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Highway patrol officer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical highway patrol officer skills. We ranked the top skills for highway patrol officers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 45.8% of highway patrol officer resumes contained patrol as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a highway patrol officer needs to be successful in the workplace.

14 highway patrol officer skills for your resume and career

1. Patrol

Here's how highway patrol officers use patrol:

State of California I have 15 years' experience as a California Highway Patrol Officer.
Instructed up to 35 Police Officers at the Highway Patrol School, Floyd Bennett Field.

2. Highway Patrol

Here's how highway patrol officers use highway patrol:

Appointed Federal Highway Patroller, following admission via public contest and successfully attending the Police Academy.

3. Public Safety

Public safety can be defined as the well-being or protection of a community, citizen, or nation as a whole. There are 4 basic elements that come under public safety namely: national security, border policy, countering crime, and emergency management.

Here's how highway patrol officers use public safety:

Performed various protective services of law enforcement, criminal activity investigation, and public safety within the county and for community events
Performed duties of Police Officer in predominantly residential community including public relations, investigative procedures, communications direction and public safety.

4. Field Training

Here's how highway patrol officers use field training:

Recognized as a Field Training Officer, supervising new officers for ~1 month each on-the-job.
Field Training Officer - Trained and evaluated new officers during their probationary period.

5. Vehicle Inspections

Vehicle inspection refers to the checking of vehicles in terms of safety measure standards.

Here's how highway patrol officers use vehicle inspections:

Assisted motorists, performed motor vehicle inspections and investigated traffic crashes.

6. Traffic Crashes

Here's how highway patrol officers use traffic crashes:

Investigated traffic crashes and provides assistance to motorists.

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7. Criminal Investigations

Here's how highway patrol officers use criminal investigations:

Investigate Criminal Activity on State Owned or Leased Property* Cold Case Criminal Investigations* Executive/ Dignitary Protection Detail Officer* Division 9 Training Officer
Supervised eight criminal investigators in the Criminal Investigations Division responsible for minor and major criminal offenses including theft and homicide.

8. Federal Laws

The laws formed and upheld by the federal administrating body of a country are known as federal laws. A federal administrating body or government is formed by a political party after being elected by the general public.

Here's how highway patrol officers use federal laws:

Enforce all local, county, state, and federal laws, and provided assistance to the public as needed.
Patrolled assigned areas to detect violations and enforced military and federal laws.

9. Traffic Laws

Traffic laws are laws that contain a wide range of legal regulations that govern traffic and regulate vehicles. Laws are passed to keep the roads safe and regulate the flow of traffic in good time. Traffic laws include, but are not limited to, speed limit laws, impaired driving laws, insurance laws, and parking laws.

Here's how highway patrol officers use traffic laws:

Reviewed reports and ensured compliance of Police Regulations & Procedures, apprehended violators of criminal/traffic laws.
Conducted follow-up investigative work when appropriate* Apprehended offenders when identified violating criminal laws and traffic laws.

10. Crime Scenes

Crime scenes refer to places or locations of an offence where forensic evidence may get gathered.

Here's how highway patrol officers use crime scenes:

Investigated criminal or suspicious activities; secured crime scenes; gathered evidence; interviewed/interrogated witness/suspects; made arrests.
Managed crime scenes and multiple individuals during high stress incidents that included communicating, delegating, and supporting safety procedures.

11. Law Enforcement Agencies

Here's how highway patrol officers use law enforcement agencies:

Provide training to local and allied law enforcement agencies including Mexican agencies in vehicle theft, officer tactics and survival training.
Produced detailed electronic shift, security incident, and shift summary reports for several law enforcement agencies.

12. Criminal Cases

A criminal case is a court proceeding in which a person is charged with committing a crime against the state or the community. Such individuals are brought for trials, to decide they are guilty or not. There are two kinds of criminal cases misdemeanors and felonies. A misdemeanor is a crime on a lower level like traffic offenses or minor assaults. While felonies are offenses on a higher level.

Here's how highway patrol officers use criminal cases:

Charged for criminal offenses, presented criminal cases before Magisterial District Court Judge's and testified in Commonwealth Court.
Presented criminal cases for prosecution and provided sworn testimony as expert witness in criminal court

13. Criminal Law

Here's how highway patrol officers use criminal law:

Enforced motor vehicle and criminal laws, and promoted high-quality community relations.
Direct a Patrol team of 6-12 officers which included approving all reports and ensuring proper enforcement of traffic and criminal laws.

14. Police Academy

Here's how highway patrol officers use police academy:

Completed six (6) month; 28 week police academy.
Participated in the field training officer program instructing and advising probationary officers recently graduated from the police academy.

What skills help Highway Patrol Officers find jobs?

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List of highway patrol officer skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a highway patrol officer resume and required skills for a highway patrol officer to have include:

Patrol
Highway Patrol
Public Safety
Field Training
Vehicle Inspections

Traffic Crashes
Criminal Investigations
Federal Laws
Traffic Laws
Crime Scenes

Law Enforcement Agencies
Criminal Cases
Criminal Law
Police Academy

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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