Police Officers : Requirements to Become a Police Officer

A police officer is required to be at least 21 years old, have a high school diploma or equivalency, be a U.S. citizen and have a clean criminal record. Find out why prospective police officers may have to take a polygraph test with help from a police officer in this free video on law enforcement and becoming a police officer.

Expert: Beau Babka
Bio: Beau Babka is a police officer at the Cottonwood Heights Police Department.
Filmmaker: Michael Burton

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• police officers
• cops
• policeman
• police departments
• law enforcement
• criminal justice system
• police training
• police jobs

[TonicMike]

If you don't have respect for the police you probably have no idea how much they do for you. The police are responsible for a lot in the US that people take for granted. If you lived in a country where the police are corrupt and have to be bribed just to get them to protect your family from being abused by dangerous gangs you'd keep a civil tongue in your head and mind your manners.

[TonicMike]

@rrhynes Well in that case people should be happy that someone like me wants to be a cop. I am a very compassionate person who wants to enforce the laws that protect people's civil rights so that they can feel safe. It upsets me that so many bad cops give the rest a bad name and because of this I adamantly refuse to fall into that stereotype. I will also double as an EMT and I just think you might like to know that at least there's one person (me) who wants to be a cop for the RIGHT reasons.

[amazingaustin13]

i have a question. I have a double lung transplant, i have been convicted of battery while armed as a juvenile, which was droped to a misdeamenor, and I have a restraining order on me for 2 years but the judge has that sealed and i have been drug and alcohol free for over a year. I am 16 years old. When am of age, would I be eligable to become a police officer?

[hohlkopf12]

I'm German. My dad is an US citizen living here in Germany. Is there a way to become an US citizen by applying for that job? In Germany I think it's possible to become a citizen when the company wants you to work for them. Is that possible in the US as well?

[mediumpimpn]

Lol, hello officer, I'm here for the oral interview. CREAPER!

[Kiddeth]

@CalcityAirsoft LoL they would probably get there is time.

[BIGTRUEONE]

i just turned 18 and i want to become a police officer thats my dream job but i got introuble for petty theft when i was 15 would that effect me?

[TheJer1963]

@rrhynes Thats about how my father was. This at the time was a small town of about 3,000 where everybody knew eachother. When I go home to visit today people still talk to me about my father. I have been told they have not had a good dept. since he left.It was just not the job for me. Times were a lot different then to.

[rrhynes]

@TonicMike Great. Just remember that the status quo doesn't like cops that get other cops in trouble. They can really make it hard on you. If you've never watched Serpico, watch it. It's old , but nothing has changed. Lying is part of the false brotherhood of most cops. Not all , of course, but most. You'll see. Stick your principles and remember that your own safety and well being is NOT the objective of a police officer, despite what you hear on the TV all the time.

[rrhynes]

@TheJer1963 I asked it because the worst offenders, where LEO agencies are concerned, are the small towns and the big cities. 

[rrhynes]

@TheJer1963 I'm glad to hear that. We all would like an Andy Taylor for Sheriff.