Part of me, at one time, thought it would be kind of interesting to be a police officer. And I always thought that if I were going to be a law enforcement officer, I would have picked the Montana Highway Patrol. A few things seemed appealing to me, like a challenging work environment where every day has the potential to be something totally different. You'd also get to spend a large portion of your day cruising Montana's highways and interstate roads in a cruiser that's tricked out with all kinds of cool gadgets. Maybe I'd get lucky enough to have one of their sweet new Chevy Tahoe's.

Law enforcement was never more than a silly fantasy I kicked around in the back of my head. I honestly probably couldn't handle some of the more gruesome scenes that Highway Patrol officers encounter. Like trying to calm people and kids mangled in car accidents (sometimes already dead on the scene). Or arriving first to a suicide call, or getting shot at or even killed by crazy lunatics. Having to write a weed ticket to someone who I know is not a dangerous criminal and potentially screw up their life for a year or two because... well, the law. Nope, I'll stick to my cushy media job and leave the cop work to others.

If you are looking for a career in law enforcement, the Montana Highway Patrol's fall job recruitment period is on now through the end of October. You can find full details HERE, but some of the minimal requirements for entry-level candidates include:

  • Having a drivers license and at least 3 years of driving experience.
  • No felonies that resulted in a prison sentence. Misdemeanors are considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Be at least 18 and have a high school diploma or state-issued equivalency diploma.
  • Not be color-blind.
  • Have good moral character.

These are obviously the minimum requirement. Applicants with secondary education in areas like criminal law or justice would probably get bumped a little higher on the application pile. Good cops are awesome and if you think you've got what it takes, submit your application. And if you get the job and end up pulling me over for speeding sometime down the road, remember it was MY suggestion you apply for your dream job. Maybe you'll let me off with a warning?

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