LAW ENFORCEMENT JOBS
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How to Apply - Training for a Law Enforcement Job
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How to apply for a Federal Law Enforcement Job
To apply for a job, most departments and agencies require that you complete and send to them their application form. Some may also require a letter of interest or resume. Once they receive your application they will then notify you when they are giving their written entrance test.
Federal Law Enforcement
Most federal agencies require that you submit either an 612 (Optional Application for Federal Employment), or an SF 171 (Application for Federal Employment). The SF-171 became obsolete on December 31, 1994. You can still use the form to apply but it is no longer available in an electronic format. Some agencies will accept a resume in lieu of these forms. Some agencies will accept your application at any time. When they offer their written entrance test, they will contact you and advise you of the date, time and location they will be giving their test. Other agencies will only accept your application to a specific job announcement. If they are not giving their entrance test until next year, then they will not accept your application until they offer the test. Consequently, they will not notify you when they are giving the test. You will have visit their website on a regular basis to see what their hiring status is and to be sure not to miss out on signing up for their test.
A lot of agencies give their test through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). OPM's is a federal agency that supports the federal government's ability to have the best workforce possible. They establish government wide policy and procedures for human resource management, act as a regulator and evaluator of agency behavior, and provide government wide services. One of those services is giving written entrance tests for some federal agencies. OPM acts as an impartial party and helps to eliminate any nepotism. When an agency is hiring OPM will give their test and then send to the hiring agency the top scores. In theory, if a person scored low on the test he would not be able to call his friends at that agency to help him out. OPM will not send his name and score to that agency until higher scoring applicants are hired first. OPM operates the website USAJOBS which lists over 20,000 federal jobs. You can search their website for law enforcement jobs that are offered through OPM as well as the individual agencies.
There are some tests you can take which will allow you to apply with several agencies. One of these tests is the Treasury Enforcement Agent Exam (TEA). The TEA exam was good for all of the agencies within the Department of the Treasury: Secret Service, Customs, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In 2003, the federal government did some reorganizing sending the Secret Service to the Department of Homeland Security and the ATF to the Department of Justice. Although they are no longer with the Treasury Department, both agencies still use the TEA exam as their entrance test.
Some agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) do not have a written entrance test. You send them your application and if they are hiring and you are qualified they will schedule you for an interview.
State Law Enforcement
Most State Police and Highway Patrol offices accept applications on an on-going basis. You can usually apply online or at least find their application forms online by visiting their website. Some agencies require you to send them a letter of interest, a resume, and a completed application. Some states have a state application that you must complete. Once you apply they will notify of their testing dates and locations. These are often listed on their website.
Most states also have an employment office that will have information on state law enforcement jobs. This is similar to the Office of Personnel Management on the federal level. Larger cities may have a state employment office that you can visit. Most states will have a website that will list all of the state jobs and application procedures.
County And City Law Enforcement
Most sheriff's offices and city police departments will accept applications on an on-going basis although some may only accept them when a job has been announced. You can visit these offices in person and pick up and application. For most jobs, you can also find an application form online by visiting their website. Most cities and counties have a separate human resource office that will have a listing of current openings and the application forms. In some locations, these offices may be combined providing information on both county and city jobs. The Human Resource Office usually has a website that lists available jobs. You can usually find their website by going to the city or county website and look for a link to "Human Resources."
Some departments may utilize an outside company to collect the applications and administer the test. This information will be listed in the job announcement posted on the city or county website.
Law Enforcement Training
After passing the written entrance test, oral interview, fitness test, background check, etc., you will then be sent to the training academy. Recruits are paid while attending the training academy. These academies can differ as to what is taught and how things are conducted. Most academies require students to achieve a 70 percentile in order to pass. Failure to pass academics, firearms, physical training or driver's training could result in the recruit being dismissed from training and therefore not receiving a badge and gun. Listed below is a general idea of what you can expect at the various training academies.
Federal Law Enforcement
Most federal law enforcement agencies conduct part if not all of their training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) located in Glynco, GA. Aside from the outdoor ranges and driving track, FLETC has the appearance of a college campus. On any given day, there could be 2,000 students training at FLETC. FLETC is comprised of retired federal, state and local officers who are now full-time instructors. There is also a contingency of active federal agents who are temporarily assigned to FLETC as instructors.
FLETC offers a variety of training programs including advance training for senior agents as well as training for state and local officers. New recruits usually attend either the Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) or the Uniformed Police Training Program (UPTP). 1811 criminal investigators attend the 11 week CITP. This may be a mixed class of agents from the Secret Service, ATF, Immigration and Custom Enforcement and other criminal investigative agencies. This program provides basic and fundamental training in the techniques of conducting criminal investigations. Courses of study include constitutional law, search and seizure, interviewing techniques, surveillance, undercover operations, arrest techniques, driver's training, defensive tactics, firearms and more.
The UPTP is for federal officers who usually work in a uniformed position. This includes the Secret Service Uniformed Division, the Capitol Police, the Mint Police and more. This program provides training in basic law enforcement knowledge, skills and abilities. Courses of study include constitutional law, interviewing techniques, report writing, arrest techniques, driver's training, defensive tactics, firearms and more.
Upon graduating from the FLETC program, recruits usually then attend their agency's training academy to learn the specific duties of their job. Some agency academies such as the U.S. Marshals Service are located at FLETC. Students then continue their training with Marshals Service instructors who teach the specific duties of being a Deputy U.S. Marshal. Other agencies such as the Secret Service have their training academy located at another facility. Upon graduating from FLETC, Secret Service Agents and Secret Service Uniformed Division Police Officers then go to Laurel, MD to attend the Secret Service Training Academy.
While at FLETC students usually stay on center in a dorm like facility. Some students may be housed in a local hotel if the is not enough room on center. There is a cafeteria-style dining room, classrooms, recreational facilities and a convenience store. Some agencies may have a curfew but students can generally come and go when class is not in session. Classes run Monday - Friday and sometimes on the weekends. A typical day runs from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Listed below is the link to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.
State Law Enforcement
Most states have a training academy that is funded by the state and provides basic and advanced training for State Troopers. Students are required to stay on center in dormitories which are sometimes open-bay dormitories. There is usually a separate classroom building and a cafeteria-style dining room. Basic training for troopers usually lasts around 25 weeks. State Police Training Academies are usually very disciplined and regimented. You will walk in formation and line up for inspection. During the week you are usually required to spend all of your time at the academy. On Friday night, you may be granted "liberty" and allowed to leave the academy for the weekend returning on Sunday night. Wake up call is given at 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. for the students to start their day. Classes typically start at 8:00 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m. Most academies have a "lights out" policy around 10:00 p.m.
New recruits will be trained in a variety of subjects including constitutional law, state law, report writing, defensive tactics, driver's training, crimes in progress, critical incident response training, responding to a suicidal person, traffic crash investigation, vehicle and traffic law, speed enforcement, DWI enforcement, arrest techniques, physical fitness and more.
Listed below are some links to three state police training academies. They give a good overview of what it is like to train for a state trooper.
City And County Law Enforcement
Most larger cities such as the Los Angeles and New York have their own training acadmies to train their city police officers and deputy sheriffs. For smaller departments, it is usually not feasible or affordable to operate their own academy. Therefore, they will send their recruits to a state run law enforcement training academy. These state run academies offer basic law enforcement training that is accredited by the Peace officers Standards and Training (POST) Council. One benefit to these state run academies is that you can sometimes attend them even though you have not been hired by a department. You would have to pay for the training. Upon graduating, you would receive a basic law enforcement certification. Possessing this certification makes you more attractive to smaller police departments. It shows them you will do what you have to, to get a job and it also saves the department money because they do not have to send you to the training academy.
Training academies for city and county law enforcement officers are similar to a state trooper academies. Some may not be quite as regimented and others may not require students to reside at the training center. Courses of study include constitutional law, state law, arrest techniques, booking procedures, report writing, cultural diversity, radio communications, driver training, firearms, nonlethal weapons, community relations, building searches, physical training, defensive tactics, and more.
Listed below are some links to city and state run training academies.
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HOMELAND SECURITY JOBS
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) - employees are responsible for adjudicating and processing the host of applications and forms necessary to ensure the immigration of people and their families to the United States, from initial stages through their transition, to permanent residence, and finally to citizenship.
U.S. Coast Guard - civilian employees work together with military personnel to save lives, enforce the law, operate ports and waterways, and protect the environment.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - employees prevent losses from disasters wherever possible, and assist when they do happen. you will be part of an intensely-focused team dedicated to helping our country prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employees enforce immigration and customs laws, safeguard U.S. commercial aviation, and protect Federal facilities.
U.S. Secret Service - employees have the dual missions of protecting our nation’s leaders, and criminal investigation involving law enforcement, security, information technology, communications, administration, intelligence, forensics, and other specialized fields.
U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees help secure our transportation infrastructure from future terrorist acts in intelligence, regulation enforcement and inspection positions.
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) employees develop the skills, knowledge, and professionalism of law enforcers from 80+ Federal agencies in this unique inter-agency training organization.
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