PoliceLink

Once you’ve passed the written test, the oral interview, the physical agility test, and you’ve successfully jumped through a few other hoops, you’re probably ready for the background investigation. How ironic that part of the process to become a crime fighter is to be investigated by one! In this competitive job market, the background investigation is becoming even more important to ...

These days, a career in law enforcement doesn’t mean you have to patrol the mean streets of an urban jungle or walk the cell block of the state prison. One of the most popular areas of police work today is forensics. But the term “forensic science” means so much more than what you see on Wednesday’s episode of “CSI.” Simply put, ...

I’ll never forget when I told my mom I wanted to be a cop. It was about 1973, very early in the history of women in patrol work, so when I said “I want to study law enforcement” she said “You want to be a lawyer?” “No Mom, I want to be a cop.” She looked at me sideways and replied ...

As a former member of my department’s recruitment team, I’ve seen it all. The best and the worst of potential candidates approach us at career fairs, drop in at the department for a tour or stop by for an application. There are always certain candidates that make us look at our fellow recruiters and say “wow!” There are others that make ...

In these tough times, the law enforcement workplace is extremely competitive. Secure the position you want with new skills and credentials – online from Florida Tech. A degree from a world-renowned university will help you succeed through any economy. Develop the expertise that will enable you to move into a rewarding new area of law enforcement with one of Florida ...

Congratulations! You just got that law enforcement job you’ve been going after for months, maybe even years. Whether you’re just starting the academy or it’s your first day of field training, you’ve got so much to learn, so much to think about, so much to do! But I’m going to give you one more thing that you must start planning for ...

*“Forget everything you learned in the academy”* At least one veteran officer is going to say this to you as you begin your FTO program. And you know what? They’re probably right! All those weeks you spent learning about tactics, law, procedure, ethics, human behavior, report writing, firearms and traffic stop procedures from that dedicated cadre of police trainers? Forget it ...

In any officer survival training class worth attending there will be lots of talk about your “mindset” and being mentally prepared for any encounter or confrontation you may face on the street. Every cop is aware that that police work can be a dangerous job, but a true survival mindset involves not merely being _aware_ that something bad can happen, but ...

*Start with some one-on-one time* One of the best training sessions I ever attended was one-on-one with a fellow officer who taught me (yes, this will totally show my age) how to “word process” on something called a “personal computer.” I was a new sergeant who had been told I’d better learn how to how to use a PC; he was ...

Do you love the idea of being involved in crimefighting but are not sure you’re ready, willing or able to strap on a gun, a badge, and a TASER? Fortunately for you, there are literally hundreds of opportunities to work in law enforcement without being a sworn officer. In fact, your most difficult decision may be which position to go after, ...

You’re out of the academy, done with field training and out on your own. You may be just off probation, ten years into the job, a detective, a supervisor, a manager; you may even be the chief, but chances are, you’re hoping to _never_ have to sit in a classroom again. After all, isn’t most of what we learn in law ...

One of the most popular workshops we teach is titled “What Did You Just Say?!” We call it that because if we called it “Organizational Communication for Professional Police Agencies” no one would hire us. Attending classes on how to communicate with each other is right up there with sexual harassment prevention, cultural diversity training, and learning CPR; its stuff we ...

The very last thing on my mind the day I was hired by my police department was getting promoted. Oh sure, I had a fleeting fantasy that “some day” I’d be the agency’s first female chief. But I was mostly concerned with getting through the academy and then on to field training; in other words, I desperately wanted to be a ...

Most of us start the academy with a servant’s heart. Remember the old LAPD motto “To Serve and Protect?” That’s all of us, that’s supposed to be what cops are all about, but pretty quickly into your law enforcement career, it becomes less about “them” and more about “us.” We separate ourselves from the rest of society, even from our family ...

In these tough times, the law enforcement workplace is extremely competitive. Secure the position you want with new skills and credentials – online from Florida Tech. A degree from a world-renowned university will help you succeed through any economy. Develop the expertise that will enable you to move into a rewarding new area of law enforcement with one of "Florida Tech’s ...

You don’t really want to be a cop, do you? Fighting crime, saving lives, big guns, fast cars, a cool uniform, hot calls; that stuff’s not for you. The hours are long, the gratitude is short-lived, and there may occasionally be people trying to kill you when you’re just trying to make a living and do a little good. Take some ...

Teenagers get a bad rap. Many adults think that teens today are nothing but a lazy, drug-crazed, sexually obsessed, over-privileged, video-game-addicted drain on society…all the same things that adults thought about my generation, except for the video game part. In reality, this current generation of teens may be the next “Greatest Generation;” many have an excellent work ethic, a deep sense ...

People always ask me, “Why did you become a cop?” I’d love to have a great philosophical answer like, “I wanted to have the opportunity to give back to my community” or a really cool answer like “I wanted to drive fast cars, shoot big guns and put evil men behind bars” or even the standard oral board interview answer everyone ...

You’ve filled out the endless applications, taken the tests, sailed through the interviews, rocked the physical agility test, and chosen your police department; now you’re finally in the academy. Whether you find yourself at the local junior college or at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, there’s no doubt this is going to be tough, and its just going to get ...

Whether you’re planning to advance your career in homeland security, CSI, juvenile justice, the FBI or another criminology-related field, a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with a minor in Human Resources Administration from top-ranked Florida Tech is a great place to start. The university’s 100% online learning program enables you to serve and protect your community, and secure your own ...