Ask yourself this question. Are you ready to work the next twenty-five years, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year, including holidays? If you answered yes, then you just made the first step of many to come.
Desire
You have showed desire if you answered yes to the above question, but
you have got to want to do this job. Its not a job that you just
do for money. Because your not going to make much of it and your not
going to become rich.
Integrity
If you do not know what this is, or you do not have it you will never
make it.
courage
Not only to face the situations you will find
yourself in, but to face the mistakes you will make, and the ridicule
you will endure.
Schooling
Most departments will not even consider you without some college or a
degree. Just remember book smarts and street smarts are two
different things. The state academy will tell you that your
best officers usually score between 75%-85%. Basically smart
enough to do the job, but dumb enough not to find something safer to
do for a living.
Ok, I have the desire and I got my schooling I'm ready....
I hope so, you have a lot of hard work in front of you.
Application
Process
Get ready to fill out alot of applications before you get your first
interview, unless you know an officer that can give you a great
reference.
Written
Test
Usually around a two hundred
questions, to see if you have good judgment, and to see how much you
know about the law and police work. This is a pass or fail test
which about eighty percent fail, and are booted.
Agility
Test
Run a few miles, pull dummies, jump through windows, jump over items
etc. You are compared with how others do, and a basic standard.
Background
Check
If you have any kind of criminal record that is bad or a lot of
tickets you might as well forget it.
Polygraph/
Lie detector
Most departments require you to submit to polygraph testing.
Where they have you fill out a form of around hundred and fifty
questions, then hook you up to the machine. Just be honest and
you will do fine.
Oral
Review Board
Consist of police officers, sergeants, and lieutenants, and can be the
longest 30 min of your life. You will be given hypothetical
situations or scenarios in which you are the police officer and you
have to tell the board how you would take care of these situations.
Sounds easy right? It's not. The questions that are asked
could stump a veteran officer. Some questions don't even have a
right answer.
Physical
Exam
Two days of lifting, squeezing, pushing, pulling, coughing, giving
blood, along with other samples.
Physiological
testing
This is a test you take when you are hired. It consist of
several test that have a total of 886 questions and takes around four
and a half hours to take. Once the test is completed you must go
take one more test at the doctors that consist of 187 questions and a
thirty min interview with the doc. Basically they want to make
sure your crazy enough to be a cop.
Now that I have made it through all that and I have been hired its over right?
Nope your just getting started. "Oh and if you get a new job with another agency later in your career get ready to do all of the above again.
Commitment
Most departments will not hire you
full-time unless you have some type of past law enforcement
experience. So if you get hired by a department you may
spend several years as a part-time (PT) or reserve (RS) police officer
before they may consider you for a full time job.
This
commitment can include PT/RS FTO training, along with part-time police
academy which includes 80 hours of schooling that you will not be
paid to go through.
You will also be required to work a number of hours per month, on top of your other full-time job. This can be overwhelming at times. Especially if a major event (tornado, etc.) happens that requires the department to rely on their part-time and reserve officers.
THE
FULL-TIME POLICE ACADEMY
Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC)
- More schooling
Twelve weeks away from home. Includes the following training:
560 hours of training
|
Law Enforcement
Ethics and Discretion (7 hours) Community Oriented Policing: (4 Hours) Kansas Criminal Justice System, Authority and Jurisdiction (3 Hours) Constitutional Law (2 Hours) Kansas Criminal Code (13 Hours) Criminal Procedure and Laws of Arrest (2 Hours) Search and Seizure (13 Hours) Admissions and Confessions (5 Hours) Civil Process (3 Hours) Civil and Criminal Liability of Law Enforcement (4 Hours) Liquor Laws (2 Hours) Communications (12 Hours) Cultural Awareness (4 Hours) Hate Bias Crimes (2 Hours) Report Writing for Law Enforcement (11 Hours) Field Notes (Note-taking and Report Writing) (2 Hours) Kansas Incident Base Reporting System (KIBRS) (8 Hours) Patrol Procedures (2 Hours) Patrol Activities (2 Hours) Law Enforcement Radio Procedures (1 Hour) Pedestrian Stops (2 Hours) Vehicle Stops Course (12 Hours) Roadblocks & Barricades (2 Hours) Crimes in Progress (1 Hour) Building Search Lecture (2 Hours) Crowd Control and Civil Disorder (2 Hours) Crime Prevention Techniques (1 Hour) Domestic and International Terrorism and Gangs (4 Hours) Officer Survival Lecture (8 Hours) Practical Problem in Officer Survival Course (8 Hours) Practical Problem in High Risk Vehicle Stops (8 Hours) Practical Problem in Low Risk Vehicle Stops (4 Hours) Practical Problems in Building Searches (4 Hours) National Crime Information Center (2 Hours) Law Enforcement Officer as First Responder (3 Hours) Securing the Crime Scene (1 Hour) Interview and Interrogation Techniques (12 Hours) Identifying, Collecting, and Processing Evidence (4 Hours) Forensic Evidence (2 Hours) Fingerprinting (4 Hours) Identification of Suspects (1 Hour) Theft Investigations(1 Hour) Auto Theft Investigations (1 Hour) Financial Crimes (2 Hours) Burglary Course (1 Hour) Injury and Death Cases (5 Hours) Robbery Course Code: (2 Hours) Sex Crimes Course (6 Hours) Child Abuse and Neglect (5 Hours) Controlled Substance (8Hours) Informants and Intelligence (2 Hours) Surveillance (1 Hour) Emergency Response and Pursuit Driving (4 Hours) |
Practical Problems in Criminal
Investigations (24 Hours) Introduction to Kansas Vehicle Code (1 Hour) Kansas Traffic Code Definitions (2 Hours) Title, Registration and Vehicle Identification (1 Hour) Kansas Driver Licensing (1 Hour) Kansas Vehicle Insurance Requirements (1 Hour) Kansas Rules of the Road (6 Hours) Serious Offenses and Fatality Statutes (1 Hour) Occupant Safety and Restraint (2 Hours) Traffic Enforcement Strategies (1 Hour) Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs (SFST) (24 Hours) Collision Investigation (22 Hours) Introduction to Traffic Direction and Control (1 Hour) Introduction to Grade Crossings (2 Hours) Hazardous Material Awareness – First Responder Training (4 Hours) Behavior Management and Crisis Intervention (2 Hours) Interaction with Special Needs Citizens (6 Hours) Crisis Management Strategies (3 Hours) Juvenile Law and Justice (4 Hours) IJuvenile Intervention and Prevention Strategies (3 Hours) Domestic Violence Intervention (8 Hours) Practical Problems in Domestic Violence Intervention (8 Hours) Use of Force (4 Hours) Use of Force - Continuum (4 Hours) Practical Problems in the Use of Force (1 Hour) Arrest Procedures (4 Hours) Handcuffing and Control Techniques(4 Hours) Introduction to Transporting Prisoners: (1 Hour) Prisoner Booking, Lock-up and Identification: (2 Hours) Juvenile Custody - Special Needs (2 Hours) Transporting Prisoners – Practical Exercise (3 Hours) Law Enforcement Baton (4 Hours) Use of OC Spray (4 Hours) Tactical Self Defense (32 Hours) Physical Conditioning (21 Hours) Emotional Health and Stress Management (4 Hours) Fundamentals of Courtroom Testimony (2 Hours) Rules of Evidence(4 Hours) Practical Exercise – Courtroom Testimony (8 Hours) Introduction to Firearms (2 Hours) Fundamentals of Marksmanship (4 Hours) Basic Auto Pistol Fundamentals (4 Hours) Mechanics of the Draw (1 Hour) Reduced Light Shooting Techniques (1 Hour) Introduction to Shotgun (4 Hours) Shotgun Practical Exercises (4 Hours) Handgun Practical Exercises (32 Hours) Reduced Light Practical Exercises (1 Hour) Legal Aspects of Emergency Vehicles Operations (2 Hours) Fundamentals of Emergency Vehicle Operations (3 Hours) Vehicle Dynamics (2 Hours) Practical Exercise in Emergency Vehicle Operations (24 Hours) |
This is a pass or fail. The schooling consist of six test having 55 to 100 questions on them. Mess this up and you start all over, plus have to wait a year to go back to the KLETC
Alright I have made it through the KLETC, now I'm ready to hit the street right?
Not quite yet rookie!
equipment - How about wearing 30 lbs of it everyday
 Safety comes first! that is why the item every officer puts on first, is the bullet proof vest which usually sits on top of a t-shirt |
 Next are the uniforms. Usually made out of Cotton, Polyester, or a blend of the two. |
 Shoes or boots that can stand severe weather conditions like snow, water and heat. |
 The Duty Belt, holds everything an officer needs in order to conduct business. |
Handgun |
Handcuffs |
Extra Magazines  |
Pepper Spray
|
Baton |
Mini Light |
Key holder |
Portable Radio
|
Flashlight |
Gloves
CPR Mask |
Knife |
X26 Taser |
MORE
EQUIPMENT
you thought that was all? think
again.
The Officer's Briefcase contains many forms, a cite
book, manuals, penal code and vehicle code books, pens,
pencils, first aid supplies and if there is room, some snacks.
Some officers takes a War Bag with them when on patrol.
This bag contains extra handcuffs, additional ammunition,
flashlight batteries, helmet, survival gear like t-shirts and
underwear, soap, shaving supplies, first aid kit, and any
other equipment needed for an extended stay on the job.
Getting all of this equipment ready and keeping it in top condition is a daily task for an officer, before he/she even hits the streets. Don't forget you have the patrol car full of equipment too.
Field
Training
Book Sense and
Street Sense are two totally different things. Get ready to ride along
with a supervisor for the next few weeks, or even months depending on
how you do, and how fast you learn.
Ok, my field training is over, now what?
Probation
This could be a few months or even a year. Just remember getting
the job is the easy part, keeping it is the hard part. One big mistake and
you could be gone.
keep in mind after all of this work only about 1 in 3 people make it more then a few years in a law enforcement career before they quit.
Yearly
certification training
Forty plus hours of training to keep your full time certification
through the KLETC.
Now I'm a cop.... What's next?
Stress
This is one
word you will become to know very well. You will need to learn
how to manage it or thrive on it. Police work is one of the most
stressful jobs in the world. You will see things that most
people could not start to handle, and do things that most people would
run from. It takes a different type of person when someone comes
and tells you there is a man with a gun outside. Most people
would try to do as much as they can to stay as far away from the man
with the gun. You on the other hand will have to be the type
that will head right to him.
Family
It can be very
hard to balance family and job. Family must come first, but they
must understand that at a moments notice you might have to leave, or
you might be late coming home, and in some cases you might never come
home.
Friends
When you
take the job as a cop, you will find out quick who your real friends
are. It makes some people uncomfortable being around cops.
Also its hard for cops to relate to a civilians sometimes. Even old
friends. It takes work to keep trust and understanding in a
friendship.
Lawyers/
Court
Don't really need to say much about this, most people know how Lawyers
can be. As for court get ready to be there early in the morning
after you have worked all night. The thing that will really make
you mad is when your county attorney lessens charges to get a
conviction.
Law
suites
Mess up doing your job real bad, and you can lose everything you own,
including your house.
Corruption
With-in your department or with-in your local
government, this can be a very hard thing to overcome.
Community
Relations
This is very
important. If you do not keep most of the public behind you, it
can become almost impossible to do your job well.
Promotions
Can make the job even more challenging, and more stressful.
Burnout
This comes from
all the above. Just listen to a scanner or a police radio, you can
tell the guys which are burnt out.
Death
There is a law enforcement
officer killed in the USA about every fifty-four hours. Keep
sharp and don't let your guard down. Think safety at all times even
when you're off duty, if there really is such a thing.
Retirement
If you make it this far, you will have years of stories, some good,
some bad. Make the most of your retirement because the average
life span of a police officer is about 12 years less then a normal
person.
So ask yourself, do you have what it takes to be a cop?
If you made it this far, and most won't, you might be asking yourself why anyone would want to work in law enforcement. Well, law enforcement can be a very rewarding, and exciting profession. I'm not trying to scare you in to not working in law enforcement. Just want you to have an idea of what it takes to be a cop. Just remember, law enforcement is not just a job, it's a profession, and a lifetime commitment.
Click here to Apply
By
Chief Matt Dennis
Cherryvale Police Department