so after many weeks of thinking about this, and thinking it would just be a phase, i have decided that i really want to get into some form of law enforcement. i must add that i have a full-time job now that i do not plan to give up. any info or hurdles i might face id be glad to hear about. Thanks.

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.38 Chiefs Special Model 36-1

Do you have a college degree or credits? A degree always helps. Doesn't have to be in criminal justice either.

See if some of the local agencies have a reserve officer program.

You can find out if you really want to get into LE without giving up an existing job.

You won't be able to keep your job and be a good LEO too.

Lots of report writing so you'll have to learn to use capital letters. As part of the command staff one of the first things I look at is the candidates writing and vocabulary skills.

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- Change it back -

im generally lazy on the internet with my grammar lol. However, i do have an associate degree. I was also planning on taking the BLET course at my local community college.

as for giving up my current job, no way! i am an employee of the federal government and love my job. The job also pays well and has excellent benefits. i know my grandfather was an LEO as a 2nd job. i plan to also talk to him about it before i do anything.

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.38 Chiefs Special Model 36-1

Hmmm...let's see now...

you work for the Federal government...

you love your job...

it pays well and has excellent benefits...

no way you would give it up...

but you want a change?

Ummm...OK...I guess.

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'Merica!

Do you like donuts?

Our sheriff does not allow officers to eat donuts while in uniform. Has it as a written policy.

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- Change it back -

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Fidelis Ad Mortem

Join the Reserve's. I am a Reserve officer and can get all of the law enforcement I want. I have my own car which I keep at the house. Last year the Sheriff bought the Reserve's 6 new cars, 4 Crown Vics and 2 Tahoo's. We have 12 cars just for the Reserve's. We have a Mounted unit and Marine patrol.One of our Reserve Officer even has a dog. We do everything from High School ball games,Mardi Gra Parades,Road Patrol, Funreal Escort and Security.



Once you become road certified you can go out anytime you want night or day. If you want to ride wih the regulars as a 10-31 the realley appreciate you going with them.

look at officer.com forum.

Made up mostly of LEO's.

They even have specific areas for people who want to become one.

Good luck

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Gerry

Check out a reserve program if you want something different. I'm a fed and I'd never give it up. Think about transferring to a fed law enforcement agency. You'll be able to keep your grade and time in service toward retirement.

this is something i hadnt thought of.

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.38 Chiefs Special Model 36-1

This always kills me. You can have a degree in "worm farming" and have no common sense but you can get a law enforcement job before a highschool grad with common sense.

i didnt say i wanted a change... i said i wanted to get into law enforcement. in my case it would have to be part time.

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.38 Chiefs Special Model 36-1

You better make sure you know what you are letting yourself in for, is all I can say. It may not be what you think it is. Do you not have a relative or someone you can trust that has been in law enforcement to discuss it with?

Sorry. I misunderstood. Good luck in your search.

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'Merica!

yes i do, my grandfather is a retired LEO and i have 2 good friends who are in LE that i talk to all the time.. i am aware of the up and downs as much as one can understand without actually doing it. for me its about like any job, theres gonna be things you like, and theres gonna be things you hate. its just this job comes with more risk.

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.38 Chiefs Special Model 36-1

Related to the reserve programs...

Most jurisdictions have gone to a POST level 1 requirement even for reserve programs. You would have to go through everything a normal LEO would, and if you wanted to convert to full time, you would be required to do it all again.

Look long and hard before going reserve.

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Gerry

Maybe it is me, but being a reserve Po is kind of a scab. The municipality won't have to hire a cop if they have enough "reserve" officer's. In NYC we had unarmed Auxilliary APO's. Most of them looked like they were dropped off by the short bus.

Police work is a calling and a devotion, you don't do it part time. Sorry if I have offended anyone, but it is my opinion.

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Fidelis Ad Mortem

27145, you are welcome to your opinion, but understand that there are lots of areas in the country whose LE needs outweigh their ability to hire officers, especially for public events. The reserves fill a necessary void.

A10 I trust your judgement. I have learned so much about this Country just from reading posts on this forum. You get used to one way of life and just figure it applies every where. I just hope a reserve doesn't deny a good caring gung ho cop a job. In NYC they held down our salaries so they could hire more cops, at one point there were 41,000 cops on NYPD.

I will take your post as a learning lesson.

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Fidelis Ad Mortem

No offense meant personally but you need to forget a LE job.

You may want the excitement (actually hrs of boredom coupled with fifteen minutes of action) or the ladies that love men in uniform (uniforms do not help some) or whatever the reason. But the fact is you are not serious and by having a place is LE, you will be taking the place that would be held by someone that needs a job and willing to work at a lower paying job.

LE is NOT a second job. If it is, you are not taking it seriously. Many officers hold a second job because they want to be able to pay their bills, send kids to college or simply live in a nicer place. LE is THEIR job, their life and their ambition since childhood. Many have MBA degrees. I know two that went to law school while being patrol officers and remained with the dept until they retired and then began practicing law. Good officers are dedicated, hard working guys that enjoy their work and would never look at LE as a second job.

As another said, go get a gig with a dept that has a reserve group. If your local dept does not have such, then talk with the Chief about starting one.

Hopefully, this is just a passing fancy for you. If you are happy in your present position, don't do it. Besides...your present employer may not allow such "moonlighting" jobs. Many government entities don't allow working for other government entities.

And, "No man can serve two masters" Matthew 6:24. I have found this verse to be very true about a great many things in addition to the subject He is speaking of.

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N.R.A. BENEFACTOR Member

Seems to me that if a young person has an interest in any career development, that person should be encouraged to pursue it.

Go for it. At the very least, you will learn a lot about how the system works and you may find a place as a volunteer, a part time reserve, private security, or even decide you want to go for it full-bore. This could be the beginning of a major life change. Or not. Who knows?

But if you do nothing and always wonder if you missed an opportunity, you WILL regret it!

Or you could sit around listening to a bunch of old farts telling you how it "should" be.

IMO, we need more "Good Guys" out there.

Vaya Con Dios

You have to pass the same tests, it's not like they shove you into the street with new gear and a pat on the back.


Besides, a four year degree now is about the same as a high school diploma of 20-30 years ago.

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I miss my 4546 the most.

I call B.S. That's like saying all 1911 jam and all Glocks are black.


I've known a few P/T guys who had really good jobs that allowed them to do LE work on their own terms, without worrying about money and having to work two jobs.

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I miss my 4546 the most.

There's a ready solution to be had. Join the National Guard or Army Reserve and see about an opening for MPs. You'll likely deploy a lot, but your job should be there waiting for you when you get back. (The Navy Reserve also has something along those lines with the Master at Arms program.) You'll get your student loans - if any - paid for and get some money towards a 4 year degree.

I actually sort of wish I did have a degree in worm farming. It'd have been more useful than one in Bus. Admin... but I digress...

Oh, and whatever the recruiter says, it will be an eight year thing. The last two are in the IRR and people have been called up from that regularly during the current set of wars.

Actually not. A part time LEO will most likely be a reserve officer or be on a small time department.

As I understood the OP, he is wanting a full time job with a LEA so he would be working two full time jobs.

Another poster correctly made a good point by saying that having two jobs will not make an effective officer.

LEO is a lifetime career and not for personal entertainment. While there is a lot of satisfaction in LE, it requires dedication and hard work to get satisfaction.

Stay where you are !! Law Enforcement is more a life style than a job...addictive to say the least......As someone stated law enforcement is hours of mundane, preventive enforcement. Not to mention "regulation of non-criminal behavior" (Traffic) Interrupted by short term adrenalin overloads..Depending where you work the time goes by fast. You find yourself not ready to go home addicted to the unusual, and the human tragedy called life. I picked it, I loved it, until I progressed into specialized law enforcement...I found out what I really loved was the streets...I had a interesting career, but none of it was as satisfying as being a street cop with all the pluses and minuses. You might think it is part time, but get hooked and you find yourself justifying your choice of giving up your good paying and relativity safe job,to put on the badge full time. Before you make a decision go to "Officer Down" web site......good luck what ever you do...My comment isn't meant to be critical. Just realistic...face it I came from the old days, maybe things have changed....I doubt it ..****les might have changed, but the job is still "To Serve and Protect"

The OP did not say he wanted to join a large department, and a reserve officer is still a cop when he's bleeding






You must have see more into his words than I have. The OP posted nothing about wanting to work full time in LE.

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I miss my 4546 the most.

i agree with this to some extent... thats why i have been pondering on this for weeks, its something that i never really thought of getting into until my buddy mentioned it to me, ever since i cant stop thinking about it...

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.38 Chiefs Special Model 36-1

i live in a very rural area. i originally wanted to join the highway patrol, but it would be much more demanding than i can handle with my current job.

i am not seeking full time LEO work, nor with a big city department. what i had envisioned, and it may be a dream which is why i posted to get some feedback, was to maybe do about 3 nights a week with county sherriff's office. i know it will be more long, boring hours than action and adventure, i know its not all guns blazing and TV-like... what i am after is not excitement and authority or a "status" i'm after the satisfaction of serving and doing something good.

my original calling was the military but there are reasons i am ineligible that will not prevent me from serving as an LEO. i figure that being in LE will be the next best thing to serving in the military.

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.38 Chiefs Special Model 36-1

No offense taken here because I understand where that opinion comes from. But it depends on where you work. I pulled a reserve gig for about 5 years in a VERY small Texas town in addition to my full-time position with the County. The Chief was a good friend of mine, and he simply did not have the budget to hire full-time officers. So, I worked as a reserve with him as needed, it helped him out because then he wasn't on call 365 days a year, and I got to get some street time in which was a welcome break from my current desk job. The added bonus was that it kept my street skills sharper than what they would have been riding a desk. But, yeah, having worked with some of NYPD's Auxillary Officers, I have to agree. Some of them were NOT the sharpest knife in the drawer.

If you made the above statement about LE being the "next best thing" to the military during an interview, I'm thinking that your chances of being hired would be slim to none.

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'Merica!

Whether a person is working full or part-time isn't the most important aspect to consider. It's the seriousness of one's attitude towards the job. Do they have the desire to learn? To keep all the necessary skills updated? Being a LEO doesn't end when you go home, or to a second job. It's a way of life, a "calling" if you will. It calls for a certain attitude towards life, a responsibility towards your behavior and a responsibility to the service of others, 24/7. As someone once said, the world is full of sheep but in there walk a few good shepards ready to defend them. Full-time or pt you're assuming a serious responsibility in that role.

Hello Protected, sounds like being a reserve might be the way to go since you want to just do it part time. In my part of the country it takes the best part of a year, doing some nights and most weekends to become certified, unless a dept. has already hired you and is sending you to the academy full time. Then, if you graduate, the FTO process starts, if you have been accepted conditionally by an agency as a reserve. The FTO process takes months, at least, if you're trying to do it part time. It could easily be a year and a half to two years before you go 10-8 for the first time on your own. All the reserves I have met and/or worked with were full authority police officers. We also have civilian volunteers,who are trained to assist us in the offfice and out on the street in various ways. They are not armed, do not dress in police uniforms and do not take police action. Most of the volunteers are retired folks, many of whom were quite accomplished and successful during their working life. I always appreciated and respected both civilian volunteers and reserve officers. One long-time reserve I ocassionally worked with at a larger dept. was a stockbroker, with a seat on the NYSE. I asked, and he told me, that he'd like to be a cop full time, but couldn't afford it. I guess I didn't realize that some full time officers consider reserves to be scabs. I guess it's a cultural thing. I never heard them referred to that way here in the Southwest. After spending most of my adult life in LE, since 1973, I retired last year. I remained as a reserve, so I guess in some people's minds, I am now a scab. My views closely align with Steve in Vermont on this issue...

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NRA Life, COTEP 640

I'm full time for 28 years, I know a lot of guys that are part-time and the one's I know are just as good as the full-timers and some are even better.
I don't care if your full-time, part-time, Aux or reserve when I'm calling for help I don't care who shows up as long as it's not more bad guys.

I encourge you to give it a try. Just learn as much as you can and pick some place that will send you to a school.

make sure this is not somthing just to have a button in your pocket.

If you need to ask questions feel free to PM me.

Good Luck with you quest.

Pete

Moondawg does have a very good point!!!
I have to agree with him.

They weren't well received where I was a policeman, either, but for very different reasons.

"Quote:
Originally Posted by Protected
...i figure that being in LE will be the next best thing to serving in the military.

If you made the above statement about LE being the "next best thing" to the military during an interview, I'm thinking that your chances of being hired would be slim to none."

I was on track to a regular commission in the Marine Corps when I had to get out, due to some medical problems. My college major at the time was history. Since I didn't see much of a career with that, I changed to criminal justice, with the reasoning, "Well, it's kinda like the military". Until that time, I hadn't considered LE at all. As a matter of fact, I can remember reading a Reader's Digest article on all of the police killings during the sixties and saying, "Tha's a job I DON'T want".

I started as a reserve deputy in the summer of 1976, earning college credit as an intern. Evidently I impressed the folks at the sheriff's department enough that they offered me a fulltime job a few months later.

I did 25 years in LE here in the States, followed by 2 years as an international police officer in Kosovo. Then came 3 years as a police advisor and training supervisor in Afghanaistan. I'm now working security on a Federal contract.

I knew reserve officers who were much more professional that the fulltimers. I knew a reserve officer who had the potential to be an excellent officer. He took the test and was about to be hired fulltime at my department. Then, his boss at his printing job offered him the same pay that I was getting and I had a 4 year degree (extra 10%) and 20 years on the job. Me, his wife, and most of the officers at the PD, told him to stay with the printer and just remain a reserve. Luckily, he did.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Quoted for truth......what will happen to your life if tragedy strikes....???

I can not speak for wanting or not wanting to be involved with LE but I can about seeking other employment while working for the Government.

State or Federal there are very specific rules as to outside employment that must be approved (if they are) before you can work outside your present job.

You need to find out through your employee handbook or personnel department what is, and what is not allowed.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Your lack of using capitalization makes for a very difficult read. If you're lazy here, you will be lazy on the job. Your laziness will catch up with you.
What do you think will happen when a Detective, doing your background investigation comes across this thread? You are competing with hundreds of other candidates. If I were doing your background, and saw this thread, well lets just say it would not be in your favor. I'm not trying to belitte you, just a heads up.
Good luck with your future.

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

ya how i type in my leisure time dictates my work ethic.... im really suprised by the wealth of negativity towards someone who is interested in what i thought was viewed as respectable job. and just for your info, the word detective isnt capitalized unless you are refering to a particular person as in "Detective Johnson" but i dont want to be too nit-picky, sir.

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.38 Chiefs Special Model 36-1

If I may ask, what is your degree?

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'Merica!

LE is not a second job. It's not something you can do for the hell of it. It literally takes your life over. Very early in the academy an instructor told us "don't make any plans for the next 20 years". And he was absolutely right. They can change your hours as the needs of the dept require. They can order you in on your days off. Depending on staffing, good luck trying to take a day off. You can't even guarantee you'll go home on time every day. The midnight is short, so they hold some 4x12 cops. Or some drunk idiot wrecks his car 5 minutes before you're supposed to sign out, there goes the next day (I mean literally up to 24 hours) of your life. These are things they don't put in the recruitment ads or TV shows.

I have a close friend who has a job he absolutely loves. He works as a stagehand for NBC. As of yet he is not in the union so his job there isn't secure. For a whole bunch of misguided reasons he decided to join the NYPD. Mainly because he wanted to be in a job with a secure pension and benefits, also because of pressure from his family. His dad is a firefighter and an absolute believer in the glory of civil service. This kid is completely miserable. I mean I get depressed when we run into each other at work. His heart is not in this, he has no love for the work. I know his Sergeant and I'm afraid to ask about him. He would probably tell me he's a mediocre officer on a great day. It's his second job. I may not love my department but I do love being a cop. I wish this kid would just resign already and go back to being the happy go lucky stage hand I knew a year ago.

If you have a good job you love leave well enough alone. If you are really itching to play cops and robbers look into a reserve program like many have already suggested. That sounds like the best thing for your situation.

Don't write your resume like this. Good spelling and composition will open doors, bad spelling and composition will close them.

...I have to agree with those who comment on your "presentation" here. As a retired "top cop", if I saw your improper spelling skills on a resume, etc., I'd pass over your application. I always wanted each person in my team to be the best representation of my department in the way they looked, acted, spoke and especially wrote reports or communications. The latter two are the meat and potatoes of law enforcement. You'll spend more time writing than you think. Reports are particularly important as you present a case in court. In my very early days, we had an officer on the department who wrote: "The man was claming for els." What he meant to convey was the man he encountered was "clamming for eels"...which is improper also. That officer became known as "Barney" and in my opinion, was an embarassment to the department. He was one of the main reasons I went on to management. I have always believed that the public deserves the best public service personnel possible, since they're paying for it and it's the "right thing" to do. Law enforcement is much more complicated than it was in my time, I don't know if you're qualified or capable, but good luck in your decision.

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Term limits!

It was naive of me to expect support? That statement really shocks me. What shocks me even more is the fact that after stating that in "The Lounge" my writing may not be to my top potential, i continue to get negative comments such as: "don't write your resume like this". I tend to think that posting on forums such as this is more like having a conversation than writing a detailed resume.

The intent of my original post was to see what other options were available aside from what i have talked about with the three law enforcement officers that i know.

I sincerely appreciate all of the info that has been given. Please don't read any disrespect into this post, it was written with only explanation in mind, not sarcasm.

My degree is in Automotive Systems Technology, a far cry from criminal justice, but it gave me the basic skills i need to properly write, read, apply for jobs, and further my education.

I am not trying to take anything away from a full-time law enforcement officer. I have nothing but praise for someone who puts themselves in potentially harmful situations on a daily basis for what i would consider in most places to be sub-par pay. My willingness and interest to be involved in a small part of that should only bring pride to those who are officers of the law because someone else thrives to serve, protect, and sacrifice as they are or were for many years.

I'm sorry to those of you who think that a part-time law enforcement officer is a scab, disgrace, or simply holding a position from someone else who could be longing for the same job. The truth of the matter is, i am one of those people who is dedicated to this and longs for the satisfaction of serving in this manner. In fact, one of the many reasons that i am not willing to give up my current "full-time" or "first" job is because it is also very rewarding, along with being what pays the bills and puts food on the table. I work closely with military members everyday around the country, and often overseas to help them accomplish whatever their mission may be. Seeing the results of what i do everyday first-hand as well as on the news is very rewarding. My desire to join law enforcement is more focused at seeing that same sort of reward on a more "close-to-home" or local level.

I have taken EVERYONE's advice sincerely, and will continue to research my options. I will continue to check back periodically to see if there is any new information. I will also continue to post my progress for those that are interested.

Thanks to all.

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.38 Chiefs Special Model 36-1