Being a criminology student, I'd like to know from different people around the world if you are satisfied of your country's police officers. I would appreciate it if you post how long the training takes, what the selection criteria are (for example highschool diploma) and your opinion.

My opinion is that police training and selection is of great importance if it comes to having competent and decent police officers.

Being a belgian, I must say that Belgium sets a bad example. Our LEO's only have one year of training and the selection criteria are just too weak. This means we have a lot of police officers who are poorly trained, who are above the community and not part of it, who don't know our laws enough and who aren't interested in explaining and preventing crime.

This leads to situations where my brother was fined for riding on the back of a friend's bicycle by a very asocial officer who didn't say a word.

That is why I chose criminology before becoming police officer in the first place.

Please try to keep things civilized and answer sincere as my thesis is approaching and I am thinking of evaluating the Belgian police education and comparing it with others.

Many thanks for your replies.

Edited September 5, 201114 yr by kjel0112

In Sweden the it takes 3 years to be a cop witch i hope to get in next year, because it is difficult, but some say you have better chance if you have other background like coming from other country or meedle east.

In my opinion swedish cops most of them are good cops, because i work as Security Guard for "Securitas " company and we help each other allot and they are very friendly and show respect no merer who you are or where you come from!

Sorry for my bad ENG!

In Germany we got three "school types" after the primary school. You need at least a degree in the "second level school" (not easy to translate our system in english^^). You need a very good fitness condition and you have got to pass a test at first (fitness and mind). The training itself takes about 2 oder 2 1/2 years and should give you everything you need to be a good police officer (you learn the laws properly and how to deal with several situations and problems).

I personally feel really safe here. I think our police officers are really well trained and most of the time stick to the laws and dont get bribed or anything ( ;D ). Of course you got some bad guys everywhere but they are discovered and taken to court someday. I know some cops privately and they are all nice guys. They dont feel like beeing on top of the community but in it and protecting the whole community. I think we got a very powerful, fair and orderly police here in Germany and we can be proud of it. (Although it's very annoying sometimes when they catch you the xx time with speeding or anything *gg* but it's ok because its just their job to catch us badguys lol)

Feel free to ask if you got some additional questions on it.

Edit: Oh and they also learn some things like criminology and psychology in the training. So you see it is a very wide bunch of subjects taking part in this training...

Thanks for the replies so far

@Lil-rich: Well, we do have fysical and theoretical tests but the fysical tests are just way to weak.

When a couple of police chiefs did a debate at our faculty, they too mentioned that we do need higher criterias and that one year of training is just way too short to include fysical training, police techniques, law, firearms training,...

Also, I'd like to say that not all Belgian officers are incompetent. However, if we do not change the police education here, we'll be having a serious problem.

Yeah, I know what you mean. It depends of course also on the officer. If he is willing to learn and willing to be a good cop, then he always has the chance to. But sometimes the guys just dont like their job and so they put their anger on others...

I also think that one year is too short to learn everything you need. It's just so much information and different stuff so you need some more time to get it really.

Another problem here might be that the physical tests are just one time. I am not quite sure about that but I often saw them applying for a job, pass the test and then get a bit fatty :D As long as they dont need to chase anyone it's ok but when... hmm. Of course I gotta say (as always) that it's not the whole police getting fat over time :D But it appears to be becoming a problem some day (regarding that statistics say that whole germany is getting fat(er) oO)

I'm a sheriff's deputy in Florida, USA, so I can answer your questions for my particular department. In the United States the requirements vary by state and by department, but are generally fairly in line with one another.

For my sheriff's office the *MINIMUM* requirements are:

- Minimum of an associates degree (2 years of college/university) OR 3 years in the U.S. military with an honorable discharge

- 21 years of age

- No felony convictions or arrests involving domestic violence, false statements, or criminal traffic offenses (reckless driving, vehicular manslaughter, etc...)

- No illegal drug use in the past 3 years

- No tobacco use in the past 6 months

- No visible tattoos when wearing a standard uniform

Application process (can take up to 6 months):

- Apply to the county's civil service office and provide proof of education and passing score on the criminal justice basic abilities test (CJBAT)

- Once approved by civil service, fill out the actual sheriff's office application which will be reviewed by a background investigator/detective.

- Must pass the physical abilities assessment (timed push ups and sit ups, vertical leap, 1.5 mile run, 300m run). Applicant will be scored on these events.

- If you meet the minimum physical standards, you then have an initial application interview with a background investigator to go over your application, your history of criminal activity or drug use, work history, etc...

If the background investigator wishes to keep you under consideration for a position, then you complete these steps (at this point, it begins to start costing our sheriff's office for these steps so attempts are made to cut applicants that we feel won't make it before this point).

- Polygraph examination: this is an extensive polygraph that goes through your entire application, work and criminal history, drug use, alcohol use, moral and integrity issues, etc...

- IQ test and writing sample of why you want to be a sheriff's deputy and why you want to work for our office

- Oral board interview (tough interview in front of 3 ranking command staff where you are scored). If they recommend you continue, then:

- Background investigation: The detective checks out your entire background including family, work history, education history, they speak with your neighbors, check your references, etc...

At this point your file is sent to the chief deputy and if he approves, you are then "selected" for the position and given a conditional offer of employment. Then you complete these steps:

- Another polygraph

- Psychological testing (two 500 question exams which are scored, then you meet with a psychologist to go over the results. This is basically another interview to determine your mental stability)

- Medical testing (physical, chest and back x-rays, all vaccinations up to date, eye and hearing tests, urine analysis and drug testing)

Then you complete a two week military style boot camp, a 6 month police academy (laws, patrol techniques, vehicle operations, firearms, investigation, etc...), then you become a certified law enforcement officer. At this point, you complete about 2 months of further training with the sheriff's office to get certified on the patrol rifle and learn all department operating procedures and to iron out any vague issues from the academy.

Then you are sworn in and begin field training. For 4 months you ride along with various training officers who analyze and score your performance every single day. After those 4 months, you receive your own take-home patrol car and you now patrol solo for about 5-6 more months where you are still on probationary status and your actions are under more scrutiny and review, with proper feedback to perfect your technique and skills.

Sorry for the long post, but you asked for good information. Most departments in the USA follow this type of structure and have similar requirements.

Wow, quite informative! Thanks for that ;-) Would be a dream for me to get a GC and work as a law enforcement officer in NY - maybe I will get a chance someday...

*dream* ^^

@Bailey23: First of all, thank you very much for the detailed reply! It seems that US police education is way more organised than ours.

The minimum age here is 18 years of age, which is far too young. 21 years of age seems far more appropriate, considering mental and physical maturity.

Second, the US system's minimum degree, in my opinion, ensures that officers have got the needed intelligence to deal with various situations. If I may ask, does this minimum degree count for all ranks of law enforcement officers in the US? For instance, if one was to become a traffic officer, would one also need the same degree?

The CJBAT sounds a very good application instrument to filter out unfit candidates. Unfortunately, the criminal justice system of Belgium is taught when the applicants already are in the police academy and not before. That is why a lot of officers don't know the justice system enough when they get out of training after a year.

As for the physical tests, I already stated my opinion that this is vital for an officer's job so that's also something we could learn from the US model, although an extensive boot camp training might be too much for Belgian police officers, since we don't have that many assaults and attempted murders of police officers as in the US.

I could go on and on but I won't spam the forums with miles of text

If you want, could you answer these US related questions please, since you are clearly the right person to be asking ?

1)Do these criteria count for regular US police departments as well instead of Sheriff's offices? Maybe your police training was far more severe

2)What is the jurisdiction difference when there is both a police department and a sheriff's office in one area?

3)What was your academic background before applying and what is your opinion regarding the US police education?

Sorry for the double post but my last question didn't come through in my post and I can't edit no more. So this was my last question:

4)I saw a couple of pepperspray training videos for police applicants. Does every police recruit have to go through pepperspray training in the US? If so, do you think that is necessary in police training?

Again, thanks a milion for your sincere reply.

I apologize for being so long-winded, but I enjoy sharing my passion for this career and like helping others do the same.

Let me clarify just a couple points first, then I'll get to your questions.

Our requirement of a minimum of two years college/university is not always the case for other departments. There are still many police departments, sheriff's offices, etc. that only require a high school diploma or GED (equivalent exam for high school). I've also seen some departments that require a bachelors degree (4 years of college). Keep in mind these are the minimum standards and most likely those with more education will get hired assuming all other factors are competitive among applicants.

The CJBAT, in my opinion, is way too easy but it does provide an accurate measuring tool I guess. There are people who fail it (you need a 70% if I recall), which is great because they are never going to make it in this career if they can't pass the CJBAT. Our minimum physical standards are EASY to attain (20 push ups per minute, 25 sit ups per minute, 1.5 mile run under 15 minutes), but you won't get hired if you only meet the minimum. Great thing about my sheriff's office is that we have to re-qualify each year to similar standards as these, and it is a requirement in order to be eligible for promotion. Our boot camp, although physically demanding, is more of an assessment tool to measure applicants' command presence and ability to handle pressure. The cadets must work as a team to accomplish various physically and mentally demanding tasks, and this boot camp usually weeds out about 3-5 people out of a class of 30. This is the final step before the academy so it is important to have a strong class that is capable of handling this career. Most departments don't have a boot camp like ours, but they still require physical training during the academy. The boot camp really instills teamwork and friendship, and I'm happy to say that I am now best friends with a couple cadets from my class and we work the same shift now in the same zone, which is excellent and a lot of fun. I know if I need help, they will be there ASAP and vice versa.

I think teamwork and friendship are the utmost important aspect of my job (besides your integrity). If I'm getting my butt handed to me by some 300 pound monster, I need to trust that when I ask for help I'm going to get it, and get it quickly. You really don't understand how long 3-4 minutes is until you're in an all out fight with somebody twice your size, and your back up is 3-4 minutes out. Luckily, everyone on my shift is good friends and many of us are excellent friends who hang out off-duty. When those guys ask for help on the radio, I'll drop everything I'm doing and get there as fast as I can and this does happen from time to time. you have to trust who you work with, and be trusted in return, because one day your life might be in their hands or their life in your hands.

-----------------------------------------------

Now for your questions:

1) The application process, academy, and field training are about the same as you will see anywhere (local PD, county Sheriff, or state). Our boot camp is definitely not something you will see everywhere, and keep in mind my sheriff's office is one of the largest in the country and we have a very large budget. As such, we are lucky to have the money to put towards excellent training and equipment. Not once have I ever felt like I didn't have the best equipment to do my job.

2) Police departments are typically local such as a town or city. Sheriff's offices cover the unincorporated county (all of the county that isn't in the city limits of a PD). State police cover the entire state, however, in Florida our state police is the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and they primarily only handle traffic and crashes on state roads and interstates. FHP does very little police work outside of traffic enforcement. Now, to use my area for example. Tampa, FL has the Tampa Police Department and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (there are other local agencies and counties in the area, but we're keeping it simple). As a county sheriff's deputy, my jurisdiction is the entire county but we have an agreement with Tampa PD that they cover the city limits. But, if a resident of the City of Tampa requests the sheriff's office to respond then we can go into the city limits and handle their call since they are paying county taxes. For the vast majority of the time, we remain outside of the city and patrol all areas of Hillsborough County that are not covered by city PD. Also, there are actually small areas outside of the city limits that Tampa PD covers, and a neighborhood inside the city limits that we cover. This is because it is more feasible for us to respond there. There is also mutual assistance between and among all of our local agencies when needed.

3) My academic background was unique to say the least. I always wanted to be a cop since I was little, but went into college thinking I'd go into another field to make more money. Senior year I realized I should follow my passion and not the money, so I graduated with a bachelor's degree unrelated to anything having to do with criminal justice or law. Also had my EMT license and worked on an ambulance in college, so I had some experience in the emergency world before going into law enforcement.

4) Due to the political correctness of today's world, the training is evolving a bit. With all of the lawsuits out there for almost anything, many academies are shying away from pepper spraying and/or tasing recruits, primarily the latter. Some academies make it the cadet's choice rather than a requirement, but some agencies require you to have the equipment used against you before you can carry it. I was both pepper sprayed and tased, and I did it so that I would know what I'm doing to other people and how they are going to respond to it. For that reason, I think everyone should be tased and sprayed before you get your badge but that is just me. It is scary at first, but it is over quickly and I appreciate the tools more since I know the power that they have.

Training will differ depending on the state you live in (I'm from the US). The academy closest to where I live requires the following:

Age 18-29

1.5 mile run (male) Entrance Time: 12:53 Exit Time: 11:58

Push-ups (male) Entrance: 27 Exit: 33

Sit-ups in 1 min. (male) Entrance: 37 Exit: 40

1 repetition maximum effort bench press (male)

% of body weight Entrance: 96% Exit: 106%

20/40 Vision minimum.

Physical fitness exam every 3 years from the date you are hired.

14 Weeks of training for a full time Officer.

Education requirements will differ depending on which department you apply to. High school seems to be acceptable, and currently I don't have any clear information as to whether a college degree will help your pay or not. I've been told that anything required for the job will be learned in the academy. You are allowed to go home from the academy on the weekends, but the majority of your time will be used for studying. Part time officers (potentially myself in the future, should I decide on this as a job) will live at home and take mostly night classes. Your spend less weeks at the academy, but you are limited to 1300 hours of work per year.

Edited September 6, 201114 yr by unr3al

We have no formal requirements, just maturity. We have a 6 month training course which involves both practical and theoretical processes. Oh, and this is Australia.

Again everyone, thank you so much for your sincere replies

@Bailey23: Can't thank you enough for all the information you're giving me. I really appreciate it. It's very informative to be hearing form an actual US LEO when all we hear from the US system, is from US and our own professors and not actual officers.

I've been dreaming of going to the US since I was born, not only for the country itself but the police landscape is so diverse that it is a dream for most criminologists who want to join law enforcement. Of course it has flaws as well, but so does every system. The only thing that seems too much for me is the shooting at police officers, even during traffic stops. Here in Belgium, that rarely happens luckily.

As for the pepperspray training, it is voluntary here as well and I think that's the best choice, considering what you said about law suits. The taser is only used by SWAT here so this is not included here

I am glad you want to share so much about it so I can ask questions that can help my understand the system so I can use it in debates.

The USA police system isn't perfect but as far as selection and traing goes, I believe they are an example.

Still one question, if I may What is your opinion regarding the so diverse police landscape in the US? I mean, we only have federal and local police and even they argue about jurisdiction sometimes.

Forgive me for all the questions I have been asking and may be about to ask , but all this information is usefull since I still need a master degree thesis topic and although it is still a year away, it couldn't hurt to see if the US police education is a good topic. Besides, I myself am very interested as well

@Unreal: so having a university degree will only help you in selection and not give you higher pay? This is the case in Belgium. I know that when I graduate and go to the academy, it will only help me when I compete against other candidates for a position but I'll still only be paid the same as someone without my degree.

@Mage25: So police training only takes 6 months in Australia?

Sorry for the double post again.

@Bailey23: would this be the boot camp you followed? I did a bit of research to your sheriff's office

http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/Articles/Articles/Sheriff%E2%80%99s-Orientation-Training-Proves-Challenge-Fo.aspx

Yes sir, that is the boot camp I am referring to. Hopefully you watched the video

As for your diverse police landscape question. Everyone I have ever spoken to from other countries always seems to hint at that same exact question, likely because we do things a bit different than Europe. I think our system in terms of jurisdiction and who handles what is fairly flawless, it works for us and I rarely see any issues with it. Movies tend to portray this battle of turf between federal and state or local agencies, but I rarely see that happening in the real world. The reason, I believe, is because we all have a job to do and we all want to go home at the end of the day/night. Generally speaking, each level of government stays out of the other guy's business, unless we need to share information. Frequently in my area due to the urban nature of my sheriff's office, we deal a lot with the FBI, DEA, and the US Marshals (in simple terms, all are federal agencies that track down fugitives who are wanted). I've rarely if ever seen a circumstance where we didn't have a steady flow of information between all of us. So to answer your question, I think our system is complex but logical. We all help each other with the same goal in mind: put the bad guys away. Don't let movies or TV shows convince you otherwise

Unfortunately the answers to a lot of your questions come with the clause, "it depends on the agency/department". I know a lot of departments provide pay incentives for bachelors and masters degrees. Some departments, like my own, will pay for your tuition to pursue a bachelors or masters degree while working. Like I said before, this is going to depend on the financial climate in each department. What I have found is that for the departments that do provide a pay incentive for college degrees, it is usually about $100 a month ($1200 per year) which is usually about a 3% pay increase on a starting salary.

Bottom line: The more education you receive is never going to hurt you. If you wish to pursue promotions and work your way up through an agency, that college degree is certainly going to give you a boost and may be the deciding factor for whether you get the promotion or not. If you desire to become a Police Chief or run for elected office (Sheriff), you will find that a master's degree is likely going to be preferred.

As for promotions:

In most departments, including my own, you must work a minimum of two years on road patrol. This is likened to what you see in LCPDFR, you are the front line responding to calls for service, being proactive and visible to deter crime, and doing some traffic enforcement if you wish. After two years, you can move to specialty units such as: K9, SWAT, Traffic/DUI, Aviation, Marine, Detective, Selective enforcement teams (narcotics, fraud, vehicle theft, etc...), and many more. Depending on the size of the department, you will see these types of units that you can promote into after a couple years on road patrol if you wish. Also, generally in that time frame you are eligible to test and/or apply for promotion of rank.

Sorry for the double post.

Here is a video of a pursuit from about a month ago in my county. I think it shows a great example of teamwork between multiple units (Aviation, K9, Patrol, a couple supervisors, a detective, etc...). Keep in mind the audio you hear is a tactical channel that we can switch to in order to talk more informally and not be on the actual district channels. The audio is slightly ahead of the video, but enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/user/HCSOvideo#p/u/0/VH1yP1hE89k

@Bailey23:Thanks for answering my questions and providing me with your opinion. We are taught various police systems and the USA system is indeed the most complex of them all Great pursuit video btw, thanks for the link. Textbook example of police teamwork. Were you taking part in the pursuit?

I hope I can still ask you questions if I have them, if that's alright with you. Couldn't hurt to have a real reference regarding the US system

To everyone else, feel free to post your opinion or police requirements.

Yes I am in this one, which is why I posted it. If you look around that youtube channel you will find some other videos of pursuits that I was not a part of. There is actually one where the guy runs the vehicle through a canal of water, another video the suspect takes a boat out to an island. They are interesting if you enjoy true pursuits. I'd be more than happy to answer any further questions so feel free to ask. :smile:

I've been watching all the videos on the HCSO channel since you posted the link I've watched about every episode of cops, polcie interceptors, road wars, world's most wildest police chase,...so I definitely enjoy a good pursuit

Thanks again for all the information you've given me! I'll probably have more questions shortly since the US law enforcement really intruiges me and I'll definitely come across some things in my research that might look strange or different for a belgian :wink:

Again, sorry for the double post but I forget one question I had since I began watching US pursuits:

Do all US law enforcement agencies use the PIT technique in pursuits? For me, it looks a rather dangerous maneuver since you are not only ramming the suspect but also endangering yourself as well. In Belgium, we use stop sticks as well but another technique we use, is creating a traffic jam so that the suspect is blocked in. On normal roads however, this isn't possible and officers aren't allowed to use ramming techniques, just box him in or deploy stop sticks.

Also, if a PIT is used, can only some officers perform it or are all officers trained in it?

Many thanks!