Virginia Recruit Requirements
Introduction The modern world faces numerous challenges especially security threats and terrorism. It’s projected that demand for state police will be good throughout 2012(Careers Encyclopedia and Vocational Guidance). Local law enforcement and state police have embarked on processing recruitment for personnel in their different departments. Recruit requirements for Virginia state police and local law enforcement agency Virginia State makes use of police academies and advertisements for positions available in the different departments in making recruitments. In 2004 the Virginia police academy training division, provided over 12,509 instruction hours that took 269 sessions involved students from other agencies.
( Richmond ,December 2005). Those that qualify are assigned duty for periods of six months, one year or longer (qtd. Scheinkman 5 and in hammer) Requirements for Virginia state police. The recruit on the date of hire must be 21 years old and above, and a citizen of the United States. He/she must be of established reputation and character.
A background check is conducted to verify character; this includes credit history, educational achievements, prior police records, work experience and a lie detector test. The recruit is also required to have attained a GED, and must have graduated from high school. Provide a good driving license that’s valid coupled with an impeccable driving record. Also the recruit must comply with the departments’ policies on body art, body modification and tattoos. He should be proportional in height and weight.
Recruit requirements for local law enforcement agencyRecruits for local law enforcement agencies must be at least 18 years of age, with a high school diploma. Be a U.S citizen with a valid driver’s license or produce a driving abstract. The recruit is required to be of sound emotional, physical and mental health and is subject to a drug and substance abuse test. Be of good conduct and character which is verified through background checks at neighborhoods, schools and employers. Contrast between the requirements for state police and local law enforcement agency.
The state police require a minimum age of 21years for its recruits while the local law enforcement only requires a minimum of 18 years of age. State police requires a polygraph test during recruitment while the local law enforcement only relies on a finger print check. State police have a departmental body modification and tattoo policy that is not required at the local law enforcement level. State police recruits are subject to random drug tests. Rationalization of the differences in recruitments requirements.
State police troopers have a far greater mandate and jurisdiction that stretches statewide. All states except Hawaii have state police (qtd. in U.S. Department of Labor 368). They further assist the local law enforcers with emergencies and investigations that surpass the jurisdictional boundaries and resources of the local law enforcement agencies.
Evaluation With the strict recruit requirements and asks for the job. The Virginia state police prove to be more challenging than the local law enforcement agency. Relocation requirements at any given time prove most challenging for families who would prefer settling down in one place. I would prefer the state police for it offer a greater deal of service to the whole state, jurisdictional mandate is greater and State police through the many departments offer more career opportunities. State police wages are more attractive with additional benefits upon graduation, Recruitment suggestion Simulation These entail a visual portrayal of events that can happen on the field.
The recruit would be required to participate in the simulation to gage his/her reaction to the different simulated events. These would help assess judgment calls.
