Qualifications needed to become a police officer vary from agency to agency, city to city, and state to state. Some qualifications are pretty standard: A minimum of twenty-one years of age, a U.S. citizen, a high school diploma, a clean criminal record, a valid drivers license, and good physical and m

ental health. The application is the beginning of the whole selection process; it's basically a form that tells the agency if the basic qualifications are met, and lets applicant go onto the written exam. The written exam is a basic test that allows the agency to see how well the applicant understands what he/she reads; writing skills, and math skills are also checked. If the applicant barely pass the exam with a score of seventy, it is unlikely that he/she will be hired when there are plenty of people who place in the nineties. The physical exam is next in the selection process, which involves a fair amount of running, lifting, and upper body strength requirements, which help determine if the applicant can handle a firearm. Some agencies give calisthenics and obstacle courses. Later on the department will have the applicant fill out a long form about his/her personal history. Someone from the recruiting officer will interview the applicant about the martial he/she filled on the form. Along with the personal history form, the applicant will be given an oral interview with two to five people. The interview typically assesses such qualities as personal skills, communications skills, judgment, and decision-making abilities. As the department begins to get serious about considering you, it will conduct an investigation into the applicant's background, using the history form that was filled out as a starting point. This step is the most important of the selection process, even though the results don't affect your score on the list. This is where the department not only checks the applicants experience and education; they also look at his/her character, integrity, honesty, and commitment. Everything said will be double check by a trained investigator. The investigator will ask his/her birthplace. Place of origin, schools attended, subjects studied, workplaces, tasks performed, basically his/her life will be laid out on paper. The department will go through a lot of trouble and expense to find out if the information is true. The polygraph test, or the lie detector test is part of the background investigation process that will typically be one of the last steps. After he/she has passed everything, a drug test is given for any illegal drugs that can be administered before an offer is employment. After getting hired by the police department the police recruit as to go through hard and extensive training in a police academy from nine to thirteen weeks, depending on how long your agency wants you to stay there. The academy consists of classrooms teaching many different subjects on policing, and "hands on" activities to make a police recruits skills better. Once the recruit is out of the academy he is a certified police officer.

Patrol officers patrol assigned sectors in motor vehicles or on foot, working alone or with a partner, paying close attention to conditions and people. During patrol, police officers observe suspicious behavior, conditions, or i

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