Share
If you are currently enrolled in a criminal justice or police science degree program, or you are thinking about pursuing a career in law enforcement, it would be very beneficial for you to get some hands on experience in the field. Internships, volunteer work, and auxiliary police officer positions are all excellent ways to prepare for your policing career after college.
What is an Auxiliary Police Officer?
Auxiliary police officers are a special unit within a police force. They are usually unpaid volunteers that act as the reserve for the police service they are affiliated with. Auxiliary officers serve as additional “eyes and ears” of the police force, and are called into action in times of emergency, to assist in crowd control, traffic control, and to work at special events. Overall, auxiliary officers help improve the police force’s ability to respond to civilian needs.
In New York City, the NYPD Auxiliary Police is comprised of unpaid and unarmed volunteer officers. They patrol on foot, in police cars, and on bicycle. In New York, auxiliary police officers undergo a 16-week Auxiliary Police Basic Training Course. To be eligible for this program, aspiring officers need to be at least 17 years of age, in good health, and of good character. They also need to be able to pass a drug and alcohol test and have a clear criminal record. Qualifications will vary, however, between different police departments and different states.
How can this help my career?
By volunteering as an auxiliary police officer, you will get valuable hands on experience that can help you land your dream job after you graduate. Hiring police departments often prefer candidates who have already had some experience in law enforcement. The knowledge you will gain through an auxiliary policing program could be just what you need to have an edge over everyone else who is looking for work.
I am interested in becoming an auxiliary police officer. My schedule at the moment is i’m a fulltime college student in my last semester of finishing up on my associates degree. I will be attending devry university in july to start working on my bachelors degree. My questions are can you earn college credits while in the auxiliary program and is the schedule for auxiliary flexible enough to where i can participate in auxiliary while i’m attending school?
Hi Jannat,
Auxiliary police officers work on a volunteer basis. Although it will depend on the particular law enforcement agency that you work for, most volunteers are able to have flexible schedules that will work with their class schedules. I would suggest contacting your local police department to see if there are any auxiliary positions available and why hours they would want you to work.
While I am not sure that Devry University, specifically, will offer college credits for your on the job training, it might be something worth looking into. Contact an admission’s counselor or the head of the Criminal Justice Department at your school to find out if this is an option.
Best of Luck!
NYPD AUX will give 6 college credits upon completion of the auxiliary police basic training.