re: How easy is it to get a job in law enforcement?

How I got hired.
Got out of the army in California and needed a job.
My first drill with the California national guard my first sgt worked for the City of Los Angeles. He knew I was just out of the army and helped me go through the process. At the time I applied they had a huge need for candidates that could pass the test. I was too late for the first academy, so I worked in the jails until the next Academy had openings. I had a lot of people that helped me along with the process.

Typically you have to spend x amount of hours in the field in Uniform Patrol, have strong evaluations, and go above minimum expectations to even be considered for a position like you are asking about.

My best advice is if you are not 100% into it do not do it. After I earned my MBA I woke up to what I was doing. At that point I only had 8 yrs left to retire. My advice if you do not like it within a year or two move on to another line of work.

If you want to be great or get a lot of experience where you can retire becoming a consultant apply to a larger dept like the LAPD, NYPD, etc.