Steps to Becoming a Police Officer in Georgia

As a police officer in the state of Georgia, it is your job to enforce the law and protect your community's citizens. Police officers constantly find themselves in dangerous situations and often work more than 40 hours a week. Before you apply to become a Georgia police officer, get in good physical shape, learn as much as you can about the law, and go on a ride along if possible. A ride along is when a citizen shadows a police officer during one of his shifts.

• 1

  Meet the minimum legal requirements for becoming a police officer in the state of Georgia. To qualify, applicants must be at least 21 years of age, have a high school diploma or GED, a clean criminal record and the ability to speak clearly and write well. The applicant mus also be of good moral character.

• 2

  Obtain an application packet from your local police station in Georgia. Some police stations hand out applications on a regular basis while other stations may only hand out applications during specific times of active recruitment.

• 3

  Pass the written, psychological, and fitness exams. The written exam contains general education questions. The psychological evaluation includes a series of written and oral tests. The fitness exam typically consists of running, jumping, sit ups, pull ups and other endurance tests.

• 4

  Submit to a polygraph test. A polygraph test, commonly know as a lie detector test, gages the honesty level of the applicant.

• 5

  Complete the selection process. If the applicant passes all previous tests, they move on to the selection process. The selection process consists of interviews (often with the chief of police) and a physical exam to confirm the applicant is in good health. Some cities in Georgia require a seperate safety commission to approve of the applicant before they are hired.

• 6

  Attend the police academy. The length of the police academy varies by city. Generally, a police academy lasts 12 weeks to 6 months. While an in the police academy, an applicant trains with firearms, driving a police vehicle and how to apprehend criminals, among other duties. Once an applicant graduates from the police academy they will begin working as a police officer.