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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 ...

A polygraph exam is often a “make or break” part of the police testing process, but it’s often difficult to prepare for and even understand. As Richard Nixon said “I don’t know anything about lie detectors other than they scare the hell out of people!” Polygraph testing is used far more in government pre-employment processes than in the private sector. In ...

The first thing most people think of when they here the term ‘special agent’ is the FBI. In reality, the FBI is only one of almost 100 federal law enforcement agencies that employ special agents. [widget:368] Special agents serve in all three branches of government – the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch – and many of the ...

Criminal Justice programs combine a broad variety of topics and discliplines related to law enforcement, the courts, and America’s criminal justice system. Most Criminal Justice programs offer specific concentrations to focus on, such as: [widget:366] • Crime and criminology for those interested in law enforcement • Justice Policy for those interested in law and public policy • Community Justice for those ...

Because there are millions of scholarships available, you’re almost guaranteed to fit eligibility requirements. We have hundreds of scholarships worth millions of dollars that are available to just about anyone. Many students assume that they have to be brilliant, or athletically talented, or gifted musically, to earn a scholarship for college. What they don’t realize is that sometimes they just need ...

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 ...

You’ve decided to go back to college. You figured how to pay for it (or have your agency do so). You’ve set up a place in your home to study for exams and do papers. But here’s the question that many people ask…what should you study? Picking a major has never been harder than it is now. With the explosion of ...

While police entrance processes vary widely from state to state, and even from department to department, most law enforcement applicant screening processes begin with the written exam. By starting with the written exam, most sheriffs and police chiefs (having been one I understand this concept) use the written exam as just that: a screening tool. Written exams are a fairly cheap ...

So you want to be a SWAT Officer, huh? Many individuals can put together an article about theories and research from their respective fields of training and tactical experiences. Many can also quote statements from books that have been written from many of the so called modern day warriors in years past. However, looking at today’s modern times and current threats ...

*“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 ...

Degrees such as Criminal Justice, Homeland Security, and Forensic Science seem like the logical choice for a planned career in law enforcement, but they’re not the only choice, and sometimes may not even be the best option. [widget:366] Many law enforcement agencies, federal investigative agencies in particular, are involved in very complex investigations every day of the year -investigations that cannot ...

I had been a field training sergeant for several years when we hired a new recruit who sat down with my boss and told him that she really didn’t have the time or the inclination to go through all that silly police academy and patrol officer stuff. She asked to be immediately assigned to our Investigations Division as a detective, and ...

Many aspiring federal agents think they can just take the entrance exam, get through the interviews, and breeze through the polygraph. That mindset couldn’t be farther from the truth. [widget:368] Like with any professional career, you need to position yourself to ensure you are the best qualified candidate. For college-age individuals, one of the best opportunities you can take advantage of ...

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 ...

Wouldn't it be great if there was one and _only one_ police entrance exam for every department in the nation? However, as many of you know, that's just not the case. Every police agency has different requirements and different attributes they are looking for in an employee, which means you could take a dozen police entrance exams and none of them ...

Twelve years ago I got my first departmental email address and thought it was the coolest and most comprehensive electronic communication tool that I would ever use or need. I also assumed it was completely private, belonged only to me and that when I hit “delete” it went away forever. For an oldster who was born prior to 1960, I’ve learned ...

PoliceLink has partnered with Informed, the premier publisher for public safety field guides, to provide our members with exclusive downloadable versions of the new 3rd Edition Law Enforcement Field Guide, free of charge. The new 3rd edition Law Enforcement Field Guide™ offers instant access to vital information for all law enforcement, corrections, and reserve officers, including supervisors & commanders. It puts ...

As with an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice, a Master’s degree in the field is used to enhance a career in the criminal justice field. In most cases, the degree is sought after and obtained by highly motivated leaders in public service, such as the command staff of a law enforcement agency or directors in federal law enforcement. [widget:366] The coursework ...

Through all of the law-enforcement hiring articles, emails, and discussions I've been involved with, one thing has become clear: a person’s ability to be hired is not in the stars. It's in the patterns you can read in their lives, and police chiefs, sheriffs, and the recruiters and background investigators that work with them, are looking for those patterns. The best ...

Concentrations and degrees in Homeland Security are a new concept within academia. Since 9/11, the federal government has heavily invested in helping community colleges, four-year institutions, and postgraduate schools create Homeland Security curriculum. [widget:366] Homeland Security is now one of the hottest government careers, with thousands of jobs available in the: • US Department of Homeland Security • US Department of ...