Becoming a Cop?

[IReallyLikePizza2]

Has anyone thought about joining their local police force? I work in IT and make good money, but I don't like how quickly some of the skills and resume points go out of date. I think I could work my way back up to my current pay in a few years if I become a LEO, and those skills last for life and will always have good part time/off-duty side jobs waiting

I hopefully could also resolve all my own problems...

 

[biggen]

I would never have the patience to deal with the scum of society. Everything is filmed nowadays and if you do anything borderline (whether justified or not), it's your ass. God bless the ones that do it though. We would be screwed without them.

 

[fenderman]

Has anyone thought about joining their local police force? I work in IT and make good money, but I don't like how quickly some of the skills and resume points go out of date. I think I could work my way back up to my current pay in a few years if I become a LEO, and those skills last for life and will always have good part time/off-duty side jobs waiting

I hopefully could also resolve all my own problems...

Please reserve ireallylikedonuts screen name...

 

[tangent]

Has anyone thought about joining their local police force? I work in IT and make good money, but I don't like how quickly some of the skills and resume points go out of date. I think I could work my way back up to my current pay in a few years if I become a LEO, and those skills last for life and will always have good part time/off-duty side jobs waiting

I hopefully could also resolve all my own problems...

I know someone who worked for a police department in a technical role (he didn't carry a badge and gun). The job didn't pay very well and he had limited advancement opportunities. Went back to college (where I met him) and now works for JPL. I also know someone who worked in cyber crime at a local sheriff's dept and carried a badge and gun who seemed happier with his much longer LEO career.

Various federal agencies could be another path, but due to the pension system probably better suited to a longer career.

 

[Keizer]

My bro in law retired from the sherrifs department. Towards the end of his career he told me that all he did was get in his patrol car and hide. He said everyone hated the cops.

 

[TonyR]

I would never have the patience to deal with the scum of society. Everything is filmed nowadays and if you do anything borderline (whether justified or not), it's your ass. God bless the ones that do it though. We would be screwed without them.

Ditto.
When I got back from Vietnam in '72 I thought seriously about it but was blessed to find my "calling" in '73 that paid the bills for the next 31 years....traffic signals and lighting. Thank God I found that because no way could I have made it as a cop to 2004 for retirement.....and I cannot imagine the danger and the difficulties of having to navigate the politics that cops do these days.

I would most likely spend more time appearing before a review board or on administrative leave than working as an active cop because I'd probably tase half of the idiots that I'd engage and shoot the other half, so it worked out for me AND my potential encounters.

 

[SJGUSMC21]

On my first enlistment in the Corps, I think I was 22 and spoke to two DC Cops, one white and one black. (was at OCS, Quantico). Both of them told me I was freak'n insane and to keep my 'white ass' in the Corps. Both of them told me straight up that I was an endangered species, because I was white. They also told me that if I made it past my first 4 years, I MIGHT after that see a Saturday OR Sunday off. I kind of took this advice as a grain of salt (young, dumb and full of c**) and signed up for the exam. I went to some HS auditorium to take their entrance test (I guess the equivalent to the ASVAB). OMG....talk about simple simon-sesame street bullshit! Holy shit was it easy! Seriously freak'n stupid easy. So I was the first one done.....I went out to my CJ-7 (OMG I miss that thing) and had a smoke....then another smoke....then another smoke. About 50 minutes later, the 2nd person left. Holy fuk. NOPE...there was NO WAY IN HELL I was going to trust these people with my back if they were struggling with this easy ass test!

Then I applied for Fairfax...way better environment, better pay. Was told it was a 6 month wait. F me. So I went ahead and raised my right hand and signed up for another 4 years in my beloved suck. 2 days later, they called me and told me because of my test scores...they moved me up and I could be in the next class at the police academy. Well, it was probably for the best anyways.

Funny, the donut thing. I found out about the Fairfax Police by talking to an Officer in front of a 7-11...and yes, he was MUNCHING on a donut!

I love donuts! Or as I call the, 'Brain Pills'

Sorry for the rambling.

 

[mat200]

Has anyone thought about joining their local police force? I work in IT and make good money, but I don't like how quickly some of the skills and resume points go out of date. I think I could work my way back up to my current pay in a few years if I become a LEO, and those skills last for life and will always have good part time/off-duty side jobs waiting

I hopefully could also resolve all my own problems...

Connect with the local DA office and Cybercrime detectives and see if what they would advise.

I know some DA really want to recruit to help combat cybercrime ..

I would not want to start at the bottom as a foot soldier if you have good IT skills .. being a beat cop seems to be not as useful for society if you have good computer skills already imho

 

[tangent]

I would not want to start at the bottom as a foot soldier if you have good IT skills

Where's @Arjun with the Female Body Inspector t-shirt lol. Plenty of other branches of federal LEO and related agencies that could make good use of IT skills.

It would likely be a drastic pay cut for a while and you're sure to be exposed to some things you'll wish you could unsee...

Your local police / sheriff's dept may hold a citizens academy once or twice a year (spots are typically pretty limited). These events are designed to help to public understand policing a bit better and some attendee's are curious about LEO careers so they also function as recruiting events. It's an easy free way to get a little more exposure to this potential career path (you might be waiting a year to attempt to participate). I would certainly take your time considering this type of career.

For something very different I also knew someone who worked in IT for the state department traveling the world. Including a couple years in Moscow at the peak of the cold war. When I was a kid one of my friends lived on a big cul-de-sac where someone in every house worked for a different 3 letter gov agency (FBI, IRS, DOI, DLA, NRO, ...), the wonders of gov relocation assistance lol.

 

[TechieTech]

Don't bother, unless you're looking to do just ten years and be done. Even then there's a myriad of reasons why you'd quit before then ten year mark.

Unless someone REALLY wants to be a career cop and ends up in a great department, typically what happens is around year eight they want out, but they can't find or do anything else they would be able to make as good money at as just saying put where they are at...so they are miserable but they'll never leave. Just the kind of people you want to have your back in that type of environment!

Oh, and you'll probably get stabbed in the back by other cops more times than you can count too.

I'd stick with IT, or find a more interesting niche of IT if you are bored. BTDT, didn't get the t-shirt.

 

[wittaj]