I am thinking about becoming a police officer, do I have a chance?

September 25, 2007 3:56 PM

Do I actually have a chance of becoming a police officer??

A police officer has always been something that I could see myself doing. I have always enjoyed helping people and I am a great problem solver. I do not have a college degree at all. I have taken a few classes but nothing related to criminal justice. I am 26 years old. I recently got married and we just had our first child. I have been a Realtor for the last few years but the income here in the Detroit area is sporadic at best. I am considering a career change to something more steady and becoming a police officer is high on my list. I did have a few tickets around my late teens but nothing serious. I am (relatively) physically fit. Due to the fact that my income has been unsteady, lets say my credit is "less than ideal". I am not sure if that matters but I believe it might. I have a family to support and I have been pretty much working 2 jobs so I wouldn't to be able to go back to school to get a criminal justice degree. Is there any chance at all of my becoming a cop? Before you go there, I realize that police don't make a huge amount of money.

posted by Bjkokenos to work & money (14 comments total)

Sure you can. My brother's a cop. In his department, all you have to do is pass a civil service exam and a background check, and if you do well enough, they'll hire you and sponsor you through the police academy. He didn't go to college at all. He's in a medium sized town in Texas and is making about $41,000 + insurance + retirement. Not bad at all, considering his degreeless stature. If you're reasonable competent and physically fit, I think the doors will swing right open for you.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 4:04 PM on September 25, 2007

Becoming a Michigan State Trooper does not require a college degree, you would receive your training from their academy.

It's not the same as being a local police officer, but it could be a path and opening for you if you needed a degree for other positions.
posted by saffry at 4:08 PM on September 25, 2007

I would think there is. I would call up the local recruiting office or academy. From what I've heard what will get you rejected is any sort of inclination towards violence or being one of those people who "all they ever wanted to be is a cop". Basically, anyone a little to ready to shoot the bad guy.

Also, I know at least in the NYPD you can retire after 20 (25?) years with a nice retirement and then go into private security and make a really good living. Might be the same in Detroit.
posted by whoaali at 4:08 PM on September 25, 2007

Here's the eligibility requirements to be hired on as a police officer in Michigan. Looks like you have to get through academy training no matter what, but if you can get hired on by a law enforcement agency, they might pay for your costs.
posted by jamaro at 4:09 PM on September 25, 2007

My brother is a police officer (in California, not in your area). He went to a private academy, a pretty tough one I guess, that qualified him for any non-Federal law enforcement position in the state (excluding the highway patrol). I dont know if anything like that exists in your area but it did offer him a bit more flexibility when he went looking for a position. He does have a degree in Criminal Justice.

However, he has worked in a couple cities that had their own academies and most of them provided financial aid etc.

Go for it if that's what you want. As far as salary goes, my brother gets paid pretty darn well (like 60K or something like that) but I rather suspect you earn it, what with getting shot at and all that.
posted by elendil71 at 4:33 PM on September 25, 2007

There's a great forum over at http://www.glocktalk.com called "Cop Talk" ... go post over there.
posted by SpecialK at 5:05 PM on September 25, 2007

BTW, NYPD's entry salary is $25k. I wouldn't enter NYPD unless you have the means to support yourself. (This kind of thing is all discussed over in Cop Talk...)
posted by SpecialK at 5:06 PM on September 25, 2007

i imagine you'll be fine. good luck!
posted by thinkingwoman at 6:07 PM on September 25, 2007

WRT the NYPD salary, and I imagine other metro-cop salaries, bear in mind that even entry-level officers rack up considerable overtime that can bring those numbers up dramatically.
posted by Brian James at 6:09 PM on September 25, 2007

My brother is a Sheriff's Deputy in Florida. Several years ago, he took out a student loan and put himself through the academy. He looked into being sponsored, but in the end decided against it. He graduated Top Gun (overachiever) and after looking into the different law enforcement options here (we have the State Troopers, the Policy Department and the Sheriff's Office) and making a choice, went through several interviews, including a lengthy oral review. He was 24 at the time, and a newlywed.

As far as past issues, he had a few marks on his record (no traffic stuff, but a prior misdemeanor), and his credit wasn't great. In order for him to be hired at the SO, he had to get every negative mark off of his credit. He was administered a lie detector test and asked a lot of questions about any past drug use and other personal habits, past and present. In the end, he was hired with no problem, and the starting salary was in the mid 40s.

You remind me of him. He's also a great problem solver and is a genius with people. He has never regretted becoming a cop (he is the job), and has been promoted and awarded raises on a regular basis (currently he's part of a special ops team). Also, there doesn't seem to be any shortage of overtime! Research the options where you live, because conditions/benefits/pay, etc might be better in one organization than the other.

Go for it. Good luck!
posted by mewithoutyou at 6:46 PM on September 25, 2007

In Oakland, CA, the starting salary is almost $70K, well over the median household wage. I suspect that the area's lower unemployment, high crime, low prestige and high demand of police officers are the cause of that figure. However, nearby (and much safer San Francisco) offers almost as much. There are huge billboards advertising this fact all over both cities. So the salary is highly variable, and dependent on local factors.
posted by meowzilla at 6:52 PM on September 25, 2007

Definitely look into the Michigan State Police (MSP), as saffry mentioned.

The pay and benefits will likely be better than any other department in the state, and the training is among the best in the country (and, hands down, the best in the state).

You're not going to get rich doing this for a living, but if it is truly something you're excited about I'm sure you'll be glad you chose the MSP over something local. The professionalism is simply at a different level than you'll find elsewhere.

If it works out as a career, you'll have opportunities to move within the department doing various types of work.
posted by splendid animal at 9:56 PM on September 25, 2007

may I play devils advocate here?

do yourself a favor and at least check into getting an undergrad degree. or a two-year junior college program. you do want to have the opportunity to grow eventually and once you reach a certain level, not having a college education will look rather depressing on your resume. you can live off those 25 or 41k that others mentioned here but especially if you do end up wanting to buy a decent house, having a decent car and not worrying about how much those groceries are gonna be at the end of the month, you want to aim for 70k upwards. things add up eventually and you will need savings as well (remember: we all, even those with health insurance, live more of less one ER trip from financial peril away).

consider it. it's four years and it will pay you back for forty. it will open doors quicker and unlock some that won't otherwise at all.
posted by krautland at 2:00 AM on September 26, 2007 [1 favorite]

I work as a civilian at a police department, here's my insight on the hiring process for police applicants, YMMV:

As long as you haven't committed any felonies, then I don't think you'll have any major problems to becoming a police officer.

You should expect to go through a written exam, interview, fingerprinting for a background check, physical and a polygraph (but this may vary with agency). These are pretty standard.

Make sure when you take the polygraph that you are completely honest about everything they ask you. They don't really care if you stole some candy when you were a kid, as long as you are honest about it. That's the point of the lie detector tests they give to applicants. Also, the number one thing applicants fail their polygraph on are questions about their past drug use. Again, they don't care if you've smoked pot before, they just want you to be honest about it.

Even though it usually isn't required, a four-year degree would definitely help you in the long run. Not only will it allow you to start at a higher pay scale when you start, it will allow you to move up in the ranks much faster. Also, if you have a four-year degree you can also have the opportunity to become a federal agent if you wish.
posted by fallenposters at 5:06 AM on September 26, 2007