Are you interested in upholding order and serving the people of your community? There is no nobler path than the one that brings you into service of others. Those who are interested in protecting the order of society find themselves drawn to jobs in law enforcement. What kinds of paths are open for people seeking these kinds of jobs?
Firstly, anyone interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement should first consider getting education in one of two fields. The first is criminology, the study of the psychology of criminals and what leads to their desire to commit crimes. The second is criminal justice, the study of the systems by which crime is responded to and punished.
Most jobs in law enforcement require a bachelor’s degree, though others may even require a master’s degree. Depending on the position you’re seeking, that could change, of course. For instance, someone who wants to be a uniformed officer should likely pursue a bachelor’s in criminal justice, while someone wishing to be a criminologist would want a master’s in criminology.
There are a number of great careers in law enforcement that you could seek out. The most common of these is as a uniformed officer, responding to emergencies and maintaining a patrol. This is consider one of the more direct jobs in law enforcement, as uniformed officers interact directly with the public and directly stop crimes from occurring.
Another common job in law enforcement is that of an investigator. Also known as detectives, these plainclothes officers tend to work with evidence and attempt to solve criminal cases. These officers conduct interviews, consult records and use critical thinking to attempt to solve cases.
Other careers could include working as support staff, such as intelligence analysts, forensic scientists and ballistics examiners. These are often highly specialized positions that you will focus on while pursuing your criminal justice or criminology degree.
