How to Become a New York Police Officer: Personal Experience
'09.11.2022'
Nadezhda Verbitskaya
Honestly about how to become a policeman in New York, Milana told in her blog "50 Shades of New York".
Next - from the first person.
“The most promising are taken to the FBI, so making a career after the police academy is pretty easy,” said our new acquaintance Terence. He came to visit with his younger brother and quickly fitted into the company.
I looked at the guest with interest. A very young man, barely twenty, but with some kind of solid foundation inside. A little later I realized that Terence has a goal - to become a policeman. And not just, but the kind they show in Hollywood action movies.
And there is nothing surprising in this. Law enforcement officers in the States are almost an elite. Already in the first year of work, they receive a decent salary, and then the salary increases.
A police captain earns $100 a year. Plus, cops have great health insurance. They also say that their children study for free in higher colleges and universities.
And there are no special requirements for candidates. Of course, candidates must be impeccable in terms of the absence of a criminal record.
But the story of a new acquaintance dispelled my prejudices. The young man explained that in fact the selection is quite tough. Firstly, the age limit: the academy accepts people no younger than 21 years old and no older than 35 years old.
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The medical commission also rejects some, leaving only the strong, strong and hardy. Those who passed it are offered to take a psychological test. Yes, they also take an IQ test at the very beginning. Naturally, the policeman must think quickly and well.
Terence made it to the physical fitness exam, but failed to pass it. Although the new acquaintance is quite fit and even looks like an athlete.
As a result, he was offered to come in a year. And the American is carefully preparing for the upcoming test. If he succeeds this time, he will be taken to the police academy. It takes 4 months to study. And during this time it is necessary to learn the laws, the basics of psychology and constantly engage in physical training.
From seasoned cops, Terence learned that rookies experience mental pressure on their first day. Some even leave, but Terence himself is unlikely to do so, because he has been striving for this goal for several years.
The daughter, after carefully listening to the guest, asked if the girls could also study at the academy. He replied that there were no less women in the bodies, and not only in paper work. They patrol the streets, investigate crimes, and sometimes hold the highest police positions.
After talking with Terence, I realized that candidates are more concerned not with the complexity of the service, but with how to get into it. However, their number is not decreasing, in any crisis law enforcement officers will definitely find a case.