There are many jobs in the criminal justice field to choose from and all of them have many benefits and rewards. Police detective jobs are particularly lucrative and exciting. However, it isn’t a job you can just step into overnight. Most police detectives have degrees in criminal justices or a related field and they typically start out as police officers before moving up to the role of detective.  If you are interested in police detective jobs, there is a lot you will have to learn.  Your first question may be, "How to become a police detective?"

Police Detective Job Description

The most basic career information on police detectives is that they are responsible for pursuing and apprehending people who break the law. This may involve searching for and collecting evidence. It may also involve gathering information about the criminal activity of the suspects in question. This is a vastly different type of job than most careers. In fact, becoming a police detective is an art in itself. A police detective must be able to stealthily observe possible criminal suspects and their activities, conduct interviews with suspects and witnesses, participate in raids and arrests, and deal with all sorts of people in sensitive situations.

There are many different career options within the scope of police detective work. Some detectives specialize in homicide and missing persons, while others specialize in fraud, and others might specialize in sexual assault cases. There is a great deal of excitement involved with these jobs, but there will also be many hours spent preparing detailed reports of each incident the detective is involved with. This is where the abilities to have intense concentration and pay great attention to detail come into play. These skills are especially useful if the detective is ever asked to testify in court.

Police detective jobs are not for the faint of heart. Police detectives conduct investigations to solve crimes or prevent them from happening in the first place. It is kind of like solving a puzzle from start to finish. Evidence and witnesses simply replace the puzzle pieces and criminal justice serves as the ultimate goal. It is an exciting job with many career options that are perfect for hard working, intelligent individuals who want to be involved in law enforcement.