4 Police Officer Resume Examples + Best Templates

A police officer resume is crafted to showcase an individual's proficiency in upholding the law, ensuring community safety, and navigating challenging situations with composure. It emphasizes the candidate's skills in criminal investigation, emergency response, and community engagement, as well as experience in handling diverse and high-pressure scenarios. The resume for police officer highlights specific achievements in effectively resolving incidents, implementing crime prevention strategies, and fostering strong community relations.

I'm Tom Gerencer, a seasoned career expert and Certified Resume Writer and I’m here to show you how to craft an outstanding police officer resume. Below, you'll find a few examples of resumes tailored for different levels of experience. 

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Police Officer Resume Example

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Entry-Level / Junior Police Officer Resume Example

Junior police officer jobs, such as Patrol Officer, Rookie Officer, or Probationary Officer, involve enforcing laws and maintaining public order under supervision. Key duties include patrolling, responding to calls, conducting initial investigations, and community interaction. Essential skills include physical fitness, communication, problem-solving, and attention to detail.

Here’s a sample junior police officer resume:

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Mid-Level Police Officer Resume Example

Mid-level police officer jobs, such as Detective, Sergeant, or Corporal, involve greater responsibility and leadership. Duties include overseeing patrols, conducting detailed investigations, supervising junior officers, and coordinating with other agencies. Essential skills include leadership, advanced investigative techniques, strategic thinking, and effective communication.

Here’s a sample resume for mid-level police officers:

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Experienced / Senior Police Officer Resume Example

Senior police officer jobs, such as Captain, Lieutenant, or Chief, involve high-level management and strategic oversight. Responsibilities include setting department policies, managing large teams, overseeing major investigations, budget planning, and liaising with government officials. Their important skills include executive leadership, strategic planning, decision-making, and public relations.

Here’s a sample experienced police officer resume:

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Resume Templates for Police Officers

According to the analysis of 11 million resumes created using the Zety Resume Builder, these are the three most popular resume template choices for police officer resumes.

Concept

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Concept is a unique resume template designed for reverse-chronological formats. It has a thin left sidebar for dates, section icons, and customizable colors for the headings and sidebar.

Cascade

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Cascade is a functional yet visually engaging resume template that ensures your professional achievements are presented clearly and stylishly. Its reliable formatting is designed to pass seamlessly through Applicant Tracking Systems.

Crisp

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Crisp is the ideal two-column resume template for those who value both elegance and efficiency. This sleek, well-organized design includes minimalist icons and plenty of space for your achievements. I suggest using this template to clearly mark skill levels without cluttering the page, ensuring a professional and polished appearance.

How to Write a Police Officer Resume:

1. Format Your Police Officer Resume the Right Way

If recruiters could arrest you for giving them a cluttered resume, they would. But instead of arresting you, they will just disregard your job application.

Don’t let that happen. A well-organized, professional resume not only showcases your qualifications and experience but also reflects your attention to detail and ability to present information clearly—essential traits for any law enforcement professional.

Here's how to format your police officer resume to make a strong impression:

• Start with your most recent experience and work backward. The reverse-chronological resume format is preferred for its straightforward, easy-to-follow structure.
• Use 1-inch margins on all sides and maintain consistent spacing throughout the document.
• Stick to professional fonts such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri. The main text should be 11–12 points in size, and the headings on the resume should be 13–14 points in size.
• Set the line spacing to about1–1.15.
• Save your work as a PDF. Police officer resume PDFs guard their formatting. MS Word resumes can jump bail in transit.

As for the contents, make sure you include these resume parts:

• Contact Information: Place your name, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile at the top. Ensure your email address is professional.
• Professional Summary: Include a brief summary highlighting your key qualifications, skills, and career goals. Keep it between 3–5 sentences.
• Experience: List your work experience in reverse-chronological order. Include your job title, the name of the organization, location, and dates of employment. Use bullet points to detail your responsibilities and achievements.
• Education: Mention your highest degree first, followed by other relevant educational qualifications. Include the name of the institution, degree obtained, and graduation date.
• Skills: Highlight key skills relevant to the role of a police officer, such as conflict resolution, report writing, and community policing.
• Other Sections: List any relevant certifications, include awards, or known languages.

Learn more: How to Structure a Resume

2. Describe Your Police Officer Experience

Your police resume must prove you fit the job like a tailored flak jacket. To do that, read the job description carefully. Then, write bullet points that prove you match it. This is called creating a targeted resume.

To write a resume work experience section:

• Start with your most recent position at the top.
• Include the department's name along with the dates of employment.
• Provide a brief description of your police officer duties.
• List six key qualifications using bullet points.

Here are some examples of popular responsibilities for a police officer's resume. Treat them as resume keywords you need to target:

Police Officer Keywords for a Resume

• Patrolling Assigned Areas: Monitor designated neighborhoods to deter and detect criminal activity.
• Responding to Emergencies: Quickly arrive at the scene of emergencies, accidents, and crimes to provide assistance.
• Enforcing Laws: Uphold local, state, and federal laws by issuing citations, making arrests, and conducting investigations.
• Conducting Investigations: Gather evidence, interview witnesses, and follow leads to solve crimes.
• Writing Reports: Document incidents, arrests, and investigations in detailed reports.
• Testifying in Court: Provide testimony and present evidence in legal proceedings.
• Engaging with the Community: Build relationships with community members to foster trust and cooperation.
• Traffic Control: Direct traffic, investigate accidents, and enforce traffic laws.
• Executing Warrants: Serve search and arrest warrants in accordance with legal protocols.
• Training and Development: Participate in ongoing training to maintain and enhance law enforcement skills.

Start each bullet point with an action verb to increase the impact of your accomplishments. Here are some action verbs for police officer resumes:

Police Officer Resume Action Verbs

• Patrolled
• Responded
• Enforced
• Investigated
• Arrested
• Monitored
• Documented
• Testified
• Collaborated
• Assisted
• Directed
• Secured
• Mediated
• Helped
• Educated

Pro Tip: Always highlight your achievements and quantify your success. Otherwise, your experience section will read like a generic list of police officer duties copied from the posting’s job description. The chief knows what you did. He wants to know how well you did it!

3. Mention Your Education on Your Police Officer Resume

You just need to list your school name and degree, right? That's dead wrong. If you don't use your resume education to show why you fit the job like a firing pin, you're shooting blanks.

Start your police resume education section with the following:

• School Name and Location.
• Years in School.
• Degree.

But then, add relevant coursework, GPA score (if above 3.5), projects, club memberships, or other extracurricular activities that prove your knowledge and experience.

Should you go for a full college degree? If you want to rise high, yes. Just want to be an officer? You'll get just as far with a 2–4 year head start on the force.

Police officer job statistics

• Overall employment of police and detectives is projected to grow 3 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations [1].
• The average salary for police officers in 2024 varies depending on the state and are generally higher in cities and suburbs. In Alaska, police officers have the highest average salary at $69,000 annually [2].
• There are twenty-eight states that have average police officer salaries that fall below the national average, with Mississippi having the lowest median annual salary of $37,240 [3].

4. Get the Right Police Officer Skills for Resume

Listing police officer skills isn’t tough. But choosing the right ones to showcase in your skill list can be a bit more difficult than some people expect. You don’t want to end up with a generic list that’s on every resume. You need to look at the job posting and pick the skills they want, and you have.

Police Officer Resume Skills

• Firearms Proficiency
• First Aid and CPR
• Criminal Law Knowledge
• Defensive Tactics
• Evidence Collection
• Report Writing
• Traffic Control
• Arrest Procedures
• Surveillance Techniques
• Crisis Intervention
• Interview and Interrogation Techniques
• Conflict Resolution
• Use of Force Continuum
• Emergency Vehicle Operation
• Crime Scene Investigation
• Interpersonal Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Decision Making Skills
• Written and Verbal Communication
• Negotiation
• Analytical Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Critical Thinking

5. Add Other Sections for an Effective Police Officer Resume

Your resume is out of uniform. It's got education and experience. But where's the personality? The passion?

If you stop with the basics, you'll get the basic law enforcement job, if any. But add targeted "other" sections, and you'll turn your police resume into a lethal weapon.

• Certifications: List any relevant certifications such as First Aid, CPR, firearms training, or advanced defensive tactics.
• Training Courses: Include specialized training courses or workshops attended, such as crisis intervention, de-escalation techniques, or community policing.
• Awards and Commendations: Highlight any awards, commendations, or recognitions received for exemplary service or specific achievements.
• Languages: Mention any additional languages spoken, along with proficiency levels, especially if bilingual skills are relevant to the community served.
• Volunteer Experience: Showcase volunteer work, especially in roles related to community service, public safety, or mentoring.
• Professional Memberships: Include memberships in professional organizations such as the Fraternal Order of Police or the National Association of Police Organizations.
• Physical Fitness: Include details of any physical fitness training or achievements, which can be relevant for roles requiring high physical standards.
• Publications: If you have authored or contributed to articles, research papers, or manuals related to law enforcement, include a section for publications.
• Projects: Detail any significant projects you have led or participated in, such as crime reduction initiatives, community policing projects, or special task forces.
• Hobbies and Interests: Add a section for hobbies and interests, especially those that demonstrate qualities beneficial to policing, such as team sports, martial arts, or community service activities.

6. Write a Cover Letter to Add to Your Law Enforcement Resume

The police recruiter won’t read your resume, he’ll skim it. To make him stop skimming and pay full attention, I suggest writing a great resume profile.

Use a resume summary if you’re an experienced police officer.

Or, choose a resume objective if you’re making a resume with no experience.

Here’s how to write a career summary or resume objective:

1. Start with an adjective like proven or dedicated.
2. Add your title (Police Officer, Police Detective).
3. Mention years of experience (1, 4+, 8).
4. Present your goal (improve the safety of citizens of Meglio County).
5. Share your previous job or schooling accomplishments.
6. Clean the resume from any typos.

"Be truthful on your police resume, or any law enforcement resume. We dive deep into backgrounds when checking out applicants." -Casey Dugas, Officer

7. Provide a Police Officer Cover Letter

"Nobody reads police officer cover letters." That would flunk a polygraph. Resumes need cover letters. So, mention your motivation and improve the odds of getting a police officer job by writing a cover letter.

To write a great police officer cover letter:

1. Structure your cover letter effectively.
2. Begin your police officer cover letter by addressing the hiring manager by name.
3. Craft an engaging opening sentence that captures their attention.
4. In the second paragraph, demonstrate your understanding of police officer duties.
5. Highlight how your skills and experiences make you an ideal candidate.
6. Conclude your cover letter with a compelling statement that leaves a strong impression.

Read more: Police Officer Cover Letter

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Still not committed to a police career? Considering other options? See our dedicated guides:

• Firefighter Resume
• Legal/Law Resume
• Criminal Justice Resume
• Correctional Officer Resume
• Security Guard Resume
• Security Officer Resume
• Dispatcher Resume
• EMT/Paramedic Resume
• Peace Corps Resume
• Best Resume Examples

About Zety’s Editorial Process

This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/protective-service/police-and-detectives.htm
• https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/police-officer-salary-by-state
• https://usafacts.org/articles/which-states-have-the-highest-police-officer-salaries/