Police Detective

Job Description

Like uniformed police officers, police detectives are peace officers who enforce the law and help protect people’s lives and property. However, a police detective’s duties are more complex. Rather than working patrol and responding to routine calls, police detectives primarily are responsible for investigation of crimes, which includes gathering evidence; discerning the facts by speaking with witnesses, victims and suspects; studying police reports and following up on leads that the community brings forward. Detectives must be detailed and specific in their reports, as they may be used as part of their testimony in court to place criminals behind bars. Detectives are usually plainclothes investigators and are often assigned to target specific types of crimes. For example, a detective could work in drug enforcement, homicide, vehicle crimes or child crimes. Sometimes detectives conduct undercover investigations over long periods of time and use confidential informants to gain valuable information on larger-scale criminal activity leading to high-profile arrests.

Educational Requirements

It is not typical for someone to be hired on as police detective fresh out of police academy. Usually, you start out as a uniformed patrol officer and work your way up to a detective position after proving yourself in the field. Having the right education can definitely help your prospects. First of all, you must have a minimum of a high school diploma or its equivalent to be eligible to join any force. Larger, metropolitan police forces may even require candidates to have taken college courses or to have earned a college degree for even entry-level detective positions. A sampling of job postings reveals a bachelor’s degree is the preferred degree level. A good many employers are willing to reimburse all or part of the cost of tuition for those on their force who choose to pursue degrees related to law enforcement, such as criminal justice, police science and public administration, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Career Outlook and Salary

Police detectives and criminal investigators are expected to experience 17 percent job growth from 2008 to 2018, according to projections by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This means detectives will likely have better job prospects over the next 10 years than police officers in general. Detectives also enjoy significantly higher salaries than patrol officers. In general, the median annual salary for police detectives in May 2008 was $60,910. Broken down, those annual salaries averaged around $73,170 for detectives working for the federal government, $53,910 for detectives working in state government and $55,930 for detectives working in local government, according to the Bureau. Detectives also typically enjoy benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans and paid vacation/sick time. There is still room for personal growth, as detectives are encouraged to participate in training and continuing education. If you decide to move up in the profession, serving in a supervisory role over other detectives, you have the opportunity to earn an even higher income. The median yearly salary for detective supervisors was $75,490, according to the Bureau.