Military to law enforcement career change??

Question

I'm about to separate from the military and i have long had an intrest in law enforcement. I would like to know what I need to do to make the hiring board look at my package and say "this is who we need on our team". Any input from officers both active and retired would be greatly appreciated.

I've been thinking about the CHP but the only thing that is keeping me from sending in the application is the getting assigned in LA. Whats the deal with that? Does every new officer go there. Reason i bring this up is that i'm stationed in northern california and i really like it up here.

Answer 1

apply to dozens and dozens of departments,

prior military is a real plus in most departments,

Answer 2

I was in the Marines and Army before going into law enforcement. I have been an officer now for 4 years and I am a FTO (field training officer) and a THI (traffic homicide investigator) as well as many other schools. Agencies prefer two types of people. Those who are prior military, or those who have college. I would ensure that your entire resume is updated with any awards and training that you have received. If you had any combat experience, leadership, or terrorism training that will also look real good in your resume. If you have a great drive to succeed and are professional you should not have any problems. As you begin to discharge from the military, there are several classes the government puts you through to complete a resume and contacts you can send them too. I would get in touch with those agencies located on your base. And good luck.

Answer 3

The transition from Military to Police/Law Enforcement is easy. The Military prepares you for the hard training in the Academy, and that "yes sir, no sir" routine. In most major Police Forces you will need at least 60 college credits to become a candidate. You will get preference points on the exam for being a Vet. Your military record will speak for itself once you are on the job, but you must first take and pass an exam and be put on a list. The higher you score on the exam the higher your list number will be. You cannot just walk in and say "Here's my military records, I am great. I what the job". You will be competing against everyone else who wants the job via the initial exam. I would suggest that if you want to work in Northern California that you apply for the force in a City in that local. Good Luck

Answer 4

You should consider getting a college degree. Getting a college degree is one of the best things that you can do. Don't do anything illegal, maintain a good reputation, keep a good driving record, don't get bad credit, improve all of your communication skills as much as you can, practice to improve your observation and memory skills, and become as physically fit as you can. How well you do on written tests and during interviews can be very important when trying to get law enforcement officer jobs. Make sure to prepare for any tests and interviews. Getting law enforcement officer jobs can be competitive. However, all else being equal, a candidate that is a veteran with a college degree has a very good chance of getting hired.

Answer 5

Now is definitely the time to apply. Most police departments are actively looking for new officers, and with a military background, you'd probably be an ideal candidate. Put in lots of applications. Go for ride-alongs with some officers in towns that you are interested in. You can get some good advice from them. You'll need to prepare yourself for written exams, oral boards, physical exams, and lie detector tests. The way the lie detector tests usually work, is they will have you answer a bunch of questions on a form in writing. (Have you ever done drugs? If so, how long ago? Why? --Questions like that.) Then they hook you up to the lie detector and ask things like "Did you answer the question 'Have you ever done drugs' truthfully?" Anyway, if you have a relatively clean background, then you should have no problem at all finding a career in law enforcement. Good luck! And if you make it, welcome to the family!

Answer 6

Start pre-discharge,
This is the CHP recruitment site for military:
http://www.chp.ca.gov/recruiting/html/military.html
If you have a good military package, I don't think that you will need to do anything more than let it stand, just make sure it is completely up to date with any awards, commendations, training certificates, etc.

CHP deploys more officers in L.A. than anywhere else. They do everything by seniority. The officers lowest in seniority work where no one else wants to, which could be Highway 14 in the Mojave Desert. You can always apply for transfer once you are qualified.

Answer 7

What did you do in the military? Did you do any MP duty? Otherwise, I'd suggest you prep a resume noting any law or weapons training you've successfully passed. And it wouldn't hurt to have a written recommendation from a high ranking officer you served under.

Most all law enforcement agencies give perference to applicants with any military service, be that active reserve or honorably discharged.

Assuming you've served in combat ( Iraq ), it's good to note you're in top physical shape, highly trained in our Nation's defense and are eager to enter into a career in law enforcement.

Answer 8

The keys are simple: confidence and honesty.

Show them you CAN do the job, and WANT to do the job, and KNOW you can. And honesty is something that is absolutely harped on in most departments. They don't want officers they can't trust.

Remember those and you will be fine. The military will be a big plus as well.

Answer 9

Don't know much about the Air Force. If you were in the Security Police I know that experience is viewed very highly, even higher than a degree from a school. Good luck.

Answer 10

Police work is considered paramilitary. We love to hire prior military. Just put your military training package with your application. That's all.

Answer 11

i'm not a law enforcement officer but I know alot of them that did the same thing you want to do. they applied to a university with a law enforcement program graduated & became excellent officers.