What type of police work are you looking at? Federal? State? County? How about city police? There are scores of different types of police agencies out there. Some with very specific tasks like ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms) and so on.These federal agencies all have a very specific task.
Then you have the “full service” type of agencies like the FBI, State, County and local police. Those agencies do all types of policing. The United States is unique in that we do not really have a “national” police force as much as leaving that job up to the local and state levels.
Know your state requirements. Each state has different laws pertaining to what are the minimum requirements for someone to become a police officer. Some states require a person to be 21, others 18; some require only a high school diploma while others require a college degree.
Then there are the agency specific requirements. Some agencies have stricter requirements than others do. Some require that an applicant have a clean arrest record. Some allow for minor charges. Check with the state and particularly the agency you are wanting to apply to.
