Policing In America
Find a local law enforcement agency for whom you would consider working. Research all aspects of the agency.
For that employer, answer these questions:
What is the agency / organization - describe it in detail
What responsibilities and/or duties does this agency fulfill?
Does the agency have the fiscal resources to fulfill those duties and what is their source of funding? Discuss the budget specifically.
What is the mission statement of the agency; how many employees does this agency have?
Is the agency at full strength or are they seeking to fill positions by hiring? If they are hiring, what are the reasons for the vacancies?
Does the makeup of the agency represent the community they serve (race, ethnicity, etc...)? Please discuss demographic data that you are able to locate for this jurisdiction and how this compares to the demographics of the officers at the agency.
What is the entry level position that you would seek with this agency? is the position sworn or non-sworn?
What are the requirements of the position?
minimum age for sworn positions
physical (requirements for entry into either the position or any training academy / program)
educational (minimum education for new employees in this position)
is there any civil service or another entry-examination requirement?
The San Francisco Police Department:
What is the agency / organization - describe it in detail
The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) is the primary law enforcement agency for the city and county of San Francisco, California. It is responsible for providing police services to a population of over 875,000 people. The SFPD has a long and storied history, dating back to 1849. It is one of the most respected and well-regarded police departments in the country.
What responsibilities and/or duties does this agency fulfill?
The SFPD is responsible for a wide range of law enforcement duties, including:
- Patrolling the streets
- Responding to calls for service
- Investigating crimes
- Making arrests
- Providing traffic enforcement
- Serving warrants
- Protecting the public
- Minimum age of 21
- High school diploma or equivalent
- U.S. citizenship
- Clear background check
- Passing the physical fitness test
- Passing the written exam
- Passing the oral interview
- Successful completion of the police academy
- Passing a physical fitness test that includes a 1.5-mile run, push-ups, sit-ups, and a bench press
- Passing a swimming test