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A homicide detective is a police officer who investigates murders and other serious crimes. They typically come from a law enforcement or criminal justice background, but it is by no means required in order to work on homicide investigations. Many detectives are promoted, rather than hired directly into the homicide unit. This article will cover how to become a homicide detective without being a cop and will also cover how long can you be a homicide detective and what does a homicide detective make annually.
The homicide detective is the person who investigates murders and other violent crimes. They are also responsible for making sure that the evidence is preserved and collected properly so that it can be used in court. A homicide detective must have a keen understanding of forensics, as well as an extensive knowledge of law enforcement procedures.
In this guide, we will discuss how to become a homicide detective without being a cop.
What you will need
Before we start talking about how to become a homicide detective without being a cop, let’s start with what you will need:
How to become a homicide detective without being a cop
Many would-be detectives want to be homicide detectives.
Being a homicide detective is a dream job for many people. The image of the homicide detective as portrayed in popular TV shows, movies, and even books is usually one of glamor and excitement. But the reality is that being a homicide detective can be very different from what you may have imagined. There are all sorts of things that might not have occurred to you when thinking about this career goal:
- You will probably see some very disturbing things
- You won’t get paid as much as you deserve for your work
- Your coworkers may not respect your skills or experience
Why the dream?
There are many reasons why you might want to become a homicide detective. The first reason is that it’s glamorous and exciting, which means a lot of people want this job. The second reason is that being a homicide detective helps people. As a homicide detective, you get to solve murders, which means some people will live because of what you do. They might not be alive if it weren’t for your work investigating crime scenes and speaking with witnesses who might have seen something suspicious or who know something important about the case.
The third reason is that being a homicide detective provides an opportunity for heroism: You could save lives by apprehending violent offenders before they kill again! Because few other jobs give individuals such wide-ranging power over human life (and death), becoming an interrogator may feel like an opportunity for heroism—and perhaps even redemption—to many applicants looking for purpose in their careers after military service or other high-pressure professions like law enforcement or emergency medicine.”
Homicide detective careers are glamorous, but it is no accident they are rarely portrayed in television or movies as busy workaday jobs.
If you’re interested in the job, you should be aware of the challenges. Homicide detectives do a lot of paperwork, and it can be an unglamorous job. The work is done behind a desk, and often involves long hours at one’s desk with little or no human contact. You also need to be prepared for the toll that this career choice may take on your personal life: death and dying are part of the job; they will not go away when you go home at night, nor will they stop following you into your dreams or waking hours.
The U.S.’s National Center for Health Statistics reports that homicide is among our top 15 causes of death nationwide; this means that each year nearly 40 Americans die from murder every hour—and over 2 million since 1960 (that’s 200 thousand more than Vietnam).
Being a homicide detective is not just “solving crimes” and arresting criminals.
Being a homicide detective is not just “solving crimes” and arresting criminals. There are many other responsibilities that come with this job. For example, you might have to testify in court against a suspect or work on developing new evidence for your case. The working hours can range from long to very long, depending on how busy it gets at your department. You might also have to interview witnesses or even suspects during your shift, which means it could be hard for you to get enough sleep if things get really busy at the station house.
The environment of being an LAPD officer isn’t always pleasant either; the job can take its toll on both physical health as well as mental health over time due to constant exposure to crime scenes and dead bodies (which may include children). However once training has been completed successfully by both officers themselves along with their supervisors then they will be able to feel proud about what they’ve accomplished together through teamwork despite any hardships encountered along life’s journey towards becoming one who serves others well.”
What do homicide detectives actually do?
The job of a homicide detective is quite varied, but the first step is always to collect evidence and interview witnesses. From there, you have to piece together all the clues into one coherent story that will convince a jury that your suspect is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. This process can take months or even years depending on how complicated your case is.
To become an expert in this field, you’ll need to be well-versed in all types of forensic science including ballistics, DNA analysis, toxicology and fingerprinting as well as being able to testify about these sorts of things in court.
A day, a week, a month in the life of a homicide detective
A day in the life of a homicide detective is never exactly like any other day. You can’t predict what you’ll be doing, when you’ll be doing it and for how long. The workload is heavy and unpredictable. You may be called to a crime scene in the middle of the night or far away from home.
It’s important to remember that as a homicide detective, you will likely have several cases open at once, so even though each case has its own nuances and challenges, they’ll all be part of one bigger investigation—and you’ll need to keep all of them straight while working with multiple partners and witnesses who might not always share information with each other (or with you). In short: This isn’t going to be an easy job!
How do you become a homicide detective?
If you are interested in becoming a homicide detective, there are several things to keep in mind. First and foremost, you will need to be a police officer first. There is no such thing as being able to just apply for the job of detective without having experience on the force.
If this sounds like something that might interest you, then consider joining your local police department when it comes time for college graduation. This can provide an opportunity for real-world training with hands-on experience and benefits from working toward an advanced degree in criminal justice or forensics after completing your bachelor’s degree.
One of the most important things about becoming a homicide detective is learning how to investigate cases thoroughly and gathering evidence that can be used later during court proceedings against those who have committed crimes against others (or even themselves).
What does a homicide detective make?
What does a homicide detective make? The answer isn’t always easy to find, but it can be worth looking into if you’re considering this career path. In general, the national average salary for detectives is around $50,000 per year. But there are many factors that influence this number—and the highest paid detectives tend to work in major cities. California agencies pay an average of $67k annually; New York and Illinois offer similar pay at $65k and 59k respectively; and Washington DC is also on par with national averages at $54k per year. With these numbers in mind, it’s clear that location can affect your salary as a homicide detective—but it might not be all bad news! There are plenty of small towns where crime rates are low and budgets are tight; if you’re prepared to relocate (or willing to move away from home), don’t rule out taking on a job with less attractive wages than what you’d get in New York City just yet!
Tips for aspiring homicide detectives looking to get into the field.
- If you want to be a homicide detective, don’t give up on your hopes of being a police officer first. You may have to apply for and go through the same training that most police officers do—including academy training and field work—in order to eventually become a homicide detective.
- If you’re already a police officer, look into transferring to a homicide department or unit within your own department as it can be easier than getting hired by another city’s department.
- Find someone who works in the field that you would like to enter, such as an older colleague who was once part of this kind of squad himself or herself, and ask them if they will mentor you until such time comes when they think that it is appropriate for them both personally and professionally for him/her/them all together (you) because no one wants any hard feelings between two people trying their hardest at something
