I want to get into Law Enforcement...

[A10]

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.

 

[27145]

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.

 

[oldman45]

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.

 

[Palmetto Sharpshooter]

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.

 

[blujax01]

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

 

[Grog]

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.

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.

 

[Grog]

LE is NOT a second job.

blah blah blah blah

Good officers are dedicated, hard working guys that enjoy their work and would never look at LE as a second job.

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.

 

[GatorFarmer]

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.

 

[oldman45]

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.

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.

 

[george minze]

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 ...rules might have changed, but the job is still "To Serve and Protect"

 

[Grog]

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

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

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

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

 

[Protected]

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.

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...

 

[Protected]

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.

 

[CelticSire]

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.

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.

 

[G-Mac]

...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.

 

[Steve in Vermont]

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.

 

[Rock185]

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...

 

[pete950]

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

 

[pete950]

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

 

[Armyphotog]

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.

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