How To Become A Border Patrol Agent
Keep the Borders Safe and Prevent Smuggling as a Border Patrol Agent
Keep the borders safe from smugglers, illegal aliens and potential terrorist threats are essential responsibilities of a border patrol agent. They must obtain at least a bachelor's degree to be admitted to border patrol training, but they can then feel satisfied with a lucrative and important career.
There are many types of law enforcement positions that you can look into if your goal is to help keep the streets safe, and one very popular federal job is as a border patrol agent. Although the US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts an average rate of growth in the field without many new opportunities, with an average salary at about $34,000-39,000, not including LEAP, or the law enforcement availability pay that federal workers receive on top of their salaries to compensate for all their overtime and equalling about 25% of their annual salary, training to be a border patrol agent is still a wise career choice among careers in criminal justice.
Job Duties
The department of Homeland Security is in charge of the US customs and border protection branch which is responsible for all border agents. Working in this field comes with a high level of responsibility, because keeping America's borders safe means guarding about 8000 miles of land and water boundaries. Their primary objective is to prevent anyone from smuggling in illegal materials or items, and of course to keep anyone from sneaking into the country as an illegal immigrant. Beyond that though, a border patrol agent has additional duties to watch out for suspicious characters, potential terrorists or the detection of weapons or drugs. Their daily role could involve simply checking cars that cross the border to undercover surveillance detail. They do this using advanced surveillance technology including infrared scopes, electronic sensors and low light tv units. For this reason, they are nicknamed "line watch" since they are the US's first line of defense against any criminal activity entering the country.
Necessary Degrees and Training
To work in this federal agency, there are strict conditions for education. It is essential to possess at least a 4 year bachelor's criminal justice degree, although an additional 2 years leading up to a master's degree is preferred to get in and beat the competition. These degrees can have a focus on criminal justice or be a degree in homeland security, since those are the two most appropriate majors, and they both can be obtained online through a variety of accredited institutions. Liberty University Online, Capella University and Everest University Online are some of the recommended schools, although there are many to choose from. If however, you do not have the right amount of education, at least 3-4 years of relevant law enforcement experience may be considered instead, although the ideal credentials are at least a bachelor's degree on top of additional work experience. On top of that, you will need to ensure to meet the following conditions:
1. Be under 40 years old
2. Be a US citizen
3. Have a valid driver's license
4. Have never committed a class A felony or misdemeanor or a class B misdemeanor in the last 10 years
If being a border patrol agent is your goal, be sure your record is clean and find out the best places to pursue your education or get appropriate work experience. With a bit of research and preparation, you can soon get involved in protecting your country's borders.
Criminal Justice Degree |
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