How Do You Become A Detective?

[wombat]

I agree with Chickerdoodle. A Criminal Jutice degree is not that great for law enforcement. Get a degree in something challenging, get a few years of real work experience, and then get a patrol position and work up from there.

Get the criminal justice / law / forensics training as your career progresses.

Criminal Justice undergrad degrees generally don't have that great a reputation, and as Chickerdoodle pointed out, law enforcement agencies like to see a varied background.

I worked part time in law enforcement in college a long time ago ... they wanted me to get a tech school associate's degree and convert to a full time position, and I wanted a 4-year degree, which they saw no use for. A lot has changed since then, most agencies want a four year degree and two years of outside work experience nowdays, and computer science, accounting, business, and hard science degrees are in demand.

Take a look at what the FBI requires for entry level agents at www.fbi.gov, and expect that major metro departments would want similar credentials, especially for someone who wants to move up to detective.

 

[debilorrah]

ADMINISTRATION of Justice

 

[Nicola]

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i love that show !!!!!!!!! its soo cool she is a forensic anthropologist(sp)

 

[deb1]

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I noticed that the FBI has summer intern positions for college students. When she gets old enough that might be something that might interest her.

 

[Equus5O]

I've been a Police Officer for just over twenty years. After about 12 years in Patrol, I went into the Detective Bureau. I did that for about 6 years, after which I had a child and chose to return to Patrol. A little less than five years to go .... and retirement here I come! LOL

Generally, you have to start at the bottom (Patrol) and work your way up. For the most part, Detective is an assignment, not a promotion. And, there are many departments where there is no Detective Bureau. Officers investigate their own cases. And, even in departments such as mine, there are investigations that exceed the scope of our expertise, and other agencies (County Police, Sheriff's Dept, Prosecutor's Office) are brought in.

Those other agencies are also considerations. Although, in my experience, Investigators with the Prosecutor's Office have previous experience.

I wish her luck in the future.

 

[wombat]

For the most part, Detective is an assignment, not a promotion.

I think that depends on the department. In larger departments with permanant detective bureaus, making detective is a competetive promotion, requires exams, and gets you a gold shield if you make it. On the other hand, I was only in law enforcement in one department for a short time, and I've been out of it for decades. (insert joke here)​

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I know where my dad works, detective was more like a promotion because it pays a bit more. However, a lot of the detectives still do road work for the overtime money. They can make a lot more doing construction or road cop overtime than they can doing detective over time.

 

[Equus5O]

I know it depends upon the department. That's why I said for the most part. And yes, a Detective gets a gold shield. More pay doesn't necessarily mean it's a promotion. Yes, I got an increase in salary, but it was still an assignment, not a promotion. That's my department. Detective overtime can depend on the cases you have coming in. If you catch something at the end of the shift, such as a sexual assault, you work it through. If something comes in in the middle of the night, and you're on call, you catch it.