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Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
Protects people, responds to emergencies and enforces the law.
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Police officers patrol, answer calls for help, investigate crimes, direct traffic and work with their community. With experience, some become detectives or specialize in areas like K-9, crash investigation or youth programs.
The guide checks the courses against your plan, with things to try each year. Free account needed.
High school courses that build toward it
- Business Law · Career and Technical
Builds law and government, which this job uses.
- Psychology · Social Studies
Builds psychology, which this job uses.
- English 10 · English
Builds reading and writing, which this job uses.
- Physical Education · Health and PE
Builds teaching and training, which this job uses.
- Computer Science Principles · Computer Science
Builds computers and electronics, which this job uses.
Ranked by how much the job relies on what each course teaches, from O*NET's knowledge ratings. Your school's own courses and the counselor have the final word.
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers on O*NET OnLine · O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections 2025.