What Is a Police Service Technician and How to Become One

A police service technician is a non-sworn member of a police department. In this career, your job is to free up sworn officers by completing work on nonviolent crimes and misdemeanors. You also perform tasks like filing paperwork for traffic accidents, writing reports of burglaries, and helping members of the public with their interactions with law enforcement. You may occasionally work at crime scenes, taking notes and supporting the investigation by taking fingerprints and photos and collecting other evidence. The qualifications needed for this career include a high school diploma or GED certificate.

The primary qualifications for getting a job as a police service technician are completing a law enforcement training program and some experience with law enforcement processes. Police service technicians sometimes have fewer job requirements than regular law enforcement officers because you are not expected to perform the same duties. Before applying for this role, consider whether or not you want to stay in this field or transfer to another policing role later in your career. Fulfilling the responsibilities and duties of a police service technician requires interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and meeting any other requirements set out by a local police department.