Hello, my name's Alex and I'm a 16 year old junior from south western Indiana. I'm VERY interested in becoming a cop. It's my dream and I want to do everything in my power to make it come true, which leads to my question. What can I do now do help my chances. Are there any types of programs for kids my age? Also what would you suggest I do after high school? Thank you for your input.
If anyone would like to be like a pen pal or something like that, someone I can go to for advice, that would be awesome too.

Alex, I am Mike and am also 16 (and a musician like you).. Academics are important. See if your department requires a college degree, many do these days. Also, broaden your horizen to other departments as well. Be sure to stay crime free, especially when you drive. If you have a job, be the best employee you can. All these little things help. Please repond back if you have more questions, I will be glad to help.

Thanks for all the great advice guys. This explorer program sounds promising. I'm torn between military or college. I live close to a college that I can get a very good criminal justice degree in. If I go that way I'll get a bachelors. But maybe it would look better and prepare me more to go into the military(probably marines) and get an associates on the side. I just don't know right now.

Alex, also make sure you can work well with others and can handle stressful situations.

Lepage, some departments allow you to apply when you are either 19 or 21. Call your local department for further info.

If the military is what you choose, then I recommend an MOS which will give you marketability later in life (computers, aviation, etc...). I was in the Infantry for 8 years and there's not a whole lot of civilian jobs, sans law enforcement, where those skills would be marketable. I don't regret a nano-second of my military service, but I wish I would have put more thought into what to do after the Army. I can't be a cop forever, y'know.

Hi. My name is Garrett Heller and I am 13 and also would like to be an aviation unit officer. I have been to a handful of air units all around my state and have talked about what I should do.They have said to join an explore post. A good way I have met officers is through patch collecting and photography of police vehicles. If you ever look on copcar.com under the TX folder you will see lots of my Dallas area car pictures. By the way if anybody has any air units patches from any where I’m interested. If any body has some advice about getting into an air unit please contact me. Thanks!

I just read a pamplet about San Antonio Police Department's pay and you will recive extra each month if you have a college education.