Well, they’re all options open to individuals interested in law enforcement careers. And according to Joel Allen, who directs the associate degree program in Criminal Justice at Oakland Community College, OCC is a great place to start.

OCC’s Security Transfer Program provides students with the background needed to transfer into a four-year degree program with courses in the criminal justice system, criminal law, legal procedures and social values, as well as electives in specialty areas such as criminal evidence, corrections, juvenile procedures and substance abuse investigation.

The college also offers one-year certificates and two-year associate degree programs in Corrections that help prepare students for careers as probation, parole or corrections officers; and in Law Enforcement that provide students with the background in police administration and procedures to work as law enforcement professionals.

Another popular option, Allen says, is OCC’s Police Evidence Technology program. "In 2002 we completed a laboratory to give students hands-on experiences in analyzing evidence.

The lab is equipped with comparison microscopes, devices to analyze fingerprints and ballistics, and a darkroom." OCC students have access to another unique training facility: CREST – the Combined Regional Emergency Services Training site, located on the Auburn Hills Campus, which is also home to the criminal justice programs, the Police and Fire academies and the EMT and Emergency Services Technology programs. Taking students to this simulated city and laying out a crime scene in an actual building "gives OCC students a chance to process a ‘real’ crime scene rather than telling them to imagine a wall here and a piece of evidence there," Allen says.

Many criminal justice careers require four-year degrees. But the options at the end of that degree are nearly endless, and include working for local, county, state and federal agencies, as well as positions in private or corporate security.

Careers at the federal level such as the FBI, DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) and ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) require a four-year college degree as well as graduation from the agency’s academy.

Another avenue of training for a law enforcement career is OCC’s Police Academy – one of 21 in the state.

Police Academy training provides classroom learning of the law and crime, physical training, specialized driving instruction and firearms training. Graduates are qualified to become officers in city, county and state police departments. But that doesn’t mean all officers have the same job description. Some work in small towns, others in large cities; some choose highway patrol, others choose harbor patrol; some get specialized training for SWAT units, others might become detectives. While some cadets who attend the Police Academy are sponsored by law enforcement agencies, many others are self-sponsored and begin their job searches after completing their training.

Many positions in law enforcement require physical stamina, a clean background and a high tolerance for stress. "Another requird skill is an ability to communicate well verbally and in writing," Allen says. The days are long past when police work meant finding the biggest, brawniest man around, putting a nightstick in his hand and telling him to enforce the law.

"Today, individuals who have successful careers in law enforcement are those who know how to use their heads as well as when to use their muscles," Allen explains. A solid understanding of the law, good communications skills, the ability to write good reports are all keys to success.

Think fire fighting fits your style? OCC offers an associate degree as well as a certificate program in Fire Fighting Technology. The College also has a Fire Academy that provides basic through advanced training for hundreds of public services personnel each year.

If riding in an ambulance and saving lives is what turns you on, OCC can assist. The college offers an extended associate degree (73 credits) in Emergency Medical Technology (EMT), as well as basic, intermediate and advanced paramedic training for EMTs.

Since the events of September 11, 2002, many people have thought more about emergency preparedness. At OCC you can earn an associate degree in Emergency Services Technology that combines elements of the college’s Law Enforcement, Fire Science and Emergency Medical Technology programs.