There is much more to being a cop than running around chasing bad guys with a pistol. In order to be an effective police officer, one must develop certain skills which are used on a daily basis. Officers are heavily involved in listening (to victims and superiors), writing & typing (reports, tickets, court info.), making snap-judgments (whether or not to use deadly force), among other things, and will need to polish certain skills if they wish to perform at an optimal level to achieve regular promotions. Some of these skills may not be needed for admission to the police academy or to even apply, but they will come in handy sooner or later in this career path. Another great skill to seek after is learning another language. Most states (particularly California) are quite diverse and filled with people who speak many different dialects, which usually means that law enforcement agencies get excited when one of their own is bilingual.
What You Can Do: