Police Ride-Along: What to Expect and How to Prepare

If you are preparing for a police ride-along, this guide covers what the program is, how to apply, what to wear, what to ask, and the mistakes to avoid.

A ride-along puts you in the passenger seat during patrol. Some shifts are quiet; others change in seconds. The best preparation is to understand your role, follow the officer’s instructions, and arrive ready to observe rather than participate.

What Is a Police Ride-Along?

The short answer is that you’ll get to join a police officer at work doing a patrol.

A good ride–along definition could be:

An arrangement for a civilian to spend a shift with a police officer in the passenger seat of a police vehicle.

Why Do a Police Ride-Along?

A ride along is typically done by someone interested in a career in law enforcement.

Do you want to become a police officer? Check out this guide on becoming one.

Many participants are prospective applicants, students, community members or visitors who want to understand what patrol work actually looks like. Current programs also vary in who they accept, so check the rules for the department you want to ride with rather than assuming every agency uses the same eligibility standard.

There are many reasons for one to participate in a ride-along program. You get to know a little about how it is to work as a police officer.

Do you think it sounds exciting?

You will better understand why police officers do what they do. You will also discover things you didn’t know about your local community.

You may see routine calls, traffic stops, community contacts or an emergency response. The point is to observe how patrol work is actually done, not to chase the most dramatic call of the shift.

You need to have a good reason to apply for a ride-along. I encourage you to contact your local police and send a ride-along application.

As I previously mentioned, you will better understand how the police work. Police officers are often misunderstood by the public.

The media, for one, loves to highlight the negative aspects of situations involving the police.

A ride-along is a great way to observe and educate yourself more about police work.

With a ride-along program, police officers also get a chance to get to know their communities.

What to Know Before a Ride-Along

You will usually find details about the ride-along in the application. You can find these on their website, for example.

There are many do’s and don’ts. Mostly don’ts.

Suppose they do a background check on you. The result will determine whether or not you can go on a ride-along.

What to Expect on a Police Ride-Along

This is both easy and hard to answer.

You can expect to see how a normal shift might be.

However, there is no such thing as a «normal shift…»

In this line of work, there is a thin line between heaven and hell. The shift might start with a car accident where two people die and later find yourself playing a basketball match with kids in a neighborhood nearby.

Your role is normally to observe, not to participate in enforcement. For example, the Asheville Police Department tells riders that they may not assist the officer with law-enforcement activity and may be removed from sensitive or unsafe situations. 

You might have a shift where nothing special occurs. You will talk with a police officer about the profession and learn what it takes to become and work as a police officer.

The shift might be busy driving from emergency to emergency.

There is no national standard for ride-along length. Current department rules show why you should check locally: Fresno Police says a ride normally lasts about five hours, while Asheville Police normally limits rides to five hours unless special approval is given.

The ride-along might involve; traffic stops, complaints about noise, patrols of a street in town, or a welfare check.                                                                                                

A welfare check is when the police officers are make sure a person is okay. This can be requested by neighbors, family, or friends when a person doesn’t answer his phone or does not get in touch with others.

Of course, there are examples of ride-along where you will meet serious crimes.

A ride-along can still expose you to unpredictable situations, which is why agencies keep control over where a civilian rider can go.

Current policies commonly allow the officer or supervisor to end the ride or keep the rider away from dangerous or sensitive calls. Asheville, for example, says riders may be removed from unsafe situations and are not allowed into sensitive crime scenes.

So, what happens during a police ride-along is not predictable. The useful part is seeing how officers prioritize calls, communicate with dispatch and the public, document incidents and move between routine and urgent work.

It’s a excellent chance for people to learn about the police force. A police officer is just an average person like everyone else!

A ride-along is not risk-free because police work can involve traffic, emergencies and unpredictable people. Departments manage that risk with waivers, screening and rules about when a rider must stay in the vehicle or leave an incident.

Follow the officer’s instructions immediately and do not assume that being approved for a ride means you will be allowed to accompany the officer into every situation.

If you observe an incident or event, you might have to appear in court as a witness.

There is always a chance you may not make it back home on time. Things like this often happen in this job, so you need to plan accordingly.

As a police officer, you need a particular set of skills. I’ve compiled a list of the most important police officer skills here. Remember to check it out before going on a ride-along!

Who Can Participate in a Police Ride-Along?

This varies in different police departments.

Some only accept official guests, like councilmen and women. Other departments welcome everyone as long as you’re not a criminal.

In some places, foreigners are also allowed to join. I’ve heard about the European police officers that were allowed to participate in a ride-along. Away from Europe.

The age limit varies by department. There is no nationwide minimum age for a police ride-along. Current examples range from 14 at Longmont Police, to 16 at Fresno Police, while Asheville Police requires participants to be 18.

In some departments, you have to be at least 18 years of age. You can also find departments allowing applicants that are high school students.

 Many cities have something called a police explorer program. These programs are for youths and young adults interested in a law enforcement career.

You have to ask your local police department about their criteria on who is eligible enough to go on a ride-along.

Disqualifiers for participating in a ride-along program

Disqualifiers vary between police departments and sheriff’s offices. Do not rely on a generic internet list; the department reviewing your application decides whether its own policy is satisfied.

In some places, you are not allowed to participate in a ride-along if you have a misdemeanor. Other places, you will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. So having a misdemeanor will not necessarily disqualify you from doing a police ride-along.

Criminal history can matter, but the rule is not identical everywhere. For example, Reno Police lists several criminal-history grounds for denial, while other agencies review records case by case.

You might also be rejected if you are under investigation by any law enforcement agency.

Outstanding warrants, pending criminal cases or other unresolved legal issues can also affect approval, depending on the department’s policy.

If you have a medical, mobility or accessibility concern that could affect the ride, contact the department before the scheduled date. The agency can explain its safety requirements and whether any accommodation is available.

How to Find and Schedule a Police Ride-Along Near You

Start with the official website of the police department or sheriff's office you want to ride with. Search the agency name plus ride-along or civilian rider program. Not every department offers one, and some programs are limited to residents, applicants, students or other specified groups.

You can call them, check their website or Facebook page.

Use the department's published application process when one exists. Current programs commonly require an application, identification, waiver and some form of records or background check before approval.

Use Google and search the police department + ride-along in the search field. Often a ride-along application can be found on the department’s website.

What to Wear and Bring

Inquire about the appropriate outfit to wear when applying for a ride-along.

You are typically expected to dress conservatively and wear casual business attire. Some might expect something more formal. There is no general dress code.

Avoid looking like a bum

Avoid looking like a bum. Wearing the wrong outfit might get you sent back home.

Here’s a little list of what not to wear in a police ride-along:

You should bring something to drink (water) and maybe some snack or something to eat. At least bring your wallet so you can buy something!

The officer you are riding with is not responsible for buying you anything to eat or drink.

Check the agency's weapons rule before you arrive. Many civilian ride-along programs prohibit riders from being armed even if they otherwise have legal authority to carry; Asheville Police, for example, explicitly prohibits weapons.

Top tips, dos and dont’s for a police ride-along

The following tips are general rules found in many ride-along programs. Some tips are simply about not being stupid.

Police ride-along questions. What to ask?

You are encouraged to ask questions. But wait for an appropriate time to ask these questions.

After responding to a call, ask about what the police officer does and why they do it. This can give rise to an engaging discussion. And that’s an opportunity for you to learn a lot about how police work is done.

You will get a deeper insight into how the police officers are thinking. This might give you a much better understanding of what problems and issues a police officer may encounter.

Other examples of questions you can ask the police officer during the ride-along are:

• What’s your favorite thing about this job?
• What’s the worst thing about this job?
• Why did you become a police officer?
• How is it to work in the local community you’re a part of yourself? (This is interesting, especially in small towns and communities.)

Important questions to ask:

• What should I do if there is trouble?
• If needed, how do I call for assistance? What should I do?

Please stay away from questions like, “Have you ever shot anybody?” or something like that. It’s personal. However, if this information comes voluntarily from the officer, it’s okay to ask about it.

Final Thoughts

I hope you have found this guide about police ride-along useful.

I would love to hear from you: Did these tips help?

If you’ve already done a ride-along, how was it?

Let me know by leaving a quick comment below.

Police ride-along information sources:

For current eligibility and safety rules, I now rely primarily on official police department policies and application pages rather than forum answers. Current examples include Asheville Police, Fresno Police, Longmont Police, Reno Police and other agency ride-along policies linked above.

Several home pages for different police departments – Here are a few examples:

• https://www.fresno.gov/police/community-and-neighborhood-resources/ride-along-program/
• https://www.appleton.org/residents/police/ride-along-program
• https://www.cityofrockhill.com/departments/police/more/police-department/policies/civilian-ride-along-program

If you’re still curious about becoming a police officer, check out our article: Should I Become a Cop? [An In-Depth Guide Helping YOU to Decide]