BlueSheepdog
10 Years Experience
Around the Way, FL
Male, 40
Cheating death and fighting communism: that is how a fellow officer once described our job. It was meant to be funny, but as time went on it seemed all too true.
I spent more than ten years in law enforcement, all of it on the street in uniform patrol. I've been a patrol officer, instructor, sergeant and lieutenant.
Do not report crimes here. Nothing here should be considered legal advice. All opinions are my own.
It depends on state laws and department policy. For example, on the above charge I would have to complete an arrest affidavit for the court, an incident report for my department, a use of force report for my internal affairs division and a evidence submission form for any and all evidence I was submitting. Additionally, each item of evidence would have to be tagged and bagged and then submitted to the property division.
Of course, there is likely another charge that would go along with the above charge. For example, in the course of investigating a domestic violence call the subject assaulted me. I would also have to complete an arrest affidavit for each additional charge (such as battery on his wife) plus complete a domestic violence supplemental report. For something like a DUI, I would also have to complete a variety of additional paperwork including a field sobriety worksheet and any traffic tickets I was giving, in addition to the charging documents for the DUI.
If the assauit occurred when I was conducting a DUI investigation as part of a motor vehicle accident investigation, I would also need to complete a multi-page accident form plus criminal supplements to that form.
If during the course of the investigation I was injured, there would be additional paperwork.
I think you are starting to get the idea. There is a lot of paperwork associated with being a cop. Unfortunately, most of the forms are created by people who don't have to do the job so they wind up being very cumbersome.
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One of the functions of a police officer is to enforce traffic laws. So, while on patrol I would be looking for both criminal and traffic vioations. Since most criminals use a vehicle in some way (to get to a crime, to flee a crime, to move stolen property, etc.), making traffic stops will frequently result in the discovery of criminal activity.
I have made major felony cases by stopping people for relatively minor traffic infractions. Folks like Timothy McVeigh, Ted Bundy and others have all been located on traffic stops. I can't tell you how many terrorists, murderers, rapists and others have been arrested after a seemingly small traffic violation.
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Maybe not. If you have been convicted of certain crimes, there isn't much you can do about that. However, without any prior arrests or convictions, you may still be able to obtain employment as a police officer. A solid military record with an honorable discharge (staying in the active reserves is even better) will go a long way to showing you aren't the person that you may have been in the past. The longer the time space between criminal activity and when you apply is better. Also, holding a secret clearance shows you have previously passed a background check, which helps.
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Its possible, but how valuable is that information to the officers? Not terribly valuable probably. The cops either know the names already, or have no way of knowing if the subject being arrested is giving them good info.
A more likely scenario would be the subject provides the officers with very detailed information on the dealers and is given a court date for some time in the future in exchange. Then the officers can determine if the information is good. If so, the officers can appear in court an explain to the judge that the subject was cooperative in an investigation and request favorable treatment of the informant.
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A detective will generall drive an unmarked car provided by the agency. The type of vehicle varies greatly. I've seen everything from a Prius to a Mustang. Most departments will go with a domestic sedan, though that is not always the case. Sometimes the detective's job will dictate the need for a different kind of car. For example, a narcotics officer will not be driving a Crown Vic. Sometimes a vehicle might be seized through civil forfeiture and be used by detectives. Unless you think the car is integral to the story go with a Ford Taurus or Chevy Impala.
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Detectives can participate in a warrant service, and frequently do.
A high risk warrant service is usually handled by a SWAT team, which can have detectives on the team. Once the scene is secure, non-SWAT officers/detectives will frequently be responsible for the securing and documenting of evidence.
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Get good grades, stay physically fit and stay away from drugs/alcohol/trouble. I was in high school too, but all of those things will play a role in your hiring process.
If your local department has an explorer program, check on joining that. It will give you a good amount of experience around police officers and get you some training (plus a foot in the door when you apply for a job.)
Personally, I'd avoid any kind of criminal justice/criminology degree. Stick to some kind of degree that can make you money - business, computer science, etc. Don't waste time and money on an expensive degree or go into debt for it. College debt is a trap.
Can you take college classes while in high school? I know here in Florida, juniors and seniors can often take college classes and get dual credit: high school and college for the one class. I managed to get several of my college classes done for free before I ever left high school that way.
Joining the military (any branch) will help you get hired later and will help pay for advanced education.
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