John Douglas's Guide to Landing a Career in Law Enforcement

Part One: GETTING STARTED 1

Chapter 1 PERSONAL ASSESSMENT 3

The Truth 4

Strengths and Weaknesses 6

Personality 7

Goals 9

Intangibles: What Are They Looking For? 11

Equal Opportunity 20

Chapter 2 CIVIL RIGHTS: THE BILL OF RIGHTS AND MIRANDA 23

Bill of Rights 24

Miranda 26

Chapter 3 PREPARE YOURSELF 29

Oral Interviews 29

Written Tests 32

Physical Fitness or Physical Abilities Test/Medical Examination 35

Psychological Test 37

Background Check 38

Polygraph Examination 39

Criminal Records 40

Disqualifying Convictions 41

Other Disqualifiers 42

Chapter 4 ASSOCIATED CAREERS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 45

Examiners and Experts: The Crime Scene to the Laboratory 46

Forensic Scientists 47

Coroner’s or Medical Examiner’s Office 48

Sketch Artists 49

Polygraph Examiners 50

Probation and Parole Officers 50

Other Careers in Criminal Justice 51

Chapter 5 LAW ENFORCEMENT CODE OF CONDUCT 53

Law Enforcement Code of Conduct 54

Part Two: OPPORTUNITIES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL 59

Chapter 6 GENERAL INFORMATION 61

Minimum/Maximum Age 62

Educational Requirements 62

Categorical Preference 63

Salary and Benefits 63

Chapter 7 JOB DESCRIPTIONS 65

Patrol Officers 65

Traffic Officers 66

Detectives 66

Correctional Officers/Detention Officers 67

Specialized Units and Assignments 68

Chapter 8 REPRESENTATIVE DEPARTMENTS 71

Boston Police Department 73

Columbus Police Department 80

Albuquerque Police Department 86

Bozeman Police Department 92

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department 95

Nassau County Police Department 101

Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office 106

Part Three: OPPORTUNITIES AT THE STATE LEVEL 111

Chapter 9 GENERAL INFORMATION 113

Chapter 10 JOB DESCRIPTIONS 115

Highway Patrol Officer or State Trooper 115

Correctional Officer 116

Special Agent/Investigator 116

Chapter 11 REPRESENTATIVE AGENCIES 117

Oklahoma Highway Patrol 118

Oregon Department of Corrections 123

North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation 126

Texas Troopers 131

Texas Rangers 136

Part Four: OPPORTUNITIES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL 141

Chapter 12 GENERAL INFORMATION 143

Working for the Federal Government 143

The Office of Personnel Management 146

USAJOBS 146

Minimum/Maximum Ages 148

Veterans 148

Women 149

Minorities 149

Noncitizens and Federal Employment 150

Chapter 13 FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREERS BY DEPARTMENT 151

USDA Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations 153

Pentagon Force Protection Agency 157

National Institutes of Health Police Branch 159

Department of Homeland Security 163

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center 167

Customs and Border Protection 171

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 176

Office of Inspector General 183

U.S. Secret Service 185

National Park Service 192

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 198

Drug Enforcement Agency 204

Federal Bureau of Investigation 211

Federal Bureau of Prisons 223

U.S. Marshals Service 228

Naval Criminal Investigative Service 238

Bureau of Diplomatic Security 244

Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation 248

U.S. Mint Police 252

United States Capitol Police 255

United States Postal Inspection Service 258

Office of Security and Law Enforcement 264

Appendix A: ALBUQUERQUE (NEW MEXICO) POLICE DEPARTMENT CADET WRITTEN ENTRANCE EXAMINATION 267

Section 1: Overview 268

Section 2: General Instructions 269

Section 3: Observation and Recall Cognitive Abilities 270

Section 4: Personal Maturity and Integrity 273

Section 5: Technical Skills 274

Section 6: Written and Oral Communications 275

Appendix B: AUSTIN (TEXAS) POLICE DEPARTMENT APPLICANT INFORMATION PACKET 279

Shotgun 280

Handgun Trigger Squeeze and Direction Control 280

Driver/Vehicle Compatibility 280

11?2 mile run 280

Obstacle Course 281

The Importance of Core Fitness Components to the Physical Examination 281

Test Preparation 283

Description of the Obstacle Course 283

Criteria for Passing the Exam 284

Test Components 284

Appendix C: COLUMBUS (GEORGIA) POLICE DEPARTMENT APPLICANT BACKGROUND BOOKLET 287

Personal Data 289

Family History 290

Residences 291

Education 291

Employment History 293

Financial 296

Military 297

Illegal Drugs 299

Criminal Activity 301

Index 307

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