DETECTIVE OR CRIMINAL

INVESTIGATOR Aliecia Palomo

Estep-710/15/13

Detective or Criminal Investigator is a person, usually a member of a

police force, who investigates crimes and obtains evidence or information

Requirements For This CareerThis type of

career requires at least a high school diploma, college degree or higher.

College Requirements

Completing a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice can be the first step toward a detective or criminal investigator career.

The Job Duties

Criminal investigators and detectives gather facts for crime investigation. They collect evidence by observing suspects, interviewing witnesses and suspects.These law enforcement professionals usually specialize in specific crimes, such as homicide.Detectives and criminal investigators must keep thorough records of investigations and maintain all pertinent documents. Preparing reports that detail their findings is a significant part of their work duties, as is collaborating with other departments and agencies to compare and exchange information. Additional aspects of this profession include determining the scope, timing and direction of criminal investigations, and testifying in court or before grand juries.Depending on the agency, a detective or criminal investigator’s work environment ranges from an office setting to city streets. Travel may be required for federal and state agency jobs. 40+ hours weekly is typical and over time is very common.

Pay DayYearly salary for detectives and criminal investigators was $62,110 as of May 2009. The middle 50% earned between $47,070 and $83,650, while the lowest 10% brought in around $37,960. Individuals in the highest 10% bracket earned upwards of $99,980 per year. Recent graduates of bachelor’s degree program will typically start out toward the lower end of the scale. Detectives and criminal investigators with experience and advanced education typically earn the highest salaries.

In the field!!!

To start out I want to say that this is the career I wanted. I chose this career for myself when I was about 7 years of age and have been intrigued with it ever sense. I chose it because I have always loved investigating unusual things. I hope you liked my slide show and I hope you learned from it!