How Long Does It Take To Become A Cop (And Why)?

Exact Answer: About 5 to 6 years

The world doesn’t run without a career. There are hundreds of fields and thousands of hundreds of careers all across the field. The careers of people determine what they do and what they are worthy of. Every career has a certain allotted salary and the type of career decides the life you live.

There are many prominent careers found all around the world like doctors, engineers, farmers. Every field requires a certain type of worker. The field of administration has various types of careers. But one which is the most popular and has been sought after by many is the role of a police offer.

While some careers don’t require any sort of physical or educational qualification, becoming a police officer requires multiple tests and passing them in flying colors.

It would take anyone about 5 to 6 years to become a police officer.

How Long Does It Take To Become A Cop?

Becoming a police officer gives you the honor of being one of the most vetted employees of any state or country in the world. Though the job itself is hard, the entire process you have to go through before becoming one is also tough. You must prepare yourself in a mental, emotional, and physical way to cope up with the job.

During the periods when you will be a police officer, you will experience all sorts of stress. So, these six years of training make them stronger to cope up with any obstacle on the way.

The qualification process is split up into various parts. First, the education itself will take about four years, the process of applying about three to four months, the process of hiring about three to four months, training in a police academy for about six months, and finally, probation for about six months to a year.

After you finish all this, you will become a full-time police officer. The duration of the entire process will also depend on the city you apply to, how you perform in all these stages, and how much you take the entire process seriously.

Why Does It Take About Six Years To Become A Police Officer?

First, you should be of at least 18 to 21 years to even apply for the post. You will certainly need a minimum of at least 2 years of education from any college. Thus, it is either an associate, diploma, or undergraduate. If you want to attain a federal-level post, you will need another 2 years of education.

After completing your education successfully, you will have to apply for the post. It will take about three to four months to process your application. If you get through that, you will need to start your physical training. Fill up everything with crisp details.

Once your application goes through, the hiring process in a police academy begins. ll sorts of interviews and background checks will be conducted. You will go through various forms of training, pursue various tests, and finally, you will pass out of the board will flying colors if you train well.

After that, you will be put on a probation period in various departments, which is decided by your performance in the police academy. If you perform well in your probation period, which can take about six months to a year, depending upon your excellence in the practical field.

Conclusion

While following all these steps, some successfully become police officers, some might not get the job or even pass the exams or the academy. So make sure you are serious about everything you go through and it does require a lot of willpower to become a police officer.

If you want to learn more about all this, you can always seek the advice of someone who already has the job. There are multiple other websites too, that will help you understand more about the job, the stages, and the best police academies around your area.

References

1. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08974454.2016.1256804
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004723520400090X