In Florida a person wishing to become a police officer must meet the minimum requirements, which are listed in the section below. The law enforcement candidate must then find a place to complete the basic training for law enforcement officers. This means that you apply to an academy prior to applying to a particular police department or for a particular job or posting. Once a cadet has completed the basic training, he or she must take the required State Officer Certification Exam. After passing the exam a cadet would become a sworn in police officer and could be placed in a working department.
How to Become a Police Officer in Florida
The following is a list of basic requirements you must have in order to apply for a training program in Florida to become a police officer.
- Be at least 19 years of age (2 years younger than the national average)
- Be a legal citizen of the United States
- Have graduated high school or GED equivalent
- Have a valid Florida Driver’s License: with no suspensions within the last 3 years
- No excessive traffic citations: three in the last two years
- Not have a dishonorable discharge from any branch of the US military
- Not have been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor involving perjury
- No misdemeanor convictions in the last 5 years
- No DUI conviction in the last 10 years
- Drug free minimum of 3-5 years prior to applying, depending on substance use
- Not have used any illegal substance within the past 5 years
- No L.S.D./Methamphetamine use at any time in past
- No Marijuana use within the past 3 years, no instance of ever having sold
Average Salary for Police Officer Jobs in Florida
According to LawEnforcementEdu.net, the average salary for a regular patrol officer in the state of Florida is around 54,000 a year. As Florida has a wide variety of regions, cities and towns, a lot of the pay depends on where the police officer is employed. A police officer in Miami would make almost double what a police officer in the Northwest rural region of Florida. As far as an average salary for detectives of criminal investigators in Florida goes, the annual salary is an average of around 62,000 a year.
The more schooling you have, the higher starting pay you would receive. Years of experience and attaining promotions will increase your pay, and the more populated the region in which you live and work would also indicate where on the pay scale you would start and what the possibilities are for achieving a higher pay grade.
Criminal Justice Colleges in Florida
As stated above, all candidates looking to become police officers in the state of Florida must attend a state of Florida Criminal Justice training program. These programs are located at a number of different sites throughout Florida. The following is a complete list of where these programs can be found.
- Broward College, Institute for Public Safety
111 East Las Olas Boulevard, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301
954-201-7350
- Broward County Sheriff’s Office Institute for Criminal Justice Studies
2601 West Broward Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312
954-831-8150
- College of Central Florida Criminal Justice Institute
3001 SW College Road, Ocala, FL 34474
352-873-5800
- Citrus County Public Safety Training Center
1201 W Main Street, Inverness, FL 34450
352-726-2430
- Criminal Justice Academy of Osceola
501 Simpson Road, Kissimmee, FL 34744
407-344-5080
- Daytona State College, School of Emergency Services
1200 W International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114
386-506-3000
- Eastern Florida State College, Public Safety Institute
3865 North Wickham Road, Melbourne, FL 32935
321-632-1111
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Bureau of Professional Development
2331 Phillips Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308
850-410-7000
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Law Enforcement Training Center
620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399
850-488-4676
- Florida Gateway College, Public Service Training Center
149 SE College Place, Lake City, FL 32025
386-752-1822
- Florida Highway Patrol Training Academy
2900 Apalachee Parkway MS49, Tallahassee, FL 32399
850-617-2315
- Florida Keys Community College, Institute for Public Safety
5901 College Road, Key West, L 33040
305-296-9081
- Florida Panhandle Technical College Public Safety Institute
757 Hoyt Street, Chipley, FL 32428
850-638-1180
- George Stone Vo-Tech Center, Criminal Justice Training Center
2400 Longleaf Drive, Pensacola, FL 32526
850-941-6200
- Gulf Coast State College, CJ Training Academy/Division of Public Safety
5230 West Highway 98, Panama City, FL 32401
850-769-1551
- Hillsborough Community College, Criminal Justice Institute
551 24th Street NE, Ruskin, FL 33570
813-253-7000
- Indian River State College, Criminal Justice Institute
4600 Kirby Loop Road, Fort Pierce, FL 34981
772-462-7676
- Manatee Technical College, Criminal Justice Academy
6305 State Road 70 E, Bradenton, FL 34203
941-751-7900
- Manatee Sheriff’s Office Training Center
600 Highway 301 Blvd. W, Bradenton, FL 34205
941-747-3011
- Miami-Dade Public Safety Training Institute
9601 NW 58th Street, Miami, FL 33178
305-715-5000
- Miami-Dade College, School of Justice
11380 NW 27th Avenue, Miami, FL 33167
305-237-1000
- Northeast Florida Criminal Justice Center
4715 Capper Road, Jacksonville, FL 32218
- North Florida Community College, Public Safety Academy
325 NW Turner Davis Drive, Madison, FL 32340
850-973-2288
- Northwest Florida State College, Criminal Justice Training Center
100 College Blvd. E, Niceville, FL 32578
850-678-5111
- Palm Beach State College, Criminal Justice Institute
4200 Congress Avenue, Lake Worth, FL 33461
561-967-7222
- Pasco-Hernando State College, Public Service Technology Programs
36727 Blanton Road, Dade City, FL 33523
352-567-6701
- Polk State College, Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety
999 Avenue H NE, Winter Haven, FL 33881
863-297-1000
- Santa Fe College, Institute of Public Safety
3000 NW 83rd Street, Gainesville, FL 32606
352-395-5000
- Suncoast Technical College, Criminal Justice Academy
4748 Beneva Road, Sarasota, FL 34233
941-924-1365
- Seminole State College Center for Public Safety
1055 Aaa Drive, Heathrow, FL 32746
407-708-4567
- South Florida State College, Criminal Justice Academy
600 W College Drive, Avon Park, FL 33825
863-453-6661
- Southwest Florida Public Service Academy
4312 Michigan Avenue, Fort Myers, FL 33905
239-334-3897
- St. Petersburg College, Southeastern Public Safety Institute
3200 34th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711
727-614-7026
- Tallahassee Community College, Florida Public Safety Institute/PTLEA
75 College Drive, Suite 203, Havana, FL 32333
- Valencia College Criminal Justice Institute
8600 Valencia College Lane, Orlando, FL 32825
407-582-8200