How to Become a Cop

How
to become a cop is a question that a lot of kids ask.  The first step
in learning how to become a cop is to ask yourself why you want to
become a cop.  Unlike the way it's depicted on TV, being a cop is
unglamorous, frequently boring and nevertheless stressful and
potentially dangerous.  If you want to be a cop you have to have a real
desire to help people, to enforce law and to make personal sacrifices
to help better society.  If that describes you, then read on to find
out how to become a cop.   

If you're still in high
school, taking classes that will help you in your career on the police
office is a good place to start.  High school sports stars are
excellent candidates for the police department, as physical fitness is
a prime requirement for cops.  If by chance you're planning on serving
in the army or some other branch of the military, that's excellent
training for the police force as well. 

If you're already out of
high school, you can still become a cop as long as you meet the age
requirements (many departments require you to be between the ages of
18-24 at the beginning of your career) and have a high school diploma
or a general equivalency diploma.   

If you want to know how to
become a cop make sure that your background is clean.  Criminal
convictions (even if you were under 18 when the offense occurred) will
disqualify you—they will find out, as they're going to perform a
background check-- and be warned that you'll also have to be screened
for drugs and go through a lie detector test.   

The next step in how to
become a cop is to pass the civil service exam for the police force. 
There are study preparation materials available at any large bookstore,
and you can also contact your local police department for resources
related to this.  If you don't pass the exam the first time, you should
be allowed to take it again, so don't despair but keep studying.   

After you've passed the
multiple-choice test, if you're still asking how to become a cop, you
have to take a fitness test which will measure your strength and
agility as well as making sure your vision and hearing are up to par. 
Police officers need to be very aware of their surroundings so it's
absolutely necessary that their senses are acute and that they're able
to withstand conditions of a job that requires great stamina.  

If you want to know how to
become a cop you may be asking if you need to get a degree in criminal
justice.  Though it can help, it's not absolutely necessary unless you
want to join a state police force.  In that case, these days most state
police forces require bachelor's degrees, although it's best to check
with any individual force you want to apply to in order to make sure of
their specific requirements.