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Police sergeant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Amanda Graham Ph.D.,

Amanda Graham Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical police sergeant skills. We ranked the top skills for police sergeants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 32.4% of police sergeant resumes contained patrol as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a police sergeant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 police sergeant skills for your resume and career

1. Patrol

Here's how police sergeants use patrol:

Obtained instructor certification from the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council, Applied Patrol Procedures for full-time and reserve intermittent police academies.
Developed a comprehensive time management/accountability program for patrol officers that increased self-initiated productivity, individual efficiency, and unit effectiveness.

2. 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 police sergeants use public safety:

Planned Police Department response to numerous significant events, assuring adequate staffing to maintain public safety while remaining within budget.
Collaborate and partner with various supervisors and department managers to ensure cohesive operation with the department of Public Safety.

3. Emergency Situations

Here's how police sergeants use emergency situations:

Provided specialized pedestrian and traffic control services in connections with ceremonies, emergency situations, and similar events.
Acted as the on-scene Incident Commander during emergency situations during disasters, civil and criminal investigations.

4. Law Enforcement Agencies

Here's how police sergeants use law enforcement agencies:

Transported parole violators apprehended by allied law enforcement agencies from one jurisdiction to another and to local detention facilities.
Worked collaboratively other law enforcement agencies and divisions within the San Jose Police Department regarding high profile investigations.

5. Field Training

Here's how police sergeants use field training:

Qualified Field Training Officer recognized for critical thinking as area of expertise conducting investigations and provided recommendations.
Achieved designation as a Georgia-Certified Field Training Officer.

6. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how police sergeants use cpr:

Provided first aid and CPR to victims as necessary.
Instructed/re-certified Officer's CPR annually.

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7. Crime Scenes

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

Here's how police sergeants use crime scenes:

Field supervisor in a high crime environment with regular responsibility for tactical decisions and supervision of major crime scenes.
Researched and developed operational response protocols for critical incidents, natural disasters, accidents and major crime scenes.

8. Firearms

A firearm is a type of weapon or device used by police, uniformed personnel or other related professional for security and protection purposes. This lethal and destructive weapon can often shoot bullet or missiles. A firearm usually consists of a chamber or barrel, frame body, breech bolt, and a magazine.

Here's how police sergeants use firearms:

Completed advanced firearms, interviewing, interrogation, and supervision training.
Coordinate and conduct departmental firearms and tactical training and qualifications.

9. State Laws

Here's how police sergeants use state laws:

Enforce local and state laws and university rules/regulations.
Participate in shift activities as necessary including enforcing local and state laws; issue citations and make arrests.

10. Incident Reports

An Incident Report, in a medical facility such as hospitals and nursing homes, is a type of paperwork filled out immediately after and in the case of an incident of some sort, with the goal of describing the incident and its consequences, as well as the measurements taken after or during the incident, as well as any other information relevant to said incident. Such an incident might be a patient acting out or a patient being injured.

Here's how police sergeants use incident reports:

Reviewed and approved criminal incident reports ensuring clarity and proper police response.
Reviewed all Department Journal Incident Reports for compliance with NIBRS reporting and Massachusetts General Laws, as well as department policies.

11. Crime Prevention

Here's how police sergeants use crime prevention:

Established private/public crime prevention partnerships, addressing retail and corporate security intelligence sharing along with risk assessment and mitigation.
Completed comprehensive reports for criminal and administrative investigations; managed and maintained crime prevention and community policing unit.

12. Traffic Control

Traffic control helps in the supervision of the movement of vehicles, goods, and people for safety and efficiency.

Here's how police sergeants use traffic control:

Provide city events with traffic control and community interaction.
Planned, staffed, conducted threat assessments, conducted traffic control and supervised athletic & special events.

13. Community Relations

Community Relations refers to the relationship-building strategies companies use with surrounding communities. These relationships are often mutually-beneficial, where a company will support local organizations and communities and receive a stronger customer basis. This differs from public relations, as the focus of community relations is building relationships and goodwill within a community rather than presenting a company's work to the public.

Here's how police sergeants use community relations:

Managed and supervised the police department's Personnel Division, Volunteer Program and Community Relations Bureau.
Advocated for juvenile justice and community relations.

14. 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 police sergeants use federal laws:

Reorganized process to maintain chain of custody and fill requirements of state, local and federal laws concerning evidence.
Provided effective police services by enforcing City, State, and Federal laws governing criminal and certain non-criminal conduct.

15. Performance Evaluations

Performance evaluation is a formal and productive process to measure an employee's work and results based on their job responsibilities over a defined period of time and to properly measure an employee's contribution to the workforce and employers and achieve a high level of quality and quantity of work produced. The evaluation also helps employees provide information about deficiencies in job performance and the company's expectations for the future.

Here's how police sergeants use performance evaluations:

Completed performance evaluations for shift members and assisted officers in setting personal and professional goals.
Created monthly reports regarding detective performance and prepared annual performance evaluations for all assigned personnel.

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What skills help Police Sergeants find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on police sergeant resumes?

Amanda Graham Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Georgia Southern University

Completed Degree - Although not required for most departments around the country, the completion of a higher-ed degree in any subject signals to hiring committees that the applicant is (1) seeking to improve themselves, (2) open to learning new things, and (3) capable of finishing a goal that they set out to reach.

A second language - Particularly for candidates that speak Spanish fluently, the ability to speak a second language is of increasing importance as communities around the country continue to diversify.

What soft skills should all police sergeants possess?

Amanda Graham Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Georgia Southern University

Verbal Communication - The ability to talk to/hold a conversation with a stranger is essential in the human enterprise of policing. It is one of the best tools and officer has with them to address any situation.

Ethical Decision-Making (Using Discretion Appropriately) - The ability to make the best decision in a given situation is absolutely critical in policing. Not only do officers need to have sound and logical judgment, but also the capacity to make ethically sound decisions helps to prevent the introduction of bias into the criminal justice system.

What hard/technical skills are most important for police sergeants?

Amanda Graham Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Georgia Southern University

Written Communication/Writing/English - Policing heavily involves being able to articulate your ideas in writing, especially for writing reports and warrants. These documents demand officers provide their probable cause for a case; without this capacity, cases can be dropped and warrant applications unsuccessful.

What police sergeant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dr. Durmus Alper CAMLIBEL Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

The economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic apparently has brought uncertainty to the job market, and job opportunities, especially in some of the social sciences, are reduced. There is an old Turkish saying, "bread is in the mouth of the lion" (ekmek aslanın ağzında) that sums it up nicely. It implies that it is a struggle to make a living. Life after college is not easy. There is too much competition in the job market. Suppose graduates need to take a gap year. In that case, they need to continue to learn after graduation—an extra set of skills that can put them ahead of other applicants—learning another language can put the graduates on the top of other candidates since there are plenty of applicants just like them. Becoming fluent in a second language can bring graduates several advantages.

They can also apply for internship programs of local and federal criminal justice agencies during a gap year. The graduates can observe a criminal justice agency's working environment and the culture of a specific community. They can decide if they want to serve in the organization and the community. They should also consider international organizations' internship programs, such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) or Office of Counter-Terrorism internship programs. The UNODC has an office in New York. This internship program provides a framework for students (enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a bachelor's level or equivalent degree programs) to develop their professional skills and gain practical work experience in an international environment. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, applicants may be requested to undertake the internship online.

What type of skills will young police sergeants need?

T.Christopher Bell

Professor, La Sierra University

The skills graduates will need are much improved in VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS skills-the ability to de-escalate and resolve conflict through verbal communication. Students who are majoring in Criminal Justice must be able to understand multiculturalism. The ability to understand different and not perceive it as harmful.

Do you want to know more?

List of police sergeant skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a police sergeant resume and required skills for a police sergeant to have include:

Patrol
Public Safety
Emergency Situations
Law Enforcement Agencies
Field Training
CPR
Crime Scenes
Firearms
State Laws
Incident Reports
Crime Prevention
Traffic Control
Community Relations
Federal Laws
Performance Evaluations
Disciplinary Actions
Emergency Calls

Police Academy
Critical Incidents
Police Reports
Citizen Complaints
Police Services
Incident Command
Domestic Violence
Security Operations
In-Service Training
Criminal Investigations
Criminal Cases
Police Operations
Traffic Enforcement
Patrol Division
Homicide
Traffic Laws
Background Investigations

Subpoenas
Local Laws
Computer Aided Dispatch
Direct Supervision
Traffic Accidents
Internal Investigations
Crime Trends
FTO
Bike
Patrol Operations
Criminal Acts
Police Patrol
Traffic Stops
Court Proceedings
DUI

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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