Law Enforcement Resume Examples
LiveCareer’s law enforcement resume examples and writing tips can help you write a resume that will show recruiters that you’re the right person for the job.
Our Recommended Examples
Correctional Officer
Popular Examples in the Law Enforcement Space
Police Officer
Forensic Lab Technician
Deputy Sheriff
911 Dispatcher
Table of Contents
Law Enforcement Resume
- Background Investigator Resume
- Border Patrol Agent Resume
- Code Enforcement Officer Resume
- Community Service Officer Resume
- Complaint Investigator Resume
- Computer Forensic Investigator Resume
- Crime Analyst Resume
- Crime Scene Investigator Resume
- Detective And Criminal Investigator Resume
- Forensic Scientist Resume
- Former Police Officer Resume
Law Enforcement Cover Letter
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Your Law Enforcement Resume
Turn to LiveCareer’s Resume Builder for help with category-specific phrases that grab the attention of hiring managers because they convey your abilities and accomplishments. The wording is created by our certified resume writers. The list below contains six examples of possible suggestions that you can use exactly as they are or adjust as needed to fit your situation.
- Answered over 50 calls per day from automatic routing system and took basic information from callers.
- Oversaw the work of more than 1,000 police officers, including establishing and enforcing performance policies.
- Created and maintained arrest files on all 300 inmates processed through incarceration.
- Prepared case reports from allegations, interview transcripts of interviews and physical evidence.
- Patrolled designated areas in patrol vehicle and on foot to identify security and safety issues.
- Served court documents and completed civil process duties for more than 5,000 cases in 14 years.
8 Do’s and Don’ts for Writing a Law Enforcement Resume
- Do include certifications and training relevant to the role. For example, if you have court, judicial or homeland security certifications, they should likely be included. Similarly, a dispatcher applicant who has received domestic violence communication training should mention it. Likewise, prospective jail guards who took jail evacuation training should list that information.
- Do tailor your resume to each job opening. It can be tempting to submit the same generic resume for every position. However, you miss the opportunity to include skills and credentials that each job posting specified. One police patrol officer job ad might emphasize skills such as community outreach and conflict resolution while another focuses on the ability to work independently and to communicate quickly with dispatchers.
- Do quantify your work experience and accomplishments. Use metrics such as “Responded to over 30 daily caller requests” or “Trained over 50 new police officers” to drive home what you are capable of and the impact your work has had for past employers. Metrics don’t need to be in all of your bullet points, but try to have one or two per job description.
- Do double-check your resume for mistakes. Attention to detail is important in any law enforcement job, whether as a dispatcher or judge. Let your resume breathe for a day, then reread it to catch any pesky typos or grammatical mistakes.
- Don’t start from scratch with each application. Keep an updated master list of your work history, accomplishments, skills and education. Use what is relevant for each job posting and adjust as needed instead of having to remember past jobs and duties when creating a brand new resume each time.
- Don’t forget about your hard skills. It’s true that soft skills such as communication, collaboration, leadership and observation are the foundation of many law enforcement jobs. Still, include relevant hard skills both in your skills list and your work history section. These may include fingerprint collection, computer skills and crime data analysis.
- Don’t include your high school information if you have a degree (or one is in progress). Otherwise, do include it. Many law enforcement jobs such as police patrol officer, parking enforcement officer and police dispatcher are open to high school graduates and those with associate degrees. If you have a class, certification or degree in progress, put down your expected date of completion.
- Don’t include old information without considering its purpose. Suppose you have been a police officer for 20 years, and your resume still lists a crime lab internship you had right after college. Consider why you want to include that job. Your resume space is limited, so it might be better to use more recent work to outline the skills you gained at the crime lab (or to showcase different skills).
Beat the ATS With These
Law Enforcement Resume Keywords
Many law enforcement job seekers will have their resumes run through an applicant tracking system (ATS). Police departments, particularly larger ones, all over the country use these systems to reduce the number of resumes for hiring managers to review. That can be good, but it does mean hiring managers might not see your resume unless it contains certain keywords or phrases.
LiveCareer’s resume builder offers suggestions for skills you can use in your law enforcement resume. Here are some recommendations the builder might make for yours:
- Evidence collection.
- Emergency response.
- Public disturbance investigation.
- Interrogation.
- DNA swabbing.
- Criminal activity prevention.
- Writing case reports.
- Using lab equipment.
- Processing crime scenes.
- Information intake.
- Multiline phone talent.
Law Enforcement Resumes for Every Professional Level
A functional resume format works well for job applicants who have skills that are transferable to law enforcement but who have limited experience. This candidate’s Work History section consists of just two internships, so she describes her experience and duties as they relate to three skill sets: evidence collection, investigations and recordkeeping. Also, note that she does not yet have her bachelor’s degree, so she put down the date she expects to receive it.
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This combination resume format is perfect for applicants who have at least a few years of law enforcement experience to go along with their skills. The Professional Summary section at the top quickly points out that the detective’s career spans 10 years. This job seeker then briefly lists his skills before diving into his duties and accomplishments as a detective and police officer. Metrics such as “over 80 suspects” and “50 narcotics investigations” highlight the scope of his work as a detective and his capabilities.
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A chronological resume format like this one is ideal for seasoned professionals with management experience. Skills go near the bottom, while work experience and accomplishments make up the bulk of the resume. As always, metrics are important. This resume uses numbers such as “over 1,000 police officers” and “5 high-profile criminal cases” to showcase the job seeker’s leadership experience. In addition, the resume lists his degrees. Both his work and educational credentials appear with the most recent information first.
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Find resume examples for your desired law-enforcement career. Get access to expert writing recommendations, do’s and don’ts and everything you need to write a perfect resume.
Resume Success Stories
Statistics and Facts About Law Enforcement Jobs
Typical Job Titles
- Police Detective
- Police Patrol Officer
- Fish and Game Warden
- Intelligence Analyst
- Immigration and Customs Inspector
- Parking Enforcement Worker
- Criminal Investigator and Special Agent
- Administrative Law Judge, Adjudicator and Hearing Officer
- Transit and Railroad Police
- Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teacher, Postsecondary
Source: O*Net
Median Annual Pay
Annually
| 0K | 75K | 150K |
|---|---|---|
| Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates | $133,920 annual | |
| Criminal Investigators and Special Agents | $81,920 annual | |
| Police Detectives | $81,920 annual | |
| Police Patrol Officers | $61,380 annual | |
| Fish and Game Wardens | $57,710 annual | |
| Police, Fire and Ambulance Dispatchers | $40,660 annual | |
| Parking Enforcement Officers | $39,840 annual |
Hourly
| 0K | 50% | 100% |
|---|---|---|
| Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates | $64.39 hourly | |
| Criminal Investigators and Special Agents | $39.38 hourly | |
| Police Detectives | $39.38 hourly | |
| Police Patrol Officers | $29.51 hourly | |
| Fish and Game Wardens | $27.75 hourly | |
| Police, Fire and Ambulance Dispatchers | $19.55 hourly | |
| Parking Enforcement Officers | $19.15 hourly |
Source: O*Net
Projected Job Growth (2018–2028)
| 0% | 5% | 10% |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary | 7% to 10% (faster than average growth) | |
| Police Patrol Officers | 4% to 6% (average growth) | |
| Police, Fire and Ambulance Dispatchers | 4%to 6%(average growth) | |
| Fish and Game Wardens | 2% to 3% (slower than average growth) | |
| Criminal Investigators and Special Agents | 2% to 3% (slower than average growth) | |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates | 2% to 3% (slower than average growth) |
Education Level Required
Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates:
Doctoral degree
Police Detectives:
High school diploma, some college or associate degree
Parking Enforcement Officers:
High school diploma
Police, Fire and Ambulance Dispatchers:
High school diploma
Police Patrol Officers:
High school diploma, postsecondary certificate or associate degree
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary:
Master’s or doctoral degree
Source: O*Net
Number of Projected Job Openings (2018–2028)
- Police Patrol Officers: 52,900
- Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary: 1,700
- Police, Fire and Ambulance Dispatchers: 10,100
- Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates: 1,500
- Criminal Investigators and Special Agents: 7,500
- Fish and Game Wardens: 500
- Police Detectives: 7,500
- Parking Enforcement Workers: 200
Source: O*Net
Criminal Justice – Law Enforcement
Administration Degree Recipients
Associate Degree
White Male: 2,166 degrees
White Female: 1,475 degrees
Hispanic or Latino Female: 969 degrees
Bachelor’s Degree
White Male: 4,993 degrees
White Female: 3,660 degrees
Black Female: 2,078 degrees
Source: Data USA
Schools that Graduate the Most Degree Recipients in Criminal Justice – Law Enforcement Administration
- University of Phoenix-Arizona
- University of Phoenix-California
- CUNY (City of New York) John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College
- Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs
