- Police officers must be at least 21 years old before entering into police service, according to the University of Texas. All officers must have U.S. citizenship and a valid Texas driver's license, and be in good physical health. The police academy requires that any applicants have good hearing and vision, no serious illnesses and a healthy weight before graduating from the academy. Potential police officers also submit to a mental health screening.
- All officers must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent, as well as some college. The University of Texas reports that all applicants must complete 60 hours of college coursework and achieve a GPA of 2.0 or higher. Applicants with military service or previous experience working in law enforcement can qualify with reduced hours. Police officers must also attend a police academy and pass the state mandated Peace Officer License Examination.
- People with a criminal background cannot become police officers in Lampasas, Texas. The police academy also conducts drug screenings, and a positive test result will disqualify any potential police officers. Members of the military who received a dishonorable discharge cannot become members of law enforcement in Texas. The Lampasas Sheriff's Office may also review a police officer's credit history to determine stability.
- In addition to the basic mental and physical health requirements, police officers need several special skills and personal attributes to exceed at their jobs. They must have a high ability to reason, showing that they can be good problem solvers and critical thinkers, since the nature of the job often demands quick thinking and deduction. Police officers should also have a good ability to communicate well with others, since they will often have to work with a variety of personnel, and they come into contact with citizens.
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