Forensic Science Careers and How To Obtain A Career In Law Enforcement
How To Become A Crime Scene Investigator
Starting a career in law enforcement or a career in forensic science can be a lifetime of rewarding work.
I have a great respect for law officers who do their job and do it with honor and dignity, I just don’t see why anyone would want to put up with all that to become a law enforcement officer. God Bless You if you’re one of them!
How to Become a Police Officer
If your plans include becoming a police officer, then you have several paths to consider. If you live in or near a major city, chances are that city has a training academy. If you’re still in school, see your career counciler for more information. If your school does not have a counciler, then contact the city or county that you wish to work for. This can be a low cost way of obtaining the necessary training to begin your career in law enforcement.
Many Metro and County Police Departments have a “Career Day” when they open the Academy and Police Department up to Students and citizens interested in becoming a police officer. Contact your local Police department or County to see when their Career Day is.
One free way to get the training and education you need to become a Police Officer is through the U.S. Military. You can even get funds later to go to college with the G.I. Bill. You’ll find that becoming a MP (Military Police) will open many doors in the Law Enforcement community and even higher paying jobs with Private Security companies. Obtaining a degree in Criminal Justice either while you’re enlisted or after you leave the Military will put you in a very nice position to pick and choose most any career in Law Enforcement, even on the Federal level.
In order to rise to the top the quickest, a candidate will do well to obtain a degree in Criminal Justice. There are many colleges and universties that offer this degree. There are even some private trade schools now accredited to offer a degree in Criminal Justice. ITT Technical Institute is only one place you can get the education for a Criminal Justice degree.
A degree in Criminal Justice will also help you land other positions in the Police Dept. such as Detective, Internal Affairs, Luetenant’s position or even Captain someday.
Forensic Science Careers In Law Enforcment
We’ve all seen way to many episodes of CSI and how they can solve just about any crime in an hour with the latest technology. If you haven’t guessed it yet, that doesn’t happen in the real world.
Crime Scene Investigation involves a lot more than flying up to a crime scene, snapping a few pictures, poking around on a dead corpse and then flying back to the lab to work with a hot blonde all the while rock music is blaring in the background. Sorry to bust your fantasy bubble, but it had to be done!
You’ll find that the requirements to become a Crime Scene Investigator vary greatly depending on where you live. Obviously, many rural Police Departmets or Sheriff Departments are not going to have the same requirements as the Las Vegas Lab or the FBI lab. Contact the Law enforcment agencies in your area to see what they require for the job.
Crime Scene Investigation involves using the latest in technology and science to solve crimes. This requires a heavy dose of Biology, Chemistry, Technology and Forensic Sciences. It’s the Crime Scene Investigators job to collect, identify and then document crime scenes and put all the pieces of the puzzle together in order to capture and convict the guilty party.
There are several job descriptions included under the heading of Crime Scene Investigations. Some of these include Criminalistic Officer), Scene of Crime Officer, Crime Scene Analyst, Forensic Investigator, Evidence Investigator and Crime Scene Technician. In most cases, but not all, you’ll be required to have a 2 or 4 year degree before landing one of these jobs. Most candidates move up from the ranks of a street Cop but there are a few agencies that do hire civilians.
Salaries For Law Enforcement
A person becoming a Police Officer or Detective can expect to start in the neighborhood of $18,000 to $25,000 per year to start. (now you understand why many people leave the law enforcement field or take 2nd jobs) With time on the job and moving up the ladder in the department, new Police Officers can see their pay climb to around $35,000 per year. In this day and age, many Police officers hang on to their jobs for the benefits, which depending on the size of your Family, can be worth as much as your pay.
Law Enforcement Job Outlook
The outlook for landing a job in the Law Enforcement field is very bright. Many agencies are offering better benefits and more pay to attract new recruits. The competition is fierce amoung many agencies. Not only do they have to compete with rival cities and counties, but many of the best recruits are joing the U.S. Armed Forces. This leaves local and state agencies fighting to get qualified applicants. As a well qualified candidate with experience and training, this leaves you in a good position to pick and choose who you want to work for. This is a good problem to have as many people with a 4 year degree are eating beans and rice and waiting for a call for their next interview!
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How To Become a Crime Scene Investigator
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