Do you like solving problems? Do you think you’d like to outsmart bad guys? Do you have good people skills? Do people trust you? Do you want a job where you’re not sitting at a desk all day? Then you might want to consider a career as a police detective. Citizens rely on their police force to prevent and solve crimes. Patrol officers are the most visible component of the police department, driving marked squad cars and wearing uniforms. But the less obvious police detective is working just as hard to assure the safety of citizens. Detectives, sometimes called police inspectors or investigators, work in plain civilian clothes and unmarked cars. They coordinate investigations, utilizing the efforts of the patrol officers, laboratory personnel, and other law enforcement staff.

Police detectives are seldom the first on at the scene of the crime, but they are critical to what happens after the crime has been discovered. They are the crucial link between the patrol officer who responds to a crime scene and the prosecuting attorney who gets a conviction of the criminal. Detectives must rely on their wits, experience, and intuition to find the suspects, secure evidence, and build a case that will convict the criminals. Although television shows may portray this as exciting and dramatic work, more often it is a technical, step-by-step, methodical process. As a rule, patrol officers are the first on the scene of a crime.

If they don’t make an arrest or if the crime remains unsolved, detectives take over the investigation. Detectives spend their time interviewing witnesses and suspects, collecting evidence, and providing testimony in court. They comb police reports for information and much of their day may be taken up with getting information over the telephone. They are responsible for identifying suspects as well as finding proof that links the suspects to crimes. Police detectives employ a variety of tools that help in developing the case and solving the crime. They work with ballistics experts, chemists, laboratory technicians, computers, and other resources to analyze evidence.

State and national information clearinghouses supply information that can point to a suspect or confirm a suspicion. Detectives generally work on solving crimes that occur within their own city limits, but they have other duties as well. Sometimes they are special liaisons to schools and work on problems with juveniles, such as truancy or runaways. Sometimes detectives coordinate activities with law enforcement agencies from other communities or state and federal agencies. They may work undercover in special operations to fight illegal drug trafficking and prostitution. Detectives often specialize in one kind of crime, such as arson or homicide, although they may be called upon to investigate any type of incident.