josh
what police options are their to be.
I am asking this question because i want to be one. I know that there are K9 units, motorcycle units, helicopter, bike, horse, etc... what others are there? #police #law-enforcement #police-officer
4 answers
Chris Dupree, CPP
Chris’s Answer
As Mike said most departments have the basic uniform patrol units. Larger departments have more specialized units (SWAT, Motorcycle patrol, Mounted patrol, etc.) There is the investigative side as well. The Detectives. These guys are also specialized, again depending on the size of the department. So, no matter what your interests, there is likely a job for you in law enforcement.
Thank you,i apriciate it
josh
Joe LaFerriere
Joe’s Answer
As a former Law Enforcement Officer I agree with all of the statements above. A lot will depend on the size of the department/city and available funding. What I would also like to add is be sure this is something you want to do. Get out and talk to officers in your community. If you are old enough volunteer for a ride-a-long where you spend a shift with an officer in the field.
Mike Martin
Mike’s Answer
Most departments have the basics: detectives, narcotics, traffic, gang units, FTO's (field training officers), directed patrol/career criminal type teams, the adjunct units HNT/SWAT, honor guard, mental health guys, etc. it depends on the size of the department and the problems they have. The bigger normally more specialized units. Hope this helps
Thank you, I appreciate it
josh
Kevin Carr
Kevin’s Answer
In addition to what the others have said, you could go into:
- Crime Prevention - They do home surveys, give presentations to residents, etc.
- School Resource Officer - Work in a school helping students.
- Public Information Officer - This person(s) handles media access. Provide information to newspapers as well as TV reporters.
Even though you may belong to a specialized unit, your daily assignment may be something else. For instance, our SWAT officers are made up of officers working different areas. Some are in Patrol, some are Detectives, etc. If they get called, the officers drop what they are currently doing and respond. They are highly trained and they never stop training. In fact, most of the specialized areas require extra training, which the department pays for.
One other area available is the command staff. You could become a Sergeant, Lieutenant, or Captain. Some have even become Assistant Chiefs and Chiefs.
Once you get some experience, depending on the size of the department, there are a lot of different areas you can go into.