How do you advance in the police detective field?

Hi Bernice. What an excellent question! I was a homicide detective in the Los Angeles area and every agency is a little different.

Advancing in the detective field begins by first working several years as a patrol officer. You have to learn the streets, human nature and basic investigative work. Once you are ready and have a few years under your belt (usually about 5), you can become a detective one of two ways that I am familiar with. Many agencies, including mine, use a rank/promotion system. The other, is a an "Agent" type system in which while still a patrol officer, you are either "asked" to come work investigations but can return to patrol, or are "promoted" to "Agent" and can work either patrol or investigations.

The more common system is the detective rank promotion system. This means you take written and oral tests and are evaluated based on your record and past performance. Depending on your combined score, you are then placed on a detective promotional list. As detective positions become available, you are then "promoted" to the position of detective (or investigator) from the list. Detective or Investigator is considered a "rank" such as sergeant, lieutenant, captain etc. and comes with a pay raise. Unlike the "Agent" system, as a detective, you no longer can be assigned to patrol on a regular basis, but still may be able to fill patrol slots on an overtime basis.

Once you are promoted to detective/investigator you usually "bid" for an assignment based on seniority. Being the "new" detective, you will probably land in an assignment in which you can learn the investigative basics, such as how to write and execute search/arrest warrants, how to file a case, and how to conduct interviews of both victims, witnesses and suspects alike.

The more seniority you have, the better the assignment you can bid for. Assignments are usually rotational with a limit of 3-5 years. The exception is assignments that take a great deal of expertise and/or commitment beyond normal investigative assignments. Investigators for these assignments are usually hand picked by the supervisors after careful evaluation and there is little or no rotation requirement. Examples of these assignments are homicide; gangs; and major narcotics details. Larger agencies have even more specialty and hand picked assignments.

This is just a thumb nail of advancing in the police detective field but I hope I have answered your question.

Good luck with your future Bernice.