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elliot
Student
Joliet, Illinois
3
Questions
Asked
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how long does it take to become a police officer?
#police #police-officer #law-enforcement #criminal-justice
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2 answers
Paul Goetzinger MPA
Academic and Career Consultant and Freelance Writer
745
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Paul’s Answer
Hi Elliot:
Normally the requirements vary, depending upon the state that you live. The application process can take as long as six months. This includes the initial application, civil service (law enforcement) examination, physical agility tests, interview process, polygraphs and then psychological evaluation.
After these initial step are successfully completed, comes the training part of the process. This includes the state police academy, where you will spend several hundred hours learning about laws, procedures, how to handle and work through field calls and scenarios, physical training, firearms and emergency vehicle operations courses etc...
If you successfully complete this part of the process, you will then be admitted into the Field Training Officer (FTO) program. This is when you will be assigned an experienced officer, who will train and evaluate you in the field. This can last as long as three months to a year until you will be eventually approved to patrol and answer calls in the field on your own. So if I were to determine the length of the entire process, it could last from one to two years. I hope this has been helpful.
Paul
Look up the application requirements of the agency and the city or county where you live for police officer training and determine its length
Look up your state law enforcement training academy and research how long its lasts, and how many hours are needed for police cadets to meet state requirements
Talk to a local police officer and get an idea of what they experienced in their application and training process
Normally the requirements vary, depending upon the state that you live. The application process can take as long as six months. This includes the initial application, civil service (law enforcement) examination, physical agility tests, interview process, polygraphs and then psychological evaluation.
After these initial step are successfully completed, comes the training part of the process. This includes the state police academy, where you will spend several hundred hours learning about laws, procedures, how to handle and work through field calls and scenarios, physical training, firearms and emergency vehicle operations courses etc...
If you successfully complete this part of the process, you will then be admitted into the Field Training Officer (FTO) program. This is when you will be assigned an experienced officer, who will train and evaluate you in the field. This can last as long as three months to a year until you will be eventually approved to patrol and answer calls in the field on your own. So if I were to determine the length of the entire process, it could last from one to two years. I hope this has been helpful.
Paul
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Harold Evans
Dedicated Operations Manager
43
Answers
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Updated
Harold’s Answer
It depends on the police department you join. Today the academy can take 6 months. When I applied for the Connecticut State police, it took 14 months to go through their hiring process. Good luck!