Law Enforcement
Law Enforcement Career Overview
Careers in Law Enforcement involve protecting the safety, property, and even the lives of the general public. Law Enforcement may often be challenging and even dangerous, but it is also both satisfying and rewarding.
Personal attributes such as integrity, honesty, and good judgment are all important for people interested in a career in Law Enforcement. Applicants to such careers are often screened with:
- physical and psychological tests
- background checks
- personality tests
- polygraph tests
These ensure that applicants have the required personal attributes, and are in the good physical and psychological health that Law Enforcement careers require.
Law Enforcement Training and Education
Most Law Enforcement careers do not require qualifications beyond a high school diploma or GED. However, many careers are highly competitive, and obtaining some form of post-secondary qualification in a relevant field such as Criminal Justice or Police Science will benefit all applications, particularly younger applicants who do not have prior Law Enforcement experience.
In addition, anyone hoping to advance to higher raking positions such as Sheriff will find that obtaining a relevant degree is vital to competing for jobs. Finally, in most states a Fish and Game Warden must complete at least two years of college education before being eligible to apply for positions.
In addition, all recruits must undergo training before entering the police force or a related Law Enforcement department. Training may involve between three and twelve months of study, as well as further on-the-job training.
Law Enforcement Career & Salary Outlook
In general, available career opportunities in Law Enforcement are expected to see approximately average growth (approximately 11%) through to the year 2016, according to US Department of Labor predictions.
Competition for jobs in state and federal Law Enforcement is expected to be higher than for jobs in local agencies, and applicants to state and federal departments will find obtaining some type of post-secondary qualification to be particularly useful.
Uniformed Police Officers earn an average of $45,000, with actual salary ranging between $30,000 and $65,000 depending on their rank. Sheriffs typically earn between $80,000 and $100,000, with their salary highly dependent on the county for which they work.
The median salary for a Detective is approximately $58,000, with salary ranging from $35,000 to $92,000. Fish and Game Wardens typically earn an average of $43,000, with salaries ranging from $28,000 to $62,000. Marshals earn between $25,000 and $40,000, with actual salary depending largely on the location of the court in which they work, and their level of experience.
Career Fields/Specializations
Uniformed Police Officer Career
Uniformed Police Officers are involved in general Law Enforcement. They are responsible for regularly patrolling the area they work in, responding to service calls, and writing regular detailed reports of their activities. An important part of the Uniformed Police Officer’s job is developing good relationships with people who live and work in the area they patrol. While on patrol, they must also remain alert and be aware of any potential crimes or risks to public safety.
Uniformed Police Officers may have a large number of different types of duties, depending on the nature of the calls they attend. For example, they might direct traffic when an accident occurs, give first aid to an accident victim, or investigate a burglary. In larger police departments, a Uniformed Police Officer might have more specialized duties. For example, they may be assigned to respond to particular types of calls, such as burglaries, violent crime, or crimes involving children or teenagers.
Uniformed Police Officers should have a good level of physical fitness, including good vision and hearing. Honesty, integrity, good judgment and a sense of responsibility are important personal qualities, as well as the ability to think and react quickly in emergencies and unexpected situations. Uniformed Police Officers should also have good communication and interpersonal skills, and enjoy working with and helping people.
Sheriff Career
Sheriffs are responsible for enforcing laws on the county level, and they are usually the highest elected Law Enforcement officer in the county in which they work. Sheriffs are typically elected officials, whose duties resemble those of a county Police Chief; however the exact nature of the Sheriff’s work may vary from state to state.
Generally, the Sheriff is the head of the police department in the county in which they work, and their duties may involve the coordination of other Law Enforcement officers in their department. Some of the main duties of a Sheriff include:
- maintaining the county jail
- coordinating the transportation of prisoners
- maintaining courthouse security
- other general tasks such as investigating crime
In addition to important personal qualities such as good judgment, honesty and integrity, Sheriffs should also be able to work independently with confidence, and have good problem-solving skills, interpersonal and communication skills, and organizational skills. The ability to motivate and work well with a team is also important.
Deputy Sheriff Career
The Deputy Sheriff (also known as an Undersheriff) is the second-in-command to a Sheriff. Unlike the Sheriff, the Deputy Sheriff is typically hired rather than elected. Often their duties are similar to those of Police Officers in urban Police departments; however their exact job description varies according to the size and geographical location of the department in which they work. In larger or urban counties, there may be more than one Deputy Sheriff, each overseeing a portion of the county. In New York, for example, there are five Deputies, each of whom is responsible for a single borough, working under the supervision of the Sheriff.
While the role of the Deputy Sheriff may vary according to their location, in general their duties relate to general Law Enforcement such as investigating crime, apprehending criminals and other wanted persons, overseeing court security, and providing testimony in court. In addition they may be responsible for certain aspects of managing the county jail, which may include overseeing transportation of prisoners, and investigating crimes that occur on the premises of the jail.
Deputy Sheriffs must possess certain important personal qualities, such as honesty, integrity and good judgment. In addition, problem-solving skills, communication skills, and interpersonal skills are also important, as well as the ability to work both independently and in a team.
Detective Career
Detectives are plainclothes (non-uniformed) officers who work within the police force. Their overall function is to collect evidence for criminal cases to determine who is responsible for the crime being investigated. In the course of this work:
- They will visit crime scenes
- Interview witnesses and suspects
- Search records and other types of information
- Document the evidence they gather
- Participating in an arrest when they learn who is responsible for the crime
Detectives often specialize in certain types of crime. For example, they may specialize in homicide, drug trafficking, fraud, juvenile crime, or other areas. Typically they are assigned to a case and work on that case until an arrest and conviction is obtained, or until the case is otherwise closed.
Detective work may be stressful and even hazardous. In addition Detectives often work long hours, on weekends and holidays if necessary, while working on cases. Detectives must have excellent communication skills and interpersonal skills. Analytical and problem-solving skills are also very important, as well as the ability to notice visual and verbal details, and relate those to other types of information relevant to form an overall picture of a given case.
Fish and Game Warden Career
Fish and Game Wardens are responsible for enforcing the laws that apply to the hunting, fishing and trapping of wild animals, and to boating. However, Fish and Game Wardens do not always have general Law Enforcement authority, meaning that they are not always legally able to arrest people for ‘general’ crimes such as traffic violations.
The main duty of Fish and Game Wardens is to patrol the areas they regulate, and to ensure that people hunting and fishing on state and national land are following the laws that pertain to hunting and fishing, such as the legal requirements for holding a hunting license, for limiting numbers of animals caught, or the size of animals caught. They may also have other roles, such as conducting search and rescue operations, investigating accidents and complaints, and appearing in court to provide testimony.
Fish and Game Wardens must have a good standard of physical fitness, including good vision and hearing. In addition to knowledge of relevant aspects of Law Enforcement, they must also have knowledge of first aid as well as aspects of living and working in the outdoors. Communication skills, problem-solving skills, and good judgment are also important for Fish and Game Wardens.
Marshal Career
In the United States, the title of Marshal can describe more than one type of Law Enforcement careers. In general, however, Marshals are typically involved in serving the US Court system in some capacity, often as part of the United States Marshals Service.
In each US federal judicial district, a single Marshal (appointed by the President) works with other officials to oversee federal law enforcement. Each Marshal is responsible for supervising a unit of deputies that help maintain court security. Other types of Marshals work for the United States Marshal Service. In this capacity, they provide assistance in maintaining court security and transportation of prisoners, and may also serve arrest warrants and carry out other duties.
Marshals must have a good standard of physical fitness, including vision and hearing. The ability to think and react quickly in unexpected situations is an important personal attribute, as they must remain alert and handle security issues, disturbances in court, medical emergencies, and situations in which prisoners attempt an escape.
