Considering applying to be a police officer

[Argos]

So I'm considering applying to the county sheriff's office to be considered for hire as a deputy. This is something I've always wanted to do, and I think it would be a good job to have while I'm going through law school and a few years after/before.

I'm pretty sure I could get hired. I'm fit, smart (or so I'd like to think) and haven't had any run-ins with the law. I'm scheduled to go on a ride-along with an officer next week on the graveyard shift...I'm really looking forward to it. Both of my grandfathers were policemen and lawyers, so it would be neat to carry on that legacy.

So my question is, are there any current/former peace officers here? I'm mainly wondering about what's it's like being a deputy day to day in a fairly large, well funded department. What's good about it? What sucks about it?

[atomic charvel guy]

a large portion of my friends became cops and firemen, I think I'd rather be a fireman but it depends on where you are being enlisted. Either way it's a noble job across the board, I just steer clear of all of them and go on my way.
Best of luck to you, it's a big decision.

[m2pmd70]

My girl is a cop, does that count? "Well funded department" I wasn't aware there were any of those. LOL

[fett]

Where do you live? That could be an issue.

[AdRock]

I have a few friends that are cops. And yeah, depending on how big the city/ county or department is can sometimes make all the difference. Some depts. will support their officers, some will make them miserable.

[nateb]

Great and noble job... just dont be one of those short, arrogant, mustache assholes(j/k). Great benifits being a cop. But, I wouldn't want to do it in a major city.

[RacerX]

What's taking Bill so long?

[jrnic]

a large portion of my friends became cops and firemen, I think I'd rather be a fireman but it depends on where you are being enlisted. Either way it's a noble job across the board, I just steer clear of all of them and go on my way.
Best of luck to you, it's a big decision.

I actually have the best of both worlds. I have been a Police Officer for going on 18 years now and am also a Volunteer Firefighter for the past 21 years. Being a cop has it's good days as well as bad days, just like most jobs. Yes, there are dangers in each job (cop and fireman) but you just have to be aware at all times. The number one enemy of this job is not the bad guys, it's COMPLACENCY. Never let your guard down. Respond to EVERY call like it's real. Never get the attitude that "oh, it's just that false alarm again!" Go into each call with a game plan in your head, think through all the possibilities and your options and you'll be ahead of the game. It's like we also call in the Fire Dept. as a "pre-plan."

My Police Department is in a County that is on the boarder with NY City, so we see all kinds of interesting "characters cross the boarder." I've had some scary moments, had to draw my service weapon a few times but have never had to use it thankfully. I've been in chases and have had to get "physical" with a few "perps" to make the arrest.

All in all, I have to say I do not regret taking the job and have always tried to do it proffesionally. Not to mention that being civil service, it's nice having "job security" and very decent pay and benefits including a 20 year retirement plan (that I'm still deciding if I'm going to take advantage of.) It's given my family a nice home in a very nice community with great schools for my kids that I would not have been able to afford if I had a different job. Not to mention, a little "extra" to keep may guitar GAS going!

Go for it and good luck!!

[horns666]

13+ years Cleveland Police Department..now fully retired on a disability..

I was assigned to Cleveland's 4th district with the highest crime rate in the city. Cleveland ranked #1 in the poorest city in the country..we were always under staffed and overwhelmed.

With that said, there is alot of politics invloved with the job. I loved my peers and duties and had the most fun I could possibly have doing them. There is a lot of pros and cons..especially depending if you're in a suburb or a full blown ghetto..where I was assigned.

I drew my service weapon several times a day and fought a violent combatant at least once a day, sometimes several..it became so commonplace..I became numb to it.

I was hired during the LAPD / Rodney King riots..I wasn't welcomed with open arms in the community I served..it was a 100% black community that took 20 minutes to go from one end to the other lights and sirens in clear weather...which is a long time when your calling for assist or assisting another unit in trouble...which seemed to be constantly.

I saw and did more in one year than most suburban cops do in their entire career...this is confirmed by conferring with many of them. So location means everything!!!!

After getting burned out in the zone car for over 8 years I was finally tranfered to a low key assignment at Cleveland Hopkins airpot. Ironically I broke my neck while fighting with a intoxicated , violent male aboard a plane that was diverted to Cleveland. This male seriously assaulted/injured a couple flight crew members and co-pilot, when they cut him off the drinks... A 6' 4" 330+ lb Corrections officer from Vermont..that tackled me right on the jet way...the approx. 200 passengers on board froze in fear and did absolutely nothing..while he repeatedly punched two females in the face and head, then kicking the cockpit door for 15 minutes trying to get to the co-pilot that attempted to assit..this was months before 911..if it was post 911 he would have been shot..and I'd still be working and much too busy to be a member here.

In March of '94 I was involved in a major gun battle with a intox CMHA officer and exchanged approx 90 rounds..I hit him three times wounding him..and saving my partner's life in the process.

GO for the ride along..do it for a couple days, as many as you can if able..get a good idea of what your getting into then decide if this is right for you..the first week was a real eye opener..put it that way..I had a homicide on my first day and three rotten dead bodies my first week..

Our retirement plan is amazing..if your seriuously hurt..your set for life..you accumulate a lot of sick time hours/money on the books..and can take days off (-8's) when able..

I miss my job and my peers dearly..but I do not miss the political bullshit both in and out of the district..our adminstration always sucks and was always against us instead of supporting us..constantly throwing us to the wolves..and still do.

In hindsight it has made be a strong minded with zero fear of confrontation and very fined tuned to my surroudings which isn't always a good thing when you're NOT working..Due to my injury, constant pain and loss of the job I loved..I'm a rotten SOB and take almost 500 pain meds a month..I lost my health, my faith in God and lots of friends..you will lose two out of three of those things..if your lucky.

Not trying to scare you, just giving you the facts of my department

6 people in my academy was killed on the job..4 lost their jobs in a civil lawsuites..4 went to prison for various bullshit in connection with the job..two actually deserved it..two didn't.

The only time I got a award , and merit raise was when I had a dead body, with two homicide arrests, 120+K and 70+ pounds of weed..all in one assignment, while training a femal rookie..that was a funny story.

I made alot of friends, done everything I can imagine and saw things I will take to my grave..especially involving children.

But I'm with my family everday and I'm still breathing..so things could be much worse..I had more close calls than I could count.

Since I retired our department is in worse shape..I can't even imagine that..I feel for my old partners and officers in general..and think of them daily!

would I do it again..you bet!

Bill Z

[St.James]

Growing up I wanted to be a cop, but there's not enough money in it for me to take part in the total bullshit called law enorcement today.

There's very little to no honor in it anymore...

[horns666]

Growing up I wanted to be a cop, but there's not enough money in it for me to take part in the total bullshit called law enorcement today.

There's very little to no honor in it anymore...

It's not like this everwhere. But it makes for a very stressfull work envirement whenever the administration relflects it's community..it's a conflict of interest. It makes you second guess your actions/judgements in fear of getting into departmental or civil problems..that's never good.

It's a pretty thankless job, the people I served were victims one day and supects the next..

I don't know what it's like to be a cop where people are hard working and thankful for your help or services..not at all

once in a rare occasion..and when that happends it makes you happy..but that is few and far between..

It made me a very bitter and cynical, and outspoken person.

as you all know..

[Newc]

I took the Law Enforcement written test at the Employment Office a few years ago when I was looking for a job. I made 98/100 (low scores for not typing the report fast enough ). I went for an interview at the local "Correctional Facility" (more like a storage pen for the overflow from Memphis).

Basically it was $1500 a month to guard gangbangers and such that Memphis didn't have room for.

I almost took it until I asked them about how many incidents of inmates attacking guards, and they had 4 a month at least, and the last 2 resulted in the guard getting killed.

I have a very simple view of incarceration: everyone gets shoved into a 3'x3' room and you don't come out until your sentence is up. You don't get a gym, you don't get TV, library, basketball, etc etc. You get a basic meal 3 times a day - no steak, no pizza, no McDonald's - nothing like the people outside are getting. You are told what to do and you do it or you get beat down, and the guards have a responsibility to behave like guards, not taskmasters, slave drivers, or anything of that nature. Your job as a guard is to make sure the prisoner does not escape, and does not have the opportunity to do so.

I do not believe that convicted felons have rights. Once you are convicted, all rights are suspended. You had your trial, do your time.

I do not believe they should have contact with other inmates at all. There should be no relationships of any kind between inmates. There should be no "gangs" or "groups" - only numbers.

Once you remove the "everyday life" from their everyday lives, they learn to behave like civilized people in a civilized society. Once you teach them that prison sucks, they work harder to avoid returning.

I don't believe in Life sentences - death, yes, but wasting tax dollars to keep Charles Manson alive is pure stupidity. Kill the moron and free up a bed for some other idiot.

Cops get the short end of the stick. They are not respected, they are either feared or hated, and while most of it is pure hype spread by the weakminded, a lot of it is because the "wrong people" end up as Cops - the high school bullies, the ones that confuse POWER with AUTHORITY, and abuse it.

Those are the ones who give good Cops a bad name, and are just as much to blame for what's wrong with "the system" as any shyster lawyer who only cares about winning the case rather than the truth, or a carjacking gangbanger who would rather take what you've worked for than work for it themselves.

All 3 should share the same fate: 3 bullets to the back of the head in a public execution.

But anyway, that's my 2 cents

Be a cop. Be a lawyer. Be good ones.




Or else......

[horns666]

wow Newc..very well said..I am with you on every word..unfortunately that is FAR from the world we live in..

BTW my piece of crap brother just went to jail for the fourth time.."hard time" and everytime he comes out he comes out worse..he's giving my dad a hard way to go, and my dad did nothing but try to help his ingrateful ass.. when I see that cocksucker I'm going to put a hurtin' on him once in for all..after he get's out the hospital ..he's going back to jail..his days are numbered..my whole family knows it and so does he.!!!

I'm done with this fuck..all because of our justice system..it's a joke to him..jail is a fuggin' picnic with him..I swear I think the asshole enjoys it there..so that's where I'm going to send his lying, cheating, coke selling ass once in for all..and I can't count how many times I bailed him out of shit..that's over!!

He's my bro and that's unfortunate..but human pollution exists..and they're someones father, son, brother and so on..he's got two kids he brought in this world and denied both..his 17 year old daughter ask for a prom dress but he rather shove that money up his nose..I gotta trademark with noses..I break 'em and mash them until it sets like a potato..let him suck elvis up his fuggin' potato..

when I think of him I go into the red man!!

People are complaining Saddam's execution, are they fuggin' stupid..I thought that was awesome..we should do that...boom..done..next..instead we keep Charles fuggin' Manson in jail for 40 fuggin' years spending valuable tax dollars on a turd like that..that's alot of money for one turd!!

There, that's my .02..a cost of a 22. cal bullet right behind the ear..

[Shotgun]

I had the honor of working with an officer turned lawyer for a couple of years, several years ago. One of the best people I've ever known.

And in that same city (Shreveport) I used to go on night ride alongs with a buddy of mine who had probably 10 years at the time. You could still do it back then if you asked and signed a form - didn't need any other reason. Those ride alongs changed me forever, for the better. I think everbody should be required to do it.

I live in a county with a well funded department, and a friend of mine is a 'new' deputy (less than five years). He's out in the migrant farm worker town, where drunk fistfights are common but not much worse. I'll ask him for his two cents worth...

Keith

[horns666]

I took my dad for a ride along ..he had a blast!!

I made sure we had "fun" that night and we sure did!!