Criminal justice colleges in Arizona provide an excellent education in the field of protective services. The state's universities and community colleges serve students on modern college campuses or online environments that allow students of Arizona criminal justice colleges to complete degrees from the comfort of home.
Training at Criminal Justice Schools in Arizona
Students earning degrees in criminal justice complete coursework in areas that include:
- Techniques of patrol and community relations
- Arizona law and legal issues
- Evidence collection and investigative skills
- Use of force and self-defense
- Communication skills
Arizona criminal justice schools graduates are employed in many law enforcement capacities. Most graduates in the state are employed in the following positions:
- Sheriff's deputies and police officers
- Corrections officers in jails and prisons
- Border patrol agents
- Parole and probation officers
- Investigators and evidence technicians
Law enforcement agencies prefer to hire graduates of criminal justice programs. Law enforcement jobs in Arizona are filled by men and women who have earned an associate's, bachelor's, or master's degree.
Police Jobs in Arizona
The number of people employed in protective services in Arizona in May 2009 was estimated to be 77,590, as compared to 3,172,420 nationally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. Arizona officers earned a mean annual wage of $41,330, which lines up evenly with the national mean of $41,740. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, in 2008 there were 290,883 reportable crimes in Arizona. During 2009 the number dropped slightly to 257,727. According to the FBI report Crime in the United States, the violent crime rate in Arizona was 408 instances per 100,000 residents, which was slightly lower than the national average of 429. The most common crime in Arizona was larceny-theft in 2009. The majority of major crimes such as murder, rape, and burglary occur in the cities of Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Flagstaff. Trained law enforcement personnel can help combat crime in those cities.
