A couple questions about becoming a cop in CA?
Specifically in the Los Angeles/Orange County area. How long does it take? What do you have to do? Are there different routes you can take? I ask for information but also for insight since I know that usually there are a lot of intricacies that people dont think about like for instance when people enroll in the military and dont know what they have gotten themselves into. I am interested in social work and criminology. I dont think I would want to be a traffic cop or a paper work cop or maybe not even a jail cop. I would like to work in the community. Do you get a choice?
Have you considered becoming a Probation Officer? That would definitely combine social work and criminology.
Typically if you get hired as a Sheriff’s Deputy (any county) you start out at one of their jails after completing the academy and then after a certain amount of time you can transfer to a patrol assignment, if you want to. As a city police officer, after you’ve completed the academy you are automatically put into a patrol position.
Good luck to you with whatever you decide to do!!