How To Become A Chief Of Police: What It Is and Career Path

What is a chief of police and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A Chief of Police, or Police Chief, is a top-ranking law enforcer charged with the responsibility of supervising and managing Police Department heads and staff. He/she is basically the general manager of the Police Department. The role of a Chief of Police is an appointed position either by the Mayor or the City Manager. A Police Chief reports directly to the appointing authority (either mayor or the city manager) and keeps them up to date with the goings-on of the police department. A Chief of Police must possess exceptional leadership skills because he/she is a leader in the city government.

Being the general manager of the police department, the Chief of Police is responsible for strategic planning, administration, budgeting, public relations, and generally the day-to-day operations of the police department. While a Police Chief usually works in an office setting within the police department, he/she may be required to investigate crime scenes or hold meetings with politicians outside the office. Other duties of a Police Chief include developing policies and procedures, holding meetings, developing crime prevention programs, among others.

A chief of police is expected to be well versed with the laws since most of his/her /her role revolves around law enforcement. Chiefs of Police does not have specified working hours. They work all hours, including holidays and weekends. The role of a Chief of Police is an especially important one because they are liable for the successes and failures of the Police Department.

ScoreChief Of PoliceUS Average

Salary

6.1

Avg. Salary $77,582

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.46%

Asian 2.06%

Black or African American 9.92%

Hispanic or Latino 13.57%

Unknown 4.15%

White 68.85%

Gender

female 8.34%

male 91.66%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a chief of police

Explore chief of police education requirements

Most common chief of police degrees

Bachelor's

43.4 %

Associate

28.0 %

Master's

12.8 %

Start to develop specific chief of police skills

Skills	Percentages
Patrol	23.25%
Public Safety	13.28%
Criminal Justice	8.67%
Law Enforcement Agencies	8.08%
Emergency Management	3.77%

Complete relevant chief of police training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New chiefs of police learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a chief of police based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real chief of police resumes.

Gain additional chief of police certifications

Chief of police certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific chief of police certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for chiefs of police include Certified Law Enforcement Analysts (CLEA) and Apple Certified Trainer (ACT).

More About Certifications

Research chief of police duties and responsibilities

Lead, train and mentore a team of 11 senior logistics and business consultants.
Plan, manage, develop, implement and revise the training FTO program, as needed.
Enable senior leadership to accomplish combat objectives.
Provide first aid and CPR to victims as necessary.

Get chief of police experience

Prepare your chief of police resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your chief of police resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a chief of police resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable chief of police resume templates

Build a professional chief of police resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your chief of police resume.