Quote Originally Posted by ggiese View Post
I'm curious, Ken - does your department look for a degree when they're hiring recruits? Or do they still look for a minimum of a high school diploma. Are candidates given any consideration for advanced education or military experience. And if so - is the advanced education credit the same as military experience?

The reason I'm asking - when I first applied to law enforcement positions, military experience was far more valuable than a degree. That seems to have changed in the last few years. In the Chicago area, at least, it appears that recruits might have a slight advantage with a degree versus previous military experience.

BTW - the most USELESS degree (in my estimation) is a law enforcement degree. You might get credit for it when applying for a position - but I don't think there is much in the content of that degree program that give someone a leg up in job performance. Someone considering that degree program would be much better off studying something like computer science or english. Hell - even a biology degree would be more useful than a law enforcement degree...
I work in a politically charged environment. The sheriff hires whoever he deems fit. The basic high school education and no criminal record are the only requirements. Some have had degrees, some are vets, and others are just hired for whatever the sheriff's reasons are. They do have to pass a civil service exam. The guys with the degrees and military service do not seem to progress any faster than those without.

I was a reserve officer for awhile. I worked a couple nights per week for free. I applied for full time, took the test and was hired. There is a little side story about my hiring I'll PM you about if you are interested.

The city does have a different system. They allow credits for military service and college degrees. I'm not familiar with the exact procedure they use but I know it is in place.