I am a junior at a criminal justice college and wanted to know how do I become a criminal investigator, what do I have to do? what job exactly do I have to apply for?
2007-10-16 05:20:14 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
If you are thinking investigator like 'CSI' the TV show, than I must warn you that there is no such thing as CSI Detectives.
It is all Hollywood make believe.
Real Police Detectives work cases. In real life "CSI" or Crime Scene Techs are non-sworn persons who work only at the discretion of the case Detective and take photos and collect and package evidence and finger prints.
If you want to work Forensics, you will need to get a job in a police lab, there you spend all day analyzing the evidence collected by and submitted by the Crime Scene Technicians.
Neither of the later ever investigate the crime, interview witnesses or suspects, carry guns , have arrest powers or anything like the TV show.
If you want to do that, go get a job as a street cop, hump calls for 5 or 10 years and then get made Detective and work your way to Sex Crimes or Homicide.
If you want to work as a Forensic Pathologist, a Medical Examiner, that is a Doctorate Degree that would be harder to get then being a regular Medical Doctor. There you do autopsies and try to figure out not what killed them.. but eliminate what did not kill them. That job also has no contact with witnesses, suspects and has no arrest powers.
Just trying to set you straight. The TV show has caused so many, especially young people, to get a false sense of what police work is. They think they go to school and get a degree and suddenly they are working in major case squads. Isn’t happening.
2007-10-16 05:58:40 · answer #1 · answered by Dog Lover 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Go to USA JOBS.GOV (link provided below) and put in Criminal Investigator and Special Agent (there are both the same job series in the federal government) in the title search block. There are over 100 agencies that hire Special Agents and Criminal Investigators from the well known FBI down to NOAA. So read through and get familiar with the different agencies.
2007-10-16 05:42:02 · answer #2 · answered by Matt 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a good idea to try and get an internship so that you have some idea of what kind of work you want to do. As far as how to get a job, there are usually websites you can search. For instance, I'm a forensic chemist and there's the american chemical society or the forensic society websites with all sorts of job listings. You can also check with the departments you would like to work for, whether that's government, a city force, or a county force.
2007-10-16 05:29:09 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have never heard of any department that hires investigators, they promote from within the department.
You start with a patrol assignment, you will most likely have to finish a probationary period in patrol before you are eligible to be assigned to investigations.
The department will usually assign an investigator based on job performance, seniority, and possibly a written test. Be prepared to put your time in patrol before getting any other assignment.
If you want to be a private investigator, that is a totally different story, but your ability to investigate crimes will be very limited in the private sector.
2007-10-16 05:28:32 · answer #4 · answered by trooper3316 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
AT A JUNIOR COLLEGE.
AA DEGREE.
YOU WILL HAVE TO EARN A SLOT BUT THE DEGREE WILL HELP, ONLY PROBLEM IS MOST OFFICERS NOW A DAYS HAVE A BA DEGREE AND A MASTERS. WORK ON AN ADVANCED DEGREE AND AFTER TWO YEARS OF PATROL EXPERIENCE, MAKE APPLICATION TO BE ASSIGNED TO DETECTIVES. (OR WHAT DEPT REQUIREMENTS ARE)
THE STATE WILL REQUIRE YOU TO BE IN GRADE FOR ONE YEAR AND THEN YOU CAN TAKE THE TEST FOR ADVANCEMENT.
CHECK WITH THE DEPARTMENT YOU GO TO.
SOME SMALLER DEPARTMENTS HIRE INVESTIGATORS OUT OF A TWO YEAR COLLEGE.
CHECK THE MILITARY. THEY WILL ENTER YOU INTO MP WITH A 2 YEAR DEGREE. YOU WILL BE PROMOTED TO E-3 AFTER BASIC E-4 AND AFTER A YEAR E-5. WHILE IN MP'S APPLY FOR CID WITH 2 YEAR DEGREE.(WARRANT OFFICER TRAINING ALSO AVAILABLE FOR A 2 YEAR DEGREE) DO YOUR 2 YEAR ENLISTMENT OR LONGER IF YOU WANT AND COME OUT QUALIFIED AS AN INVESTIGATOR.
THEN MAKE APPLICATION TO DEPT AS AN INVESTIGATOR WITH EXPERIENCE--MAY GET IN MAY NOT?
2007-10-16 05:47:35 · answer #5 · answered by ahsoasho2u2 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you are at criminal justice college I assume the best people to ask would be your tutors!
2007-10-16 05:23:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
some colleges have "law" or "criminal justice" majors. Otherwise, philosophy major with an ethics focus edit: boo redgator, I'm a philosophy minor. Philosophy is awesome
2016-05-22 22:58:54 · answer #7 · answered by dona 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't do it man. You might get a job but it will cost you your soul.
2007-10-16 05:53:51 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋