How does having 60 college credits beat 5 years as a military policeman in applying for a police department??

Question

Oak Lawn, Illinois is accepting applications for thier police department and one of the required qualifications is 60 hours of college. My enlistment in the U.S. Navy is over this November and after 5 years as a Military Policeman working in Force Protection/Anti-Terrorism, someone who has gone to a community college for a couple years with a degree in....Wait, it does not matter, because you could have studied ANYTHING, only the fact that you have 60 credit hours, not a degree, makes this person qualified and me unqualified? Someone please explain this to me, I called the number provided on the website and the woman told me that 60 hours is required and if you were military you get 5 points added to the test. How bout they keep thier 5 points and let me, and alot of people just like me, take the test and interview. Then if you do not want to hire me, ok. But the fact that I can not even take the exam because I am "unqualifed" is garbage.

I am not saying that my experience has anything to do with cililian law enforcement agencies. What I am saying is that with my experience I think I am qualified to at least take the exam. Someone said anyone with a pulse can be in the military, and it takes brains to get into a university, come on now, anyone can go to community college. I went to a state univeristy for a year but could not afford to stay there. So does that make me a nut job? I looked at your past questions Nighttrain, you are obviously a scholar.

Answer 1

I would say that you are way more qualified than someone who has completed about 3 years of college. I can't understand that either. I would say to get a letter from your direct superior and then speak with the chief or hiring officer for the department. I can tell you most of the police officers on the force in my town don't have any college.

Answer 2

As soon as I read this question I knew it had to be Illinois. I think your going to find most places you test are going to be like that. I've got my 4 year degree, while I don't think that it is worth any amount of experience that is what police departments are looking for. So knowing that was what they were looking for that is the route I went. 60 hours is nothing, even Chicago requires 60 hours. I need 60 hours of college credit to get beaned by a salt shaker thrown form the upper floors of a housing project? Some places like Elgin for instance require a 4 year degree. I think you need to find a department with no educational requirement, get hired there and then get back in school. Most depts will offer tuition assistance. Then when you get your sixty hours (or more), you will have education, and lots of experience both military and civilian. Then you can test with a department you want to work for, and laterally transfer. You have to admit by that time you would be a very attractive candidate.

Answer 3

There are some departments that require a four-year B.A. or B.S. degree as well. Is it justified? This depends.

One argument is that those who go to college are more likely to be "well rounded" and therefore more likely to be "sensitive" to those who are of different alienage, sexual orientation, race, economic status, and so forth. I'm not sure I buy this one because I just graduated from law school with some rabid homophobes...

Another argument is that advanced education is becoming more and more necessary just to function in this world, much more necessary to police officers, because it is in part their job to help the world function. This might be true, however, it is not exclusive. I'll take a guy with 5 years of good street smarts as a cop before I will some over-educated vague-thinking bozo anyday and twice on Sunday.

The trouble with this overeducated society is that it is top heavy, with the academians (with no perceptible connection to the reality of how life is for most) making the rules for all. Unfortunately, these same academians are prone to mental-masturbation, and we all see the results. A bogged down beaureaucratic nightmare where you have to be on some stupid exam "list" for five years before you can get a state job...

Answer 4

Rather than complain on here, call the chief of police and politely ask if he considers your experience a substitute for education. If he/she agrees, ask that the HR people amend the job qualifications listed in the announcement. It sounds like someone failed to think this all the way through, as usually education substitutes for experience.

I agree that your military police/security experience should more than qualify for any police agency. You may want to consider a position with a DoD police department. Your status as a veteran will push anyone with a college degree to the side during the hiring process.


Good luck!

Will D
Enterprise AL
http://www.notagz.com

Answer 5

here here. I was having this argument today about experience being worth more than education. I have been teaching preschool for four years and have two years of education under my belt in the field, yet a fresh from college degree holder with no experience can get a better job and pay. I know its not war and policing but I was battling hundreds of three year olds while these newbies were sitting in their classrooms looking at books. Parents, teachers, and even employers tell me I'm the one of the best that they've come across but I can't even get paid enough to go back to college and get the precious degree!

Answer 6

Because anyone with a heartbeat and can say yes sir is admitted to the military. There are to many morons out there who think that just cause they were in the military they are smart enough to be a cop. I guarantee you if you had those 60 credits with the 5 years of military experience you would easily get that job.

Answer 7

Every city has its own requirement...some academies can accept you without even going to college though its harder to get in......it seems like in your town college experiance is a requirement and having experiance gives you an edge.....Nowadays theres more brain work involved in Police work than before it is mandatory that policemen have education with psychology to help deal with suspects...they are looking for more educated people now a days though I think its kind of stupid they won't let you take the test I think you have enough credentials to try out the test

Answer 8

All you have to do is take a couple courses in a Comunnity College and they can count your military school and make it into College hours. They this for me I was a Medic in the Army and Between Basic, AIT , PLDC and BNOC they gave me credit hours for that. Find out and just get whast is left over, to apply for the job. I know what you are feeling after got out of the military with no College, there are tons of younger kids out there finished college and my DD-214 is not worth a thing.

Answer 9

because these days, they dont look at real life experience, all they know is who studied what in college and wehat degree you have. thats how i got beat out on a job for a foodservice managers position. never mind that fact that i have been in fodservice for over 25 years and done everything from scrub toilets to sign and pass out paychecks, hire, fire, train, etc etc. but let some snot nose brat, fresh out of college come thru the door, and has never set foot in the back of the house, and only the front as a custumer, come waving that piece of paper, and see who gets the job.
i feel ya man, i really do.

Answer 10

When you run into a department with the stupid lop sided rules, you can be sure that you don't really want to work for them anyway. Most likely, they are a corrupt good old boy department and you could not stand their lying, cheating, and stealing anyway. I would however send many letters to the editor of their local paper about this treatment of trained veterans. Your training is superior to any they give.