The Texas Department of Public Safety has special training for prospective students who wish to become law enforcement officers as well as a recruiting center.

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education offers training, education, and certifications for those who are interested in becoming a law enforcement officer. They also provide mandates and certificates for law enforcement officers, jailers, and telecommunicators.

Other requirements in Texas are

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have good moral character.
• Be loyal, have courage and integrity.
• A U.S. Citizen.
• Good credit history.
• Undergo a fingerprint scanning
• No felony criminal charges on your record.
• Have a background investigation.
• A psychological evaluation along with a physical medical exam by a healthcare worker followed by a physical fitness test.
• Have good vision or a corrected vision of at least 20/20
• Pass a hearing test.

Contact information for training and career employment in Texas :

• Texas Department of Public Safety at:
  Law Enforcement Education
  (512) 424-7214
• Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education
  6330 East Highway 290, STE 200 Austin, Texas 78723
  (512) 936-7700

The educational requirements are necessary from a high school diploma, college degree or further on. Educational requirements also depend on the career you choose. Some careers such as becoming a police officer, firefighter, or state trooper only requires a high school diploma or GED while major agencies such as the FBI, ATF, DEA require a college degree or some college education experience. Job opportunities and growth are expected to grow in police departments in statewide and federal law enforcement agencies. Being bilingual or knowing multiple languages, having a higher education or military background will give you an extra boost in attaining a job. Being able to speak a different language is becoming more and more important in cities and urban areas. Also as the Hispanic population is rising in America, it’s helpful to speak another language. Getting physically fit, taking physical education classes and playing a sport will help you build stamina, competitiveness and be agile. Working your way up to a higher salary will require additional education.

• Attend a regional or state law enforcement academy. Classes will teach you laws about the constitutional and civil rights.
• Academy lasts between 12-14 months long depending on your local or state agency.
• Get training in patrolling, traffic enforcement, how to use a firearm safe and effectively, investigating accidents, first aid, and responding to emergency calls.
• Working as a federal agent requires a bachelor’s degree, a few years of work experience or a combination of both.
• In order to become a federal agent, you have to get further training from the United States Marine Corps or at a Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.
• FBI agency academies require a prospective applicant to have a college degree, minimum of 3 years of work experience in a professional setting. You can also apply if you have an advanced Masters or PhD degree with 2 years of work experience.
• Applicants usually who apply in a law enforcement agency needs to be at least 18 or 21 years old, U.S. citizens and be physically and mentally fit.
• Pass physical requirements such as agility, vision, strength and hearing.
• Prospective enforcement officers should enjoy working with other people, be honest with themselves and others, have integrity in their work, be mindful of the responsibilities that are associated with law enforcement.
• Applicants must not have a criminal record or domestic violence report – this will either completely disqualify the applicant or put them at the bottom of the list for a potential interview.
• Candidates who pass law enforcement academy must go through an interview by a psychiatrist or psychologist to screen for any mental health or emotional issues. Along with physical and mental health screenings, a candidate must submit to a drug test as well.
• After landing the job, you may look into getting promoted. This is usually done at your agency by taking a series of law enforcement tests to get promoted to corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, captain or commissioner.
• Federal training centers will instruct people on self-defense tactics, using a fire-arm, policies on use of force, techniques for crowd-control and correct use of law enforcement equipment.

The minimum salary for a Law Enforcement Officer is about $38,000 while the maximum salary to can upwards to $115,000 and more.