OK, you’ve passed those requirements and have now decided to apply. First, you have to decide where you want to live and with that, what agencies are in that area. You should research the departments on the Internet and see where they are located, their size, and what kind of agency they are. Look at the benefits, retirement and other things that are offered to their officers.
You should also talk to a few of the patrol officers. Make sure you get a good overall picture of the department. Look the department up in the press. I am not saying that the news is a good view of the department, but a department that is constantly in the news because of officers being in trouble may need a second look before applying. You need to make that call. Just make sure you have all the information you can gather before sitting down with your family and talking this over.