Although governments are currently cutting quite a few services, politicians will do everything they can to avoid cutting personnel budgets for police departments. The public insists that plenty of officers are working day and night to keep streets and neighborhoods safe. Those with good records are encouraged to find police jobs in their local communities. A significant percentage of police officer candidates have at least some college level education. Many are college graduates. However, it is also true that a significant portion of successful career police officers never have more than a high school education. It is also worth noting that many law enforcement agencies will pay for employees to take educational classes. Successful applicants have good records. Even traffic records are considered when weighing applicants. While having a lot of tickets and moving violations may not automatically disqualify a person who is trying to find police jobs, they may well be taken into consideration when two equally qualified candidates are being considered. Once applicants are accepted, they must go through a fairly intensive training at police academy. This training course generally runs from twelve to fourteen weeks. For larger enforcement agencies, training is done locally, while members of smaller agencies are sent to receive instruction at state or regional academies. The median annual wage of local patrol offers was measured by the U.S government and released in the occupational handbook. Middle range earners reportedly earned between $38,000 and $64,000, while the top ten percent earned as much as $79,000 or more. In addition to salaries, most police officers are eligible for excellent benefits packages. These include strong financial protections in case of injury or death in the course of duty. In addition to benefits and salary, law enforcement agents receive a good deal of prestige in their community. Although police officers generally not allowed to accept outright tips or gratuities, there is no denying that officers and their families are often seen as privileged members of society. While police salaries may seem low in light of the many dangers that this occupation entails, the intangible benefits of policing are real and extremely attractive.