How long does it take to become a detective for criminal cases?

Greetings,

You must first become a police officer, to become a detective. Generally, you must complete the probationary period as a police officer. Each police department is different. You might need spend two to five years as an officer; it depends on the department.

Furthermore, police departments have specific requirements to become a detective, which include a minimum time as a police officer, taking and passing a detective's exam, and passing other portions of the specified testing process to become a detective.

Once all requirements are met and passed, an officer becomes a candidate and is
put on an eligibility list based on exam scores, etc. Candidates enter detective's training based on their rank order on the eligibility list, from the highest to the lowest. Some police departments offer a limited percentage of officers, on the eligibility list, an opportunity to enter detective's training based on the officers' merits (exceptional police work).

After completing and passing the training, detectives began investigating cases. The training may be a month in the training academy and additional training in the field. The field training consists of working cases with a veteran detective, for a short period.

I hope this helps. Best to you...

Regards,

Hi Maximo,

Becoming a detective starts by first becoming a police officer and serving in a conventional patrol capacity. It is during the training, probationary, and patrol periods that police officers gain an understanding and appreciation for the criminal process, the criminal justice system, and the role of the law enforcement community.

Many police departments require a college degree in a subject related to law enforcement or criminal justice. As such, many candidates with their sights set on becoming a detective choose to complete a degree program with a major in subjects such as:

• Criminal justice


• Criminology


• Justice administration


• Sociology


• Psychology


• Forensic psychology


• Police science


• Crime scene investigations


• Forensic science

The hiring and in-service training process is usually quite extensive, including everything from written exams and physical ability tests, to a thorough background investigation and psychological evaluation. The hiring process may take many months to complete.

One of the most important aspects of becoming a detective is gaining experience as a police officer, usually in a patrol capacity. Most police departments require a number of years of patrol experience before an officer can apply to become a detective with the department. There are some police departments that also require officers to complete an additional training and testing process to become a detective, while others require that candidates hold a college degree.

All the tips about this career, you can read in:
http://www.detectiveedu.org/

Good luck in this journey!

You need to attend the police academy, either by being hired or sending yourself based on your location. Each department is different, so I suggest contacting the department you are interested in to get the necessary info first.