Law Enforcement

If you are seeking to change your career, enhance your prospects of following a career in Law Enforcement, or you just want a pre-law school program then An Associate Degree in Law Enforcement is designed to give you the skills and knowledge that you need. If you are a successful student of this course then entry level positions available to you might include some of the following:

Drug Enforcement Officer, Court Clerk, Probation Officer, Customs Officer, Private detective, Police Officer, Stat Trooper, Prisons Officer or Fish and Game Warden. If you are to succeed in this course of study you will need to possess: analytical thought, good interviewing technique, writing and documentation skills, computer literacy, patience, tolerance, strong ethical sense and an understanding of the mechanics of the criminal justice system. There is a broad range of topics such as Ethics, Corrections, Criminology, Administration, Policy Analysis, Criminal Research, Forensics, Crime-fighting Technology and Law to name but a few.

Due to the nature of related occupations, most course providers will do a check on your background; if you have a criminal history you may very well be precluded from taking the course.

According to projections from The Bureau of Labor, employment of police officers and detectives is expected to grow faster than average across all occupations. It is believed that the main reasons for this are due to increased fear of drug related crime, and an increasingly security conscious public. More job openings should become available as the current workforce ages and retires, leaves the force to follow other occupations or stop for other reasons. Clearly competition for higher paying roles is greater than for positions in the community that suffer very high crime rates and lower wages.

The work of the law enforcement employee attracts many people due to the variety that it offers as well as the excitement, although of course it can be stressful and very dangerous on occasions. The task of protecting the community is 24/7 so working shift patterns including weekends, nights, holidays, and evenings is common. Overtime however is payable in most cases where the individual works longer than a 40 hour week. In most jurisdictions, police officers are required to carry a firearm and exercise their authority whether on or off duty. Clearly, if you want to pursue this occupation you will need a lot of commitment, integrity, and a strong desire to help the community around you.