What is the best kind of cover letter for Law Enforcement jobs?

Steve I want to be honest with over the last 10+ years as a recruiter I have yet to look at a cover letter. Me personally I want the meat and potatoes to see what you have done and if you have enough experience to do my job. I will give you a perfect example true example of a job that I am recruiting for now. I have a 90 day timeline to have the person in seat from the day I post the job.

So i post for 2 weeks......I have about 700 applicants that have applied. I have to dwindle that down to about 200 to test of which I am doing tomorrow and Tuesday. So I have built questions into the posting so I can easily identify who has experience. You have to have a fair and equitable way of selecting the 200 to test in the event that you are audited.

Now once I receive the results of the people that passed I may have to view 150 or so that is probably who will pass and already have taken and passed. I am hiring around 7 positions. Because I am the expert and know what the Hiring manager want I am trying to make a short list of about 50 people to send to him so that we can schedule face to face interviews. I need to do all of that in a week or so I do not have time to look at cover letters personally it would be nice but I have a client I need to deliver so the new hires can start generating revenue......

So I would say focus more of you effort on the resume vs cover letter maybe 80%/20% because you will pull your hair out trying to zero a cover letter to qualify for an interview. Just my two cents based on real life experience.

Dylan

I've worked in LE for almost 20 years and have never seen a cover letter as a requirement for a job.

I am a 8-year military veteran and 12 year police veteran, currently as a patrol sergeant. I have sat on several hiring boards for our department, in different roles. My advice is this: the most important thing, use proper grammar and spell-check everything. I would suggest being professional, as a big part of police work is your ability to write clear, concise, professional police reports. If your cover letter is goofy and unprofessional, what will that say about you and your work ethic. Fair or not, the cover letter IS your first impression. What do you want it to say about you?

As a former Career Development Director and LEN Officer, I would appreciate a letter that tells me what you know about my organization, it's mission, strengths, and the community in which you would be working and then tell me how you will fit in with that organization. As prior military you have a lot going for you - already understand the need for a disciplined and well-trained force that understands teamwork, integrity, and compassion. Hope some of this helps. Best of luck!!

TSgt Steve Waide, I'm going to give you a different perspective than some of the other responses. As a manager that receives resumes from potential candidates, I believe it's the cover letter that really sets a person apart from the others. Though, really funny ones get passed around the office for a laugh, they rarely get brought in for an interview. I'm pasting a link, for a site I like, called "Jobhero". There's a sample cover letter for "Police Officer" that's not overly stuffed shirt. Take a look and as always, keep what you need and throw away the rest. Best of luck to you, Susan
http://www.jobhero.com/police-officer-cover-letter/

Tsgt Steve W.,
I am a detective with a law enforcement agency in North Carolina, and I currently oversee the background investigations for our agencies hiring process. The background investigation includes a resume with a cover letter. My advice would be to show professionalism. The reason for this is because you are not only representing your agency but you are also representing the city or town in which you prefer to work in. The public will hold you at a higher level of accountability than a normal civilian. My suggestion would be to describe why you would be an asset to the agency and the community. I tend to hire more prior military servicemen and women because of the professionalism, dedication, and commitment that is instilled in each and every one. Also, not too lengthy but not too short. Bring out the points and facts!! I hope this helps!! If you need anymore advice don't hesitate to ask!!

Are you looking at Federal, state, or local L.E. jobs? I was a Federal LEO (CBP and ICE), and though it's been awhile, I don't recall doing a cover letter for either application.

One should never attempt humor or being witty on a resume' or cover letter. Unfortunately words can not show emotion and any number of small words can be misconstrued as something other than the original intent. Hope you got the job.

Present yourself in a professional manner and emphasize briefly your strengths. More than likely you will need to complete and application on line.

Way more important than a cover letter is your work ethic and character. Both of which can be gleaned from a properly constructed Resume or Curriculum Vitae. If you specialized in a certain difficult field or had extensive training in a unique job specialty a CV is the way to go.