Law enforcement can be a very exciting career choice with great benefits.  The pay however may not be exactly what you are looking for.  Even though starting salaries can be low, earning your degree in law enforcement can give you an advantage to getting the best jobs in this field.

Today’s youth, and even many adults, aren’t thrilled by officers’ relatively low pay, long hours, and dangerous line of work. And they don’t see policing as a long-term career.

“It’s unbelievable the difficulties that we’ve seen,” said Terrence M. Cunningham, the president of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. “Over the last eight to 10 years, it’s been difficult to get real strong, quality candidates.”

While hiring has become a moot issue for many communities because of the recession, municipalities were having a hard time filling officers’ ranks even before dwindling revenues forced many to freeze salaries.

About 2,100 fewer people took the police civil service exam this year compared with two years ago: The number is down from 13,188 in 2007 to 11,093 this year.

Few had the qualifications – a college degree as well as clean criminal and driving records, for instance – that departments desire, said Cunningham, who is also Wellesley’s police chief.

So police departments have stepped up recruiting efforts to find qualified candidates and are offering new incentives, such as paying for moving expenses.

Earning a law enforcement degree online can be the start of an exhilarating career.  Law enforcement officers are in high demand, so when you graduate, there will likely be jobs waiting for you.