By Dennis Porter
In spite of a tough national job market, the outlook for employment in law enforcement and related fields for the next 6 to 7 years could not be better. Specifically, the Bureau of Labor Statistics believes the field will need to hire for approximately 268,500 more law enforcement related job positions by 2012. The varied opportunities in this field range from police officers and corrections officers to border patrol agents and crime scene processors.
Why is the job market thriving? The answer in part is that baby boomers are retiring by the thousands on a daily basis. As the baby boomers employed in law enforcement retire, police agencies across the nation are scrambling to fill in behind them with new applicants. I personally have talked to dozens of policing agencies across the nation, and all repeat the same thing, “We cannot find enough qualified applicants to replace the retiring baby boomer generation.â€
If a prospective police officer applicant were to look only at federal law enforcement jobs, he or she would learn from a 2007 report of “Where the Jobs Are,†the Federal Government alone will need to hire 60,000 people in security, law enforcement, and compliance assistance jobs by 2009. Municipalities, counties, and states need to hire at comparable levels to fill open positions.
Is the Career Right for You?
The jobs may be plentiful, but how do you know if this career path fits your strengths and interests? Like other careers in national security and public service, careers in law enforcement are typically demanding but can also be immensely fulfilling. As a member of law enforcement, you will have a chance to see things that most others don’t, all while positively impacting the safety and security of our communities. But before you dive into the field head first, you would be wise to evaluate your ability to:
- Work independently
- Maintain a high sense of integrity
- Remain calm and clear-headed when faced with tense, high-risk situations
- Deal with shifting schedules
By all means, seek advice from others who are in the field. After careful self-assessment and research, if you are confident that a law enforcement career could be right for you then your next step is to sift through the available job opportunities.
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