Police Officer Career Advancement Timeline

Police Officer Career Advancement Timeline Police Officer Career Advancement Timeline While there are many great reasons to choose to work in law enforcement, one reason, in particular, comes to mind: the tremendous potential for good officers to make their way up the chain. You can use this police officer career timeline to get a better idea of what you can expect as you are promoted and how long it might take to reach your career goals. Starting at the Bottom: Police Academy Training Everyone has  to start somewhere, and for police officers, that is the  police academy. Expect your police academy training to last approximately six months. During that time, youll receive basic law enforcement training to prepare you for the next step in your career: field training. After the Academy: Police Field Training As grueling as the academy training is, the field training officer program is that much more difficult. During your FTO period, which will probably last between 8 and 12 weeks, youll need to put all of your academy training into practice. Everything you do will be evaluated to make sure you really have what it takes to do the job of a police officer. If you make it, youll move onto your next step: probationary solo patrol. The First Year as a Police Officer Your first full year as a solo patrol officer will be full of learning opportunities. This is where youll really start to learn the job  when you have to make decisions all on your own and be ready to be accountable for them. During your first year, youll probably be on probation, which means you can still be dismissed rather easily and wont have any rights to grieve your firing. During this phase, your supervisor will watch you closely to make sure youre able to do  your job safely. Lateral Moves: Police Specialty Positions Policies will vary from department to department, but a year or two after youve completed your probationary year, you might be eligible to make a lateral move into a specialty post, such as the K-9 unit. This might be as a detective or investigator, a training officer, a member of SWAT, or many other specialized positions.   If youre really serious about taking your career as far as you can go, its a good idea to get exposure to the many different units in your department.   Moving Up the Ranks: Becoming a Police Sergeant You can expect to be ready for your first step into the supervisory ranks anywhere between 5 and 10 years into your career. As a police sergeant, youll be responsible for supervising officers. That means monitoring their calls, inspecting their cars and uniforms, giving advice and guidance on how to handle situations, and providing much-needed discipline and oversight in the day-to-day functions of your squad. Law Enforcement Middle Management Once you make sergeant, promotions may come more quickly, depending on how you perform. Often all that is required is a year in grade from sergeant up. Your next steps will be as a lieutenant and then captain, typically middle-manager ranks.   Lieutenants and captains provide oversight for their districts. Lieutenants run shifts supervising multiple sergeants, and captains handle to overall operations of an entire district or precinct. You can reasonably expect to make lieutenant between 7 and 15 years of becoming an officer, and a captain between 9 and 20 years, depending on your department. Taking Command: The Upper Ranks Upper managers - majors, lieutenant colonels, commanders, or assistant chiefs - set goals for their commands and provide leadership and direction for their members. To make yourself eligible for a command level position, youll need to hone your skills as a middle manager and work your way into one of several law enforcement leadership programs. Typically, upper managers in police departments may have anywhere from 15 to 25 years of experience. Hail to the Chief This is where the buck stops. As the highest-ranking officer in the department, you are ultimately responsible for how your officers perform. Making chief will require an extensive resume and education. Often, youll need 20 years or more experience before you would be considered, including several years in management and upper management positions.