Ideas to help you soar through your law enforcement career

By Mike Simmons

You have seen it in the movies, right? Being a law enforcement officer is cool! You get to wear a gun and a badge, drive fast, and use blue lights. What could be more fun? Well, a lot of things. Entering into the law enforcement (police or corrections) profession requires work, and a boatload of it! However, there are many areas that you can work on to prepare you, even before you look into becoming employed in the industry.

How many professions allow you to walk around with a badge and a gun, and the authority to either let citizens go free, take their freedom away, or take their life? Uhm…I can count on one hand – one.

The standards for being an officer are pretty high – higher than most professions. You probably won’t agree to some of them. That’s okay, neither do I. But you will have to meet them, even if you don’t agree. Even though there are many agencies and many states and the hiring requirements vary, there are some common conditions to meet.

1. They will check your background. This seems obvious. Law Enforcement (police and corrections) officers are placed in some precarious and tempting situations much of the time. If someone has committed crimes in the past, they are more likely to repeat such offenses. Felony convictions and misdemeanors involving fraudulent activities are often (but not always) reasons for rejection. But, a simple background check is not enough. For LEOs (Law Enforcement Officers), some agencies will go further and check with teachers, neighbors, friends, and family. Some people protest about investigators nosing around in their business. Get used to it. If they are to hold you to a higher standard, you must reach that standard. The best thing is to not become involved in criminal activity.
2. You need to be physically fit. Many people think that law enforcement agencies cannot hold you to a fitness level, but that is not true. You don’t have to be ready to win an Olympic decathlon, but you must be able to get around pretty well. Most standards include running 1 ½ miles, situps, and pushups. Some people believe that they cannot be mandated to perform, but they would be wrong.
3. Graduate high school. If you are in high school, stay there! Graduate! I don’t know of any law enforcement agency that will hire you without a high school diploma. If you didn’t get it in high school, get a GED. If you are in school now and think you can be an officer without graduating, have a nice life – in something other than enforcing the law.
4. The more law enforcement training you have the better. Many states don’t require a college degree to be an officer, but all of them require either a college degree or completion of the law enforcement academy. Here is the bottom line. You will probably need to graduate from the academy to become an officer, but you will need a college degree in order to advance through the ranks. Some young people decide to go to college first and the academy next. Others go in reverse order. Whatever order you go in, DO BOTH!
5. Service in the United States military helps. Many states offer hiring and promotion points for time served in the military. Others don’t officially recognize the service, but supervisors are almost always more impressed with the activity, maturity, and understanding of someone with prior military experience.
6. They will look at your driving record. If you want to be an LEO, watch your driving. Let’s ask a question: How ethical is it for officers to charge people for driving badly when they are doing the same or worse? The job of a law enforcement officer is to enforce obedience to the laws. Well…follow them yourself.
7. Having the wrong buddies. Can a law enforcement agency actually put someone in jail for having the wrong friends? No, but they can (and will) connect you to them in their records. And further, they will take that into consideration when the time for hiring comes around.
8. Social Media. If you meet someone and want to find out more about them, where do you go? You go to social media. Do they have accounts on the big ones – Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X, etc.? If you check, why do you not think that law enforcement agencies do? Of course they do! Further, have you ever posted about politics, ridiculous crimes, or controversy on social media? Remember, everything you do or say is a reflection on your department, whether before or after you got into the business. Yes, you can be held accountable for that. Be mindful of what you post.
9. Don’t use drugs. You may be thinking, “If I’m not caught and arrested, no harm has been done.” Wrong. Of course, you don’t want to be arrested for drug use. Yes, that will show up on your record. But remember this: You will undergo a lie detector test, and drug use will show up on it. If, however, you are in the habit of gambling with your career, then give it a try. Can you beat a lie detector? Possibly. A lot of it depends on the person administering the exam. But think about it…Not only are these people trained to give a lie detector, but they are usually also trained investigators, who likely know the answer before they even ask the question. Do yourself a favor – don’t even start.
10. They will know. When thinking about drug use being illegal, don’t stop there. Think about other criminal acts. Thefts, DUIs, computer crimes, fraudulent practices…it goes on. Believe me, detectives are very good at detecting lies and deceit. Even if you don’t admit to a crime, the detective’s report will reflect that you were not being honest. Who wants to hire a crooked cop?

The career of a law enforcement officer is the most fulfilling in existence. Yes, it is very cool to be one. But it holds its members to a higher standard. Does every officer conduct himself/herself to those standards? Of course not. You only have to watch the news to find that out. But, in today’s world, agencies cannot afford to allow their officers to behave inappropriately. As a result, law enforcement agencies get rid of people every day who don’t adhere to this high standard – officers and applicants. It is not easy, but it is the best profession you will ever get into.

Stay safe.

Mike