National Application Center :: career details :: Police Detectives
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Career Details :: Police Detectives
Description
Conduct investigations to prevent crimes or solve criminal cases.
Experience
A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Tasks
- Examines scene of crime to obtain clues and gather evidence.
- Investigates establishments or persons to establish facts supporting complainant or accused, using supportive information from witnesses or tangible evidence.
- Interviews complainant, witnesses, and accused persons to obtain facts or statements; and records interviews, using recording device.
- Schedules polygraph test for consenting parties and records results of test interpretations for presentation with findings.
- Testifies before court and grand jury and appears in court as witness.
- Prepares assigned cases for court and charges or responses to charges, according to formalized procedures.
- Reviews governmental agency files to obtain identifying data pertaining to suspects or establishments suspected of violating laws.
- Observes and photographs narcotic purchase transaction to compile evidence and protect undercover investigators.
- Records progress of investigation, maintains informational files on suspects, and submits reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants.
- Arrests or assists in arrest of criminals or suspects.
- Maintains surveillance of establishments to attain identifying information on suspects.
Related Careers
- Child Support, Missing Persons, and Unemployment Insurance Fraud Investigators
- Correctional Officers and Jailers
- Criminal Investigators and Special Agents
- Fire Inspectors
- Fire Investigators
- Immigration and Customs Inspectors
- Private Detectives and Investigators
- Security Guards
- Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs
- Transit and Railroad Police
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Getting Information Needed to Do the Job
- Analyzing Data or Information
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Important Skills
Frequent Work Context
- Job-Required Social Interaction
- Frustrating Circumstances
- Consequence of Error
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Importance of Being Sure All Is Done
