Garland, Texas, a city less than 20 miles from Dallas, continually has a fairly low rate of crime, according to statistics issued through the FBI in 2012. Still, in 2012 alone, 540 violent crimes were reported to the Garland Police Department.
Detectives with the Garland Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division (CID) are responsible for collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, interrogating suspects and preparing cases for prosecution.
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How to Become a Detective with the Garland Police Department CID
The first steps to becoming a detective with the Garland Police Department is to spend several years as a sworn police officer in the city.
The Garland Police Department has outlined that all trainee applicants for police officer jobs must have at least 60 semester hours of college credits with a “C” average or an associate’s degree. Those without the requisite college credits can qualify after two years in the military, or two years of service as a full-time paid peace officer.
Applicants must be between the ages of 21 and 44. Interested applicants between the ages of 18 and 20 may be permitted to pursue a career with Garland’s department if they have 60 total semester hours of credit from a college or university, an associate’s degree, or completed at least two years of service in a branch of the United States Armed Forces.
Employment restrictions include:
- Having been convicted of a felony, Class A misdemeanor, or crime of family violence.
- Having been have been convicted of a Class B misdemeanor in the last 10 years.
Applicants that meet all the requirements will be accepted into the screening process, which mandates:
- Earning a score of at least 70 percent on a written civil service examination.
- Earning a basic peace officer license, which is issued through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education after completion of Garland’s police academy.
- Submitting to a personal background check, which includes review of any criminal records, a polygraph examination, interviews with personal and professional references, as well as drug testing.
- Submitting to a medical exam, which includes physical agility testing, psychological testing, and an eye exam.
All newly hired police officers are required to complete 28 weeks of training. New law enforcement officers must complete an additional four months of training. All new members of the Garland Police Department are hired on a probationary basis for 12 months.
Units in the Garland PD Criminal Investigative Division
The Garland Police Department has a general Criminal Investigative Division (CID) as well as other special units in which detectives, police officers as well as administrative personnel may work.
Some of the special units that support detective jobs within the Garland Police Department include:
- Crimes Against Persons Unit
- Crimes Against Property Unit
- Gangs Unit
- Narcotic Unit