What type of training would I have to go through if I was going to be a detecive?

Hi Montana,

On-the-Job Training For New Detectives
Whether at the commencement of promotion to detective or at specific points throughout their career, detectives must engage in training related specifically to their line of work. Training may include a more general study in criminal investigations or it may involve specific criminal investigative work within a specialty unit, such as auto theft, homicide, or sexual assault, for example.

Detective training programs vary widely, in both their form and complexity. For example:

The North Carolina Justice Academy offers a 400-hour Criminal Investigations Certificate Program, which is designed specifically for police investigators. This program features a number of areas of study, including investigative techniques, technological advances, the practical application of detectives’ best practices, and legal changes.

The New York City Police Academy also offers the Criminal Investigation Course, which is designed for investigators in all uniformed ranks who want to reach the next level in their career with the New York City Police Department. The course is a 15-day (105 hour) intense program that provides investigators with the skills needed to access necessary resources, develop a case, and apply their investigative skills to result in a conviction.

The California POST’s Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigation (ICI) Core Program is designed to enhance the effectiveness of the individual criminal investigator through successful criminal investigations. Some of the topics addressed in this program include:

• Crime scene management


• Interviewing and interrogation skills


• Search and seizure issues


• Search warrant preparation


• Surveillance techniques


• Case reporting


• Informant management


• Media relations


• Case reporting


• Courtroom testimony

Police academy training may conclude with a final academic examination, or recruits may need to take examinations throughout the course of the program. Coursework also varies from one academy to the next, although the scope is usually quite similar. For example, new recruits for Florida State trooper jobs, in their six-month academy program, must complete 770 hours of Florida-mandated courses, such as:

• Crime scene investigation


• Criminal investigations


• DUI/traffic stops


• Traffic crash investigation


• Firearms


• Law enforcement vehicle operations


• Patrol procedures


• Report writing


• Communications


• Defensive tactics

Physical training, which is focused on the physical skills needed for police work, remains an integral part of any academy training program. Most programs conclude with a final, physical fitness exam that must be passed to successfully complete academy training. As such, most police departments strongly encourage recruits to train before academy training begins.

Cadets in police academy training are expected to:

• Maintain proper discipline


• Meet attendance requirements


• Maintain their personal appearance


• Maintain issued equipment


• Maintain their rooms and personal belongings


• Agree to unannounced drug screenings


• Participate in academy life, which includes cleaning and maintenance posts and responsibilities


• Follow all academy rules and regulations

The article detailing all the training courses, you can read in: http://www.detectiveedu.org/training/

Regards!