Is it hard to get hired as a police officer?

Question

Zippia Team · Accepted Answer

Yes, it can be hard to get hired as a police officer. Besides educational requirements, most police officers must graduate from their agency's training academy before completing a period of on-the-job training.

In general, candidates must be U.S. citizens, usually at least 21 years old, and able to meet rigorous physical and personal qualification standards. A felony conviction or drug use may disqualify a candidate. Training typically includes classroom instruction in state and local laws and constitutional law, civil rights, and police ethics.

Furthermore, there is usually training and supervised experience in patrol, traffic control, firearm use, self-defense, first aid, and emergency response. Because of the nature of the job, candidates will need to pass physical exams of vision, hearing, strength, agility, and written exams.

Additionally, they also typically go through a series of interviews and may be asked to take lie detector and drug tests.