A Criminal Profiler

[cmb88]

is what i want to be when i finish school i take criminal justice classes along with my major(psychology). I was wondering if any LEOs could break the job description down a little bit more than i can google and all that other stuff. Like how much am i actually involved in cases, and stuff like that.

i figured this would be a good place to ask thanks.

 

[Nolacopusmc]

Criminal profiler is not a job. It is a specialty within law enforcement, and generally within the FBI.

It is kinda like joining ther Navy and thinking you are going to be a SEAL. maybe you will, maybe you won't.

Criminal Profiler will be far down the road for you. Seriously.

 

[VeedUp]

I'm sure like any specialty classification it comes after education and experience.

 

[CEHollier]

Criminal profiler is not a job. It is a specialty within law enforcement, and generally within the FBI.

It is kinda like joining ther Navy and thinking you are going to be a SEAL. maybe you will, maybe you won't.

Criminal Profiler will be far down the road for you. Seriously.

University of Phoenix may have an on line criminal profiler program.

 

[charliepapa]

Why not go down and talk to someone within your local law enforcement in person? Maybe you could schedule an appointment with the human resource person or something, and simply lay out your plan.

I do know that nolacop is probably somewhat correct IF the LEA's are run like the military because back when I was talking to recruiters about the Warrant Officer program and helicopter school, he assured me that the most productive path would be to join the army as a crew chief then apply from the inside, after I had become an asset to them, so to speak. That was due in part to the fact the schools are like the old carrot on a stick for the recruiters trying to re-enlist guys getting out. 80% of the classes usually consist of guys who either applied from the inside and/or had just re-enlisted. The other 20% were probably guys who knew somebody who knew somebody, etc..

It sounds to me like you're making the right decisions and even though that position may come after much experience and paying your dues, I doubt seriously a patrol officer with no formal education other than the academy would have any advantage at all over someone with a college degree in Criminal Justice AND Psychology.

Hey, at least you know what you want. There are a lot of people who wander aimlessly from job to job before landing somewhere for good. Good Luck!

 

[Akajun]

Most departments do not have a "profiler" on staff. There is just not enough of a demand as most cases have named suspects or at least a description of a suspect. Time in investigations is better spent following forensic evidence.

That said the few "profilers" I have meet have been FBI agents that after years of working cases, were asked to transfer to the Criminal Profile division of the FBI. They all had at least a degree in Psych, if not a Masters or PHD.

Also, for the Profile division to accept a case, you have to have exausted all leads. They will then review the case and tell you if you missed anything. If you still have not solved the case, they will work up a profile for you.

 

[Det.Blair]

They only profilers I am aware are in the FBI. Had the oppurtunity to work with them on the Derrick Todd Lee investigation.

 

[Bayoupiper]

They only profilers I am aware are in the FBI. Had the oppurtunity to work for them on the Derrick Todd Lee investigation.

FIFY!








.

 

[Det.Blair]

ha! ha! and one more ha! ha! I did not work for them they worked with us

 

[Knave]

Wasn't the profile on DTL a little off...?

And by a little, I mean it was nowhere close..?

 

[cmb88]

it was off but not completly, but how would i go about getting to homicide detective. i really dont want to be a traffic cop at any point (no offense to any LEOs) after i have my degrees(i will atleast have a masters in psych and an associates in criminal justice) and all, would i attend the academy? and if u dont mind Det. Blair how long would it take me to get to be a detective, and is it possible to skip the can i get your license and registration part?

thanks for any info anyone can give me because i really want to do one of these two jobs.

sorry if i sound uninformed but im just going off info i heard from friends. i have a cousiin thats a detective tht i havent been able to get in touch with to ask these questions

 

[tactical723]

First, as a working person crimes detective, I did not work with any profilers on the many homicides that I worked, I, did work with, at the time, one of the most progressive crime labs in the state,

second, one just does not just become a homicide detective, in my agency, (people crimes division) also worked missing persons, rape, etc, so you have to take what you get, also when first assigned to the detective division ,

a rookie detective works property crimes first, burglary, forgery, theft, etc, and of course, you must work several years as a patrol officer / deputy first. I did start my LEO career with 2 college degrees, so you will have to start in patrol like everyone else.

Police work is not like CSI Miami and the TV dramas, CSI investigators do not pursue the suspects and make arrest, they merely process scenes, they also do not drive Hummers, and the girls are not as hot as the ones on TV

 

[cmb88]

yes i understand that tv glorifies it the job but i enjoy psychology and if i can use that to help people i would love it i just reeeallly dont want to be a traffic cop when i put 7-8 years of my life in school to do this

 

[david210]

yes i understand that tv glorifies it the job but i enjoy psychology and if i can use that to help people i would love it i just reeeallly dont want to be a traffic cop when i put 7-8 years of my life in school to do this

You’re going to have to put your time in on the road before you will be able to move in to a specialized division. Sorry but that the truth you will have to do some years on patrol.

 

[jmcrawf1]

it was off but not completly, but how would i go about getting to homicide detective. i really dont want to be a traffic cop at any point (no offense to any LEOs) after i have my degrees(i will atleast have a masters in psych and an associates in criminal justice) and all, would i attend the academy? and if u dont mind Det. Blair how long would it take me to get to be a detective, and is it possible to skip the can i get your license and registration part?

thanks for any info anyone can give me because i really want to do one of these two jobs.

sorry if i sound uninformed but im just going off info i heard from friends. i have a cousiin thats a detective tht i havent been able to get in touch with to ask these questions

I'm pretty sure what you need to know about being a detective they won't teach you in school. You get it from years of experience starting at the bottom and working up to it.

 

[senseiturtle]

I suggest going to Med school, doing a psychiatry residency, then a forensics fellowship.

That's the most reliable way to that sort of work, and you'll have an MD for when you get tired of it.

Just a thought...

 

[tactical723]

Your best bet with those degrees is to go to the federal level straight into the forensics portion of the business, they do recruit into their specialized fields, accounting, electronics, CSI, psych, etc, local, state LEO tend to use very experienced officers, after years of beat time to do the "jack of all trades" type of upper level investigations, as a Homicide Det, you will need to know, search and seizure, crime lab, interviews/interrogation, surveillance, etc, the fed agents and job positions tend to be very specialized and careers are pointed to one or 2 specialized tasks in a whole career. In addition, local LEO agenicies will not pay what you will be worth with those degrees, the Feds will,

 

[cmb88]

Your best bet with those degrees is to go to the federal level straight into the forensics portion of the business, they do recruit into their specialized fields, accounting, electronics, CSI, psych, etc, local, state LEO tend to use very experienced officers, after years of beat time to do the "jack of all trades" type of upper level investigations, as a Homicide Det, you will need to know, search and seizure, crime lab, interviews/interrogation, surveillance, etc, the fed agents and job positions tend to be very specialized and careers are pointed to one or 2 specialized tasks in a whole career. In addition, local LEO agenicies will not pay what you will be worth with those degrees, the Feds will,

so basically i should just try to go fed is what your saying to do my psychology thing?

 

[Det.Blair]

You just don't jump in as a homicide Det., local and state you have to work up in the food chain. College is good but on the job training applies in law enforcement too. Like they say the fed level is probably where you want to jump in at but certain agencies require certain degrees in relation what they do. the feds are very specialized in their own agencies.
On the DTL case nothing is a 100%, its not magic but an accumulation of information from prior cases where the draw their information from and other factors. I had the opportunity to hear John Douglas a retired profiler with the FBI which was very informative. He was I believe one of the original founders of the profile unit in the FBI.There is a big difference from wanting to be a profiler as oppose to a homicide investigator. What ever you decide is your choice and I wish you the best of luck in what ever you decide.