dcsimg



Schools in the USA
Back to Career Search     

Police Diver

Description

 Police divers do extremely interesting work. They work within for police forces, or in their own diving units, looking for lost or stolen property, searching for explosives, recovering evidence, and looking under the deep dark water for the bodies of murder victims and accidental drownings.

American waters are often cold enough to preserve evidence, meaning that police officers are now able to use modern crime scene protocols, adapted to the underwater environment. Members of the diving team use archeological devices and techniques, video cameras, and still photographs, to gather as much information as possible in their dive.

While fulfilling, the work of police divers is hard and often gruesome. Searching for victims can be difficult particularly in the middle of the night, under water, fighting the current, with visibility obstructed by darkness and plant life making the work even more difficult. Often, divers will have to dive under ice, or search in confined underwater spaces, in fresh, salt, and polluted water, in oceans, rivers, sewers, and backyard pools.

Police divers must follow specific rules. They must dive in teams, with someone monitoring from land. Often, paramedics stand by in case of any emergencies. They plan the dive before they jump, use scuba-diving equipment, and restrict their searches to specific areas, only searching about 270-360 feet at a time. Using maps, they sweep the areas, while attached to a tether. They must be very meticulous about their work, ensuring that all points on the map have been covered before calling an end to the search.

Police divers are sometimes only employed as divers part of the time. Depending on the size of the city or the location, police divers might work as regular officers some of the time, and dive only when necessary.
  		View Schools for this Career: 
         Related Careers
arrow Air Weapons Control Officer
arrow Ambassador
arrow Artillery Officer
arrow [ view all related careers ]



Program Spotlight
Matching School Ad
Grand Canyon University
Interested in enhancing your skills and knowledge in the criminal justice field? Learn more at GCU!
Programs Offered:
  • M.S. in Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement
  • M.S. in Criminal Justice: Legal Studies
Visit School Site

 

 


  Interests and Skills  
A police diver should be brave, yet cautious. This is because unnecessary risks or unplanned moves can cause death or injury to the divers in the team. Also, the diver should be mentally stable, whose emotions will not get in the way of completing a difficult task, like looking for the bodies of murder victims. A police diver should be fit, and able to focus on details, as well as perform thorough, meticulous searches.
 

  Typical Tasks  
  • Dive into reservoirs, quarries, lakes, sewers, rivers, at all times of day and night, looking for bodies, evidence, and lost or stolen property
  • Photograph and film area when item or body is located
  • Preserve and record evidence on site
  • Write follow-up reports
  • Give evidence in court
  • The day to day routine of a police diver is not always predictable. While they are initially trained as regular police officers, they concentrate on dives, although during the times when they are not actively involved in a dive, they may work as a regular officer. They will also be maintaining their equipment, re-training in diving techniques, or presenting information in court. The job will give divers the chance to work outside, although not always in favorable locations.

  Workplaces, Employers and Industries  
  • When they are not active in other police roles, or writing up reports about past dives and underwater searches, police divers are in wetsuits and scuba gear, swimming around in a variety of bodies of water; swamps, streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, ports, harbors, locks, weirs, reservoirs, spillways, quarries, pools, and sewers. Many police divers are employed by police forces, while others might choose to work for commercial diving companies. Any diver, no matter who they work for, will be in close contact with other police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and the public over the course of a dive.

  Long Term Career Potential  
As a trained police officer, a police diver can always stay with the force, moving up the ranks to supervisory roles within the department. Or, a diver could leave the police force and become a commercial diver, meaning the police work is left up to the police, while the commercial diver. There is also the possibility or joining another type of police unit, like investigation or the highway police.
 

  Educational Paths  
Before becoming a police diver, you must become a law enforcement office. To do this, an individual must apply to the police force, proving they have good eyesight, are in good physical condition and have a secure, healthy mind. While it is not required, it is recommended you attend a community college to get a diploma in law enforcement. There are police training schools and programs offered at colleges across the nation. It is also a good idea to get a university degree in law, security, or social sciences.

Once in the police force, individuals can move onto becoming a diver. Training occurs in various ways, depending on which police force you work for. Some police forces require a prospective diver to have completed 100 hours of diving before applying to become a diver. One might attend a short introductory course, learning about a variety of job tasks, including observation skills, using recording devices, diving techniques, and how to handle of evidence. Divers are usually tested annually, and re-train once about once a month. They can also get further training in such fields as underwater explosives recognition, ice diving, first aid, deep diving, and lifting submerged vehicles.
 

Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment Statistics, 2002, http://www.bls.gov/oes/2002/oes_nat.htm

Featured Schools
Matching School Ads
Grand Canyon University
Which career path will you take – Business, Nursing, Education, Psychology? Something else? GCU offers more than 100 majors to get you started!
Programs Offered:
  • M.S. in Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement
  • M.S. in Criminal Justice: Legal Studies
Visit School Site

 
American InterContinental University Online

You’re serious about success. With your busy schedule and the desire to move your career forward, you can earn an accredited associate, bachelors or master’s degree at a pace that works for you anywhere, anytime, 24/7.

At AIU, the Serious U, you can get started to get ahead.

For important information about the educational debt, earnings, and completion rates of students who attended these programs, go to: www.aiuniv.edu/disclosures

Programs Offered:
  • Bachelor's (BSCJ) - Law Enforcement
  • Bachelor's (BSCJ) - Generalist
Request

 
Post University Online
Experience an education that helps you realize your potential in a way that fits you best. Request more information about Post University today.
Programs Offered:
  • B.S. in Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement
  • B.S. in Criminal Justice
  • A.S. in Criminal Justice
  • And more...
Visit School Site

 
New England College

Discover the Difference a Community of Support Makes in Your Educational Journey. From Application to Graduation, the Guidance You Need to Achieve Your Goals. 100% Online.

Programs Offered:
  • BA in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement
  • BA in Criminal Justice
  • AA in Criminal Justice
  • And more...
Request

 
Grantham University
Grantham University's 100% accredited online degrees are convenient, portable and designed so you can fit education into your life instead of arranging life around your education.
Programs Offered:
  • Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
  • Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice
Visit School Site

 
UEI College

At UEI College, we want you to succeed. We’re like a family and we want you to be a part of it.

Programs Offered:
  • Criminal Justice (11-Month Diploma Program)
Request

 
Florida Tech

See What’s Possible When You Earn a Degree at Florida Tech 100% Online

Programs Offered:
  • Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice
  • Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice/Homeland Security
  • Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
Request

 
Institute of Technology

You can get started on a new career with Institute of Technology.

For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website at www.iot.edu/disclosure

Programs Offered:
  • Criminology and Emergency Response Management
Request

 
Matching School Ads
  Universities and Colleges
Clarkson UniversityColorado School of MinesDalhousie University
Oral Roberts UniversityPenn State HarrisburgTemple University
The University of HoustonThompson Rivers UniversityUNB Saint John
University of AlabamaUniversity of ArkansasUniversity of British Columbia
University of IowaUniversity of New BrunswickUniversity of Ottawa
York University
Agriculture and Bio-resources | Allied Health and Health Sciences | Applied Business Technology | Architecture
Business Administration | Computer Science | Cosmetology and Esthetics | Culinary, Travel &Hospitality | Dance 
Engineering Technology & Applied Technology |Engineering | Film | Fine Arts and Design | Humanities and Liberal ArtsJustice and Security
Music | Natural and Applied Sciences | Naturopathic and Holistic MedicineNursingPublic Administration & PolicyReligious and Theological Studies
Sport Sciences and Physical Education | Teacher Education | Theatre
Articles | College News | Videos | Feedback | Career Search
Home | About Us | Contact Us | Faq | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Site Map | Cities Site Map

Copyright 2003- 2019 QuinStreet, Inc. All Rights Reserved.