words... I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FOR YOU. You say that and I can guarantee
that those words will be exactly how they summarize your interview.
I have interviewed tons of people in my previous job, and I will be totally
honest in saying that the people who had a question or two for me at the end of
an interview stayed in my mind more so that those who didn't. I remembered their
faces, as well as their inquisitive minds and, in all honesty, gave them first
consideration when it came time to hire. Ask them questions. Or maybe just take
that time to let them know that this is your life's dream, and you are willing
to give 110% of yourself to get it. Sell yourself...you have only about 30
seconds to do it. I hope all of this helps you out.
Thanks Shon.......well done.
This is just the short list of many FAQ’s. I will be adding
more from time to time, so check back frequently.
Russell
He looks good, right? Remember this, on the streets you are not
John Wayne!
Questions or comments..........Email me.
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