Ever want to start an exciting career in law enforcement? Many young children dream of one day becoming a police officer. Check out how you can become a police officer in Ohio and protect your community on a daily basis. A career in law enforcement in very rewarding and offers many great benefits. The state of Ohio has a generally high demand for qualified police officers to start immediately. Ohio has been hit with one of the biggest job losses since the Great Depression; however careers in law enforcement are still very available in most areas of Ohio. Find out what it takes to become a police officer and how you can begin police officer training in Ohio.
Is Becoming a Police Officer for You?
There are many people that decide they want to become a police officer when they are very young, but many stumble upon it around the ages of 23-27. You must take some important steps first before you can become a police officer in Ohio. A career in law enforcement can be challenging, difficult, and very dangerous for applicants that make it through police officer training. There are many different types of police officer you can be in Ohio like city police, rural sheriffs, or township police to name a few.
Job Description for Police Officers in Ohio
In just about every city or town in the state of Ohio there are uniformed police that patrol the streets. Police officers respond to calls and settle many different types of disputes and situations on a daily basis. Some basic job duties for police officers in Ohio is directing traffic, responding to various calls, investigating crime and crime scenes, responding to emergencies or accidents, or pursuing criminals. A police officers’ overall goal is to maintain law and order, while properly collecting evidence from crime scenes and conducting full criminal investigations.
Education for Police Officers in Ohio
In order to become a police officer in Ohio, you need to start off by having your high school diploma or equivalent. Then you must complete additionally training such as an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. There are many colleges in Ohio that offer criminal justice programs for people wanting to begin police officer training in Ohio. Once you get into a police officer degree program, you will generally take courses like human behavior, psychology, computer systems, legal, and other courses directed towards criminal justice.
You need enroll in a police academy or police officer training program that trains applicants to work in police departments around Ohio. No matter what police officer training program you choose you must complete 550 hours of training. They teach applicants how to deal with various types of situations and aspects of the job. There programs generally last around 6 months or more and usually they offer housing for students.
In order to become a certified police officer in Ohio, you will need to take the Ohio Peach Officer’s Certification Test. You often times need to complete a physical test before you can start working for a police department.
Becoming a police officer in Ohio will require you to be in great physical shape and good moral fitness. Many people that are in the process of becoming a police officer should most likely expect to receive a lie detector test upon being hired. They also perform random drug screening in this profession.
