Law enforcement careers can be one of the most rewarding routes for you to take. You protect the community. Help put criminals behind bars. Keep criminals behind bars. You would also be a role model for most of the community. If you work with children, you can help mold and shape them into becoming good citizens.
If you live ethically and work with high morals, others around you will follow in your footsteps. The careers that you can choose will set the tone for how you approach this path. The paths linked to law enforcement are many, but they all fall under three distinct categories. If you want a description of what each specific job entails and how much earning potential they have, go check out the list that Glassdoor has provided for you.
- Officers – When you think of law enforcement officers, you naturally think of police officers that help control local and state areas. City, Sheriff, and Highway Patrol officers are the ones you deal with regularly. In this section, you have the opportunity to work for the CIA, FBI, Border Patrol, or as a TSA agent. All of these are distinguished career paths to follow. Officers in any of these fields will be out hitting the streets every day. They are responsible for making an arrest and settling domestic violence situations. Other tasks may include detaining wild animals until animal control officers have arrived. The movies that you see on television give most of the glory to officers that you see roaming around. But not all credit should go to this group.
- Support- Have you ever watched a crime show that details how investigators gather evidence to help convict criminals? These support career paths are a massive part of law enforcement productivity, but they were not given the credit they deserve until recently. Support personnel can include crime scene investigators, evidence technicians, crime lab technicians, firearms specialists, and numerous other positions. The bottom line is that if you choose a career path in the support section of law enforcement, you will be part of a team that helps keep the streets safe for citizens that want to have a safe and happy life.
- Detention – Correctional officer career paths are the most common of the detention careers. Many detention officers begin their law enforcement careers detaining prisons and then move into officer positions when an opening becomes available. Some other choices that you would have in this section of law enforcement would be a prison warden and probation officer. If you go into any of these fields, you will be the last line of defense between criminals and their communities. Making rounds may seem dull, but the importance of the tasks cannot be stressed enough. You must ensure that prisoners stay compliant with all the officers and the other prisoners.
Federal Law Enforcement statistics show that there are over 120,000 jobs at the federal level. Since federal law enforcement officers make up the majority of the career paths, it is a good indication that any professional path from above will give you security in knowing that you have a consistent career that has the potential for advancement. In today’s world, having a job that is certain to be around for a long time is a path that is worth taking. If you enjoy working with the public, want the ability to help your fellow citizens, and manage people, career paths in law enforcement are just the ticket for you.
