An Introduction to Law Enforcement Careers
The tradition of public service is alive and well in 21st century America. Law enforcement jobs can be found at the local, state and federal levels, and within non-profit organizations as well. The careers listed here represent just a small sampling of the career opportunities in law enforcement that are available in today’s society.
You will notice just how varied these different types of law enforcement jobs are. From front line officers to cybercrime specialists to fraud investigators, and from juvenile probation officers to federal agents, the law enforcement community includes a variety of teams who work with specialized tools to keep Americans safe. The differences in their missions and methods are what add professional depth and breadth to the law enforcement community, making their efforts all the more valuable to society .
While the law enforcement job title may seem like a catch-all term to describe the various disciplines involved in providing safety for American citizens, law enforcement jobs actually represent a growing professional community that includes specific academic training and career advancement. All of these jobs are critical to the safety of our communities, but each has its own essential role to play.
As you consider your career options, it’s important to understand the various roles being filled by law enforcement professionals, especially in an increasingly security-conscious society. Your own skills, training, and interests should help you decide which path is right for you.
Police Officers
Police officers generally patrol assigned areas, respond to emergency calls, enforce laws and ordinances, make arrests and investigate accidents and offenses. Officers may also be required to administer first aid at the scene of an accident, direct traffic, give information and assistance to the public, identify and apprehend criminals, obtain warrants, appear in court to testify, keep records and prepare reports, issue citations or summonses for violations, confiscate property involved in criminal activities, handle cash and property contained in evidence, maintain their own physical fitness and appearance, and maintain vehicle and equipment. In larger jurisdictions certain of these functions may be assigned to community service or support personnel.
Detectives and Criminal Investigators
Detectives and criminal investigators are members of law enforcement on many different levels, and their work often extends to more serious crimes. Detectives work longer than police officers most of the time, and they work under a lot of pressure as they deal with the most serious crimes such as murder, fraud and complicated theft and robbery cases. Their work often involves studying and preparing crime reports, and solving crimes and arresting suspects. When they have worked on an arrest, they are responsible for contacting prosecutors, as well as preparing reports of which the prosecutor will make use. They try to reason with respect to the evidence and the basics of human behavior, to figure out how things like motives, evidence, feelings and background can all play a part in a crime.
Crime scene investigators are detectives who focus specifically on evidence collection at a crime scene and other parts of a crime. In addition to collecting the evidence, they take notes, meet with witnesses, take photographs and draft reports. Sometimes they assist in interrogating or interviewing witnesses and suspects, and they also may appear in court to testify about evidence collection and other aspects of the case. Investigators may take special courses or have an education in forensic science in order to identify important details of the evidence.
Federal Law Enforcement Careers
The federal government employs a plethora of law enforcement officers who work throughout the country and around the globe. These personnel include agents and officers from the Secret Service, U.S. Marshals, Federal Protective Service, Bureau of Prisons, and border patrol, in addition to agents working for numerous other agencies. Specialists within each agency carry out important duties with specific jurisdictions, as follows:
Secret Service – June 5, 1865, marks the original date of formation of what would become the Secret Service. Yet, it wasn’t until the late 1800s that the agency was incorporated into the Treasury and handed the task of combating widespread counterfeiting of U.S. currency. Today, the Secret Service performs three critical functions: protection of the president and vice president (along with their immediate families), and protection of diplomats and visiting foreign dignitaries; prevention of counterfeiting of U.S. currency and securities and financial crimes that affect the U.S. and international economy; and investigative assistance to a wide range of federal, state, local, and international agencies.
U.S. Marshals – The duties and responsibilities assigned to the U.S. Marshals Service have changed over time. For its earliest years, the service was tasked with maintaining peace in the nation’s slowly expanding western frontier. Today, the agency is perhaps best known for apprehending fugitives, but its missions also include witness protection, federal parolee supervision, international prisoner and fugitive affairs, housing of tribal prisoners for Indian Country law enforcement agencies, and housing prisoners for other federal agencies.
Federal Protective Service – Formed as part of the Department of Treasury in 2003, the current FPS was officially created by Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12, which also established the National Agency for Security Identity Management. FPS officers carry out these duties:
The Bureau of Prisons – The BOP is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system and is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice. The BOP offers a wide range of rehabilitation opportunities for law offenders in both correctional institutions and community-based programs, along with incarceration management and staff training.
Border Patrol – Formed in 1924 as a part of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Border Patrol was assigned the task of preventing illegal entry into the U.S. by aliens, tracking those who might enter the U.S. illegally, and preventing drug trafficking across the border. Since then, the Border Patrol has become part of the Department of Homeland Security.
Border Patrol and Immigration Officers
Consider the border patrol and immigations officer. The Border Patrol agent enjoys a very close relationship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Criminal Division; the Assistant U.S. Attorneys and the support staff key in on investigating and prosecuting the more serious offenses. A Border Patrol agent who is not a criminal investigator but is on the road, performing a preventive mission, could easily be confused with a law enforcement officer. The Border Patrol agent, however, is a trained investigator in ways that a Deputy Sheriff or Constable will never experience. He is out in the field 75% of the time where he is investigating all types of individuals from all over the world. The Border Patrol Agent must be well versed in the laws of the United States, Rules of Evidence, and most importantly, the procedures and guidelines for detaining and apprehending individuals who have committed violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act as well as other violations of federal law including but not limited to drug violations. These Agents are now working near city centers where human trafficking is prevalent. They are also carrying side arms.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer is less involved in the criminal aspect of law enforcement than the Border Patrol Agent. The Border Patrol officer, who has been upgraded in the last few years, works mostly at an entry point similar to immigration station. Because of the terrorist threat, the Customs officer works closely with the FBI and other agencies dealing with national security matters.
Corrections Officer
Many of the duties and responsibilities performed by correctional officers depend on where they work, such as in a county jail or a state prison. Overall, however, correctional officers’ main duties are to look after offenders who have been sentenced to serve time in a jail or prison. Normal duties of correctional officers include:
Maintaining order and security inside a jail or prison
Observing the behavior and demeanor of offenders
Monitoring the availability of food, over-the-counter medications and other activities
Logging the activities of offenders, including outgoing calls, visitors and the issuance of items such as bathroom supplies
Supervising offenders during meals, showers and other activities
Searching offenders for prohibited items
Intervening when fights or other disturbances occur
Enforcing rules and regulations of the jail or prison
Transporting offenders to and from appointments, hospital visits and court appearances
Searching rooms for contraband items
Conducting head counts of offenders
Reporting unusual behavior by offenders or others
Submitting daily, weekly and monthly reports following procedures set by the state prison or local jail
Maintaining physical fitness and working out, sometimes with access to the facility fitness center
Testing and being tested for disease by the employer
Maintaining confidentiality regarding job and offender information
Probation and Parole Officers
For offenders who are sentenced to a term of probation, the probation officer plays a crucial role in ensuring compliance with the terms of that probation. Officers work with individuals serving both misdemeanor and felony sentences under probation, mostly for felony convictions. Proving compliance with the terms of the sentence is important for those who are on parole, as any violations could result in a return to jail or prison.
Both probation and parole officers have similar professional qualifications, but they have different responsibilities. Officers for probation are tasked with administering punishment to those convicted of misdemeanors or felonies, while those who are on parole have been released early from their prison terms. Probation officers are often involved with more serious offenses, while parole officers are often faced with individuals who served shorter sentences.
Probation and parole officers take on a massive responsibility for the many individuals in their care and the families, employers and communities these individuals work with. They are employees of the state, most commonly overseeing individuals in the criminal court system. They are tasked with helping reduce criminal behaviors , improve individuals’ social stability and protect the community.
The duties of probation and parole officers involve helping support rehabilitation programs and compliance with the terms of the offender’s probation. This typically includes probationary terms such as substance abuse treatment, alcoholism treatment, psychiatric or psychological counseling, social skills training, career training, medical attention, regular drug testing and attending vocational school.
Probation and parole officers in the field frequently conduct drug tests, stay in contact with the companies where offenders are employed, attend court appearances, conduct home visits and keep records of the offenders’ progress and status.
Individuals looking to enter this field typically must hold a combination of education and experience. A bachelor’s degree in the area of has social work, counseling, sociology, psychology or criminal justice is usually required, along with at least two years of experience working in the criminal justice or other relevant fields.
For these candidates, there may be an opportunity to gain experience in the field by earning an entry-level position with a local agency or even an internship. Another option could be obtaining a job as a correctional officer and transitioning into a patrol officer role at a later time.
Specialized Law Enforcement Agencies
Specialized law enforcement units often focus on specific areas of law enforcement, such as drug trafficking, or specific community functions, such as crime scene investigation. These units may sometimes operate under the auspices of a larger enforcement or investigative agency, such as within local police departments or sheriff’s offices, or may be tasked with studying a particular subject, such as property assessment, or providing legal counsel, such as a prosecutor’s office, a public defender’s office, or a city or county attorney’s office.
Some of the more commonly known specialized law enforcement units include SWAT (special weapons and tactics), K-9, and cybercrime units. After responding to an incident where a police officer was injured with a handgun, the FBI took their incident response training to the next level with the development of SWAT teams. SWAT units respond to active shooter situations and hostage situations. K-9 units also assist law enforcement agencies. They are specially trained in sniffing out certain substances or materials. Potential substances that K-9 units can be deployed to sniff out include drugs, explosives, human remains, and even electronics. K-9 units can also help their handlers track down suspects who are fleeing a scene, either by ground or air in the case of helicopters. Cybercrime units are funds that have been allocated for states to use to establish a task force to combat cybercrimes. It is designed to provide training and funding for more sophisticated computer equipment and computer crimes investigations for state law enforcement agencies to target cybercriminals who commit Internet-based crimes.
Emergency Dispatcher
Emergency dispatcher jobs are specialized law enforcement jobs that entail answering emergency calls, determining the level of service needed, and coordinating communication between the public and law enforcement agencies in connection to crowds, traffic queues, and other potential or real emergencies. Emergency dispatchers speak with callers about various emergencies, including fires, accidents, robberies, shootings, and stabbings.
The roles of emergency dispatchers include collecting information from callers, relaying that information to emergency responders, coordinating appropriate response strategies, managing information flow between emergency response personnel, monitoring equipment such as systems used by police and firefighters, advising the public on what to do during an emergency, and maintaining communication through radio, telephone, and other communication devices.
Although some police department radio dispatcher jobs are open to retention, a significant number of these jobs require that candidates pass a test. For example, in 2003, the United States Department of Agriculture advertised a GS-9 police dispatcher position. Five thousand test copies were provided to agencies throughout the United States, and 104 locations were identified for the test. Based on the tests, 1,489 applicants passed with scores of 70-94.
Becoming involved in Law Enforcement
The specific requirements necessary to start a career in law enforcement vary based on the agency you are considering. All law enforcement jobs, however, require at least a high school diploma or GED to be eligible for consideration.
Many agencies require at least an associate’s degree or two years of college education and training, while others prefer candidates who have completed a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or another relevant subject.
More important than your education, though, is the completion of mandatory professional training courses and certifications. These vary among different kinds of law enforcement jobs and can typically be found on an agency’s website.
Perhaps the most important factors in your success as a law enforcement officer are the skills you bring to the table. Those pursuing a career in law enforcement should be physically fit, mentally agile, compassionate, confident and capable of making split-second decisions responsibly and appropriately.
The Future of Law Enforcement Careers
Recognizing these challenges, law enforcement agencies are investing in training that prepares officers to work effectively with diverse populations. Professional development programs focusing on cultural competency and community relations have become increasingly common, equipping officers to navigate the complexities of modern communities.
As the volatility of violent attacks on officers grows more pronounced, changes in tactical procedures and protocols are also anticipated. These include enhanced training modules for ambush scenarios, community policing strategies that emphasize de-escalation techniques, and the development of specialized units focused on advanced threat mitigation and response.
Another expected trend centers around the use of predictive policing models and big data analytics in law enforcement operations. These advancements indicate a shift in the role and skill sets required of law enforcement agencies . As officers increasingly confront analytical or technological challenges, their professional profile is evolving to become what some experts refer to as the "data officer". Consequently, there is an ongoing need for officers to be proficient in statistical, mathematical, analytical, and database management skills.
The future of law enforcement careers suggests a substantial shift in the role of policing agencies and personnel. In addition to evolving tasks and responsibilities, new opportunities may arise in this dynamic landscape. With emerging supplemental career paths, law enforcement professionals may find this sector offers diverse, multifaceted employment and career opportunities to amplify their professional growth. While law enforcement officers will likely continue to require skill sets traditionally associated with protecting public safety and enforcing the law, the roles, careers, and employers of the future may move beyond these boundaries.
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