Description:
Detectives and criminal investigators protect lives and property. They gather facts and collect evidence to find criminals. They wear regular clothes to work.
Duties:
• Interview people about a crime.
• Visit crime scenes.
• Look at records.
• Watch suspects.
• Arrest criminals.
Where and When:
• Usually work 40-hour weeks, but may work really long hours if they are trying to solve a case.
• They spend much of their time out in the community, but they do some work at a desk.
• Can sit for long periods of time.
What or Who They Work With:
• Cameras
• Voice recorders
• Bulletproof vests
• Guns and rifles
• Computers
• Fingerprint lifters
• Gloves
• Handcuffs
• Police cars
Education and Training:
• High school diploma or GED
• Many detectives have an Associate's degree
• Most detectives and investigators start as police officers in uniform. If they do well and pass a special test, they can become detectives.
Similar Jobs:
- Fire inspector
- Correctional officer
- Transit and railroad police
Related School Subjects:
• Social studies
• Writing
• Reading
• Must have excellent listening skills and be sensitive to people's problems.
Print:
Learn and Color: Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security
Cluster Clues
American Jobs 1
Read:
JUDY MOODY, GIRL DETECTIVE by Megan McDonald
CRIME AND DETECTION (DK EYEWITNESS BOOKS) By Brian Lane and Laura Buller
WE THE KIDS: THE PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES by David Catrow
MY SENATOR AND ME: A DOG'S EYE VIEW OF WASHINGTON D.C. by Edward Kennedy
BEING A GOOD CITIZEN: A BOOK ABOUT CITIZENSHIP (WAY TO BE!) by Mary Small and Stacy Previn
WHAT'S A MAYOR? by Nancy Harris
RYHME: A PIG IN POLITICS by Will Maks
MADAM PRESIDENT: THE EXTRAORDINARY, TRUE (AND EVOLVING) STORY OF WOMEN IN POLITICS by Catherine Thimmesh
WORKING AT CITY HALL (21st Century Junior Library: Careers) by Lucoa Raatma
Explore:
Book Look
FBI Kid's Page
Discovery Kids "Pet Detective"
Sources:
Virginia Career VIEW Career Search
Bureau of Labor Statistics
