Choosing a Location

As you go through the process of choosing the agency you want to work for, remember you most likely will be spending your entire career in that one department. Most police careers range from 20 to 25 years! There are many types of police departments and agencies to choose from, and deciding upon which agency fits you the best may not be an easy decision to make. There are many factors that go into this decision-making process when choosing the proper agency.

The larger the agency, the greater the number of opportunities that are available. Agencies such as the New York City Police Department, California Highway Patrol, and Chicago Police Department serve large populations over vast amounts of geography. These large agencies have crime labs; SWAT teams; K-9, aviation, and marine units; and computer crime specialists. Their resources and missions are usually more diverse and greater than those of the small-town 10-member police departments. Or perhaps you are looking for a smaller department to increase local community interaction and have a closer personal relationship with the people in town, which you might not get in larger cities. All police agencies, regardless of size, provide a highly valued service to society and need to employ consummate, dedicated police professionals.

You also need to ask yourself: What are your interests and goals? Does the agency you want to work for offer different assignments and opportunities for promotion? Then there are the specialized agencies and departments that may fit your personality or interest.

If you live in an area geographically surrounded by woods, mountains, hunting facilities, or parks, then perhaps being a conservation or parks police officer may interest you. If you live near the ocean, maybe beach patrol or a harbor unit is something for you to think about. There are transit police for trains and transportation hubs, as well as sanitation police enforcing the laws for illegal dumping and protecting the environment.

Take a look at the following examples of two different police departments in the same state: one in Saratoga Springs, New York, and the other in New York City.

Saratoga Springs Police Department

The Saratoga Springs Police Department has 72 full-time officers who protect a population of more than 28,000 in a 28-square-mile area. The department has one captain and four lieutenants. There are 11 investigators who perform detective functions. To learn more about the Saratoga Springs Police Department, visit their website at www.saratogapolice.org.

New York City Police Department

The New York City Police Department employs 34,000 sworn members who protect a population of more than 8.5 million residents in a 322-square-mile area. The department has over 400 members of the elite Emergency Services Unit, which includes such specialties as SWAT and K-9. The Harbor Unit includes a Scuba Team of 30 divers and also deploys 27 marine vessels. There are approximately 750 captains and more than 1,500 lieutenants. To learn more about the NYPD, visit their website at www.nyc.gov/nypd.

Note that this is not meant to compare the value of the work in these two departments. The officers in Saratoga Springs do important work and so do the folks in the NYPD. But if your fondest dream is to fly a police helicopter, Saratoga Springs may not be the place for you. Decide what you want out of your career and take that into consideration when deciding where to pursue your police work.