Every year the Toledo Police Department responds to hundreds of thousands of calls for service. When particularly serious crimes occur, criminal investigators are dispatched from the department’s Detective Bureau. In 2012 detectives were involved with investigating 3,352 violent crimes within city limits, including 39 murders.
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Detectives with the Toledo Police Department Detective Bureau work within one of several specialized units:
- Property and persons
- Domestic violence
- Computer crimes
- Crime scene investigators
- Missing persons
To become a detective with the Toledo Police Department Detective Bureau, candidates must begin as entry-level patrol officers. After completing their initial probationary period and gaining experience, officers can gradually take on more work in the investigative field, moving towards the ultimate goal of transfer to the Detective Bureau.
Steps to Becoming a Detective with the Toledo Police Department
After three years of service, experienced patrol officers are eligible for promotion to the Detective Bureau.
Joining the Toledo PD – To meet the initial requirements for hire as a patrol officer, candidates will need to complete one year of college in a field related to law enforcement. Candidates that have not yet met this requirement may have to compete against other candidates with a college education during the initial hiring process and will still be required to meet this education requirement within two years of completing the police academy.
Relevant areas of study include:
- Law Enforcement
- Criminal Justice
- Forensic Science
- Police Science
- Crime Scene Investigation
Candidates who have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in one of these fields may be better prepared to ultimately fill criminal investigator jobs with the Toledo PD’s Detective Bureau.
Career Advancement – It is not necessary for police officers to move up in rank in order to meet the requirements necessary to transfer to the Detective Bureau, although it is common for them to do so. The Toledo PD rank and associated requirements are:
- Police Officer:
- Valid driver’s license
- At least 21 years of age
- One year of college education in a relevant field
- High school diploma or GED
- Police Sergeant – eligibility requires police officers to have two years of service after completing their probationary period
- Police Lieutenant – must have two years of service completed as a Sergeant
- Police Captain – must have two years of service completed as a Lieutenant
- Deputy Chief of Police – must have two years of service completed as a Captain
Criminal Investigator Training – Criminal investigator training begins with an officer’s initial basic training academy and will continue throughout his or her career. Each year officers must attend in-service trainings and as they move further into the investigative field, more specific detective training is needed. This can be provided by the Toledo PD internally and can also involve outside training agencies.
Training is intended to cover:
- Conducting advanced criminal investigations
- Interviewing victims
- Strategic suspect interrogation
- Organized crime operations
- Conducting investigations for crimes committed against vulnerable persons