Thanking About Enrolling in Police Academy

[Ghost Magnum]

I'm planning my next steps in my career. I dicided to enroll in the local police academy. Most if not all the local police departments require applicants to have a peace officers license. None of the local departments train in house. Enrollments for full time classes start after January 15. I'm already getting back in shape. We are finally fully staffed at my security job. I have allot more time to my self.

Here the thing. It's 2500+ dollars. And I'm currently supporting my parents. I bought a truck that turns out needs work.
I have plenty of time to get the money needed. But I don't have to much job experience to put on a application.
Part time night classes start next summer. Thank I should wait until then?
Going to try to keep my current job while in the academy.

 

[H Richard]

The longer you wait the greater the chance something else will come up and it may never happen. "Strike while the iron is hot", (not my quote).

 

[Ghost Magnum]

The longer you wait the greater the chance something else will come up and it may never happen. "Strike while the iron is hot", (not my quote).

That's what was going through my mind. I always had plans. I was going to wait but one night while patrolling outside the plant ENROLL NOW went through my head.

 

[Ghost Magnum]

A buddy of mine congratulated from the academy I plan to enroll in earlier this year and is already a reserved deputy sheriff.
He told me quit a bit of it. I have to supply everything for the academy, including the holster and magazine pouches for Glock 19.
The academy supplies the Glock and ammo and that's about it.

 

[JayFramer]

Mister you're a better man than I.

If you have to end up using your service weapon even on the RIGHT individual, the media WILL vilify you. I don't even know how police departments are getting ANY recruits with how our justice system and much of the American public treats those that must discharge their firearm in the gravest extreme.

 

[les.b]

Sounds like you have a plan. If this is your dream, then go for it. I ended up in Law Enfrocement almost by accident. I had spent 4 years in the Navy, enrolled in college when I got out, finished my baccalaureate degree, went on to grad school. When I left grad school, I was unsure what I wanted to do, but needed a job!! Saw an ad in the paper that the police were hiring, took the test, got hired, and found out that I loved the job. In our state, you can only go to the academy if you have been hired by a department, and they pay your tuition. So a little different.

Anyway, I began teaching part time at a local college while I was a police officer, and that ultimately turned into a full time teaching job when I retired from police work. (I am still teaching full time...)

But none of this would have happened if I had not taken that first step!!

I say go for it! And good luck...

Best Regards, Les

 

[snuffy51]

I sure hope all your plans work for you. I was lucky, my Dad sent my brother and I to two of the best schools in the country. My brother went to Penn State, and I went to the State Penn.

 

[Ghost Magnum]

Mister you're a better man than I.

If you have to end up using your service weapon even on the RIGHT individual, the media WILL vilify you. I don't even know how police departments are getting ANY recruits with how our justice system and much of the American public treats those that must discharge their firearm in the gravest extreme.

Yeah, I know. But that's something that may not even happen. But that could even happen to me even if I am not a cop.

 

[Ghost Magnum]

Sounds like you have a plan. If this is your dream, then go for it. I ended up in Law Enfrocement almost by accident. I had spent 4 years in the Navy, enrolled in college when I got out, finished my baccalaureate degree, went on to grad school. When I left grad school, I was unsure what I wanted to do, but needed a job!! Saw an ad in the paper that the police were hiring, took the test, got hired, and found out that I loved the job. In our state, you can only go to the academy if you have been hired by a department, and they pay your tuition. So a little different.

Anyway, I began teaching part time at a local college while I was a police officer, and that ultimately turned into a full time teaching job when I retired from police work. (I am still teaching full time...)

But none of this would have happened if I had not taken that first step!!

I say go for it! And good luck...

Best Regards, Les

That's awesome. Some of y'all would probably remember my plans to finish college and try to get into the marshal service. But my time at Walmart I met allot of people 23 to 30 that finished college and can't get a job and or have dept they have no hope of paying off EVER. I cringe a little when I hear a 18 say they just been accepted for government student loan.

 

[DeathGrip]

I think you're crazy to want to be a cop. Crazy cool. So if that's what you want to do I say go for it.

Life has a way of going by quicker than we want. One of my regrets is not going further with my education in aviation. Sadly I had to work to get by and let that get away. Always an excuse.

I did take a lot of classes at night for auto repair/auto body and did alright in the trade until I got sick of it and stumbled into water treatment. I never took a class for that but somehow made pretty good money, I grew up with it. I still play around with it but my health has gone south due to working to hard. My back is shot out north to south.

 

[Faulkner]

I've been a deputy sheriff for 23 years so maybe I can provide a little insight.

Law enforcement was my second career, I worked through college and graduated with a degree in electronics. Got a full time job and went back to night school and earned my degree in organizational management. I moved up in the industry I was working in and made some good money and invested wisely.

When I was 34 years old the newly elected sheriff reached out to me and convinced me I needed to be on his team although I had no law enforcement experience. I decided that's what I wanted to do so took a huge cut in pay, went to the academy, and became a rookie deputy sheriff in the patrol division. My education and previous business experience has served me well in law enforcement and I have enjoyed most of it.

To me, 23 years has been like a blink of an eye, but law enforcement has changed significantly in that amount of time. I would never discourage someone who truly has the desire to enter into law enforcement, but I would recommend they not do so blindly. Due to changes in the family structure in our country the moral turpitude of so many people has dropped. There are too many politicians who encourage the thought that law enforcement is the enemy of the people they serve. And to me, the unchecked irresponsibility of both local and national media has made it a very, very dangerous world for law enforcement officers today.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I no longer recommend law enforcement as a career . . .

 

[JayFramer]

I no longer recommend law enforcement as a career . . .

+1 Muss Muggins

 

[les.b]

That's awesome. Some of y'all would probably remember my plans to finish college and try to get into the marshal service. But my time at Walmart I met allot of people 23 to 30 that finished college and can't get a job and or have dept they have no hope of paying off EVER. I cringe a little when I hear a 18 say they just been accepted for government student loan.

Good points...one way to look at entering the police academy is that $2,500 is much less than you would spend on tuition, at many schools at least, in just one semester!! And with potentially a higher probability of obtaining a job.

I spend a good deal of time advising students, and everyone's situation is unique, but most share some similarities.

Edit.... I just read Faulkner, and Muss Muggins and JayFramer's admonitions, and I understand where they are coming from ,and respect their wisdom...but there is still work to be done out there. Where will society be without dedicated and honest law enforcement professionals??

Beat Regards, Les

 

[carpriver]

If you are determined to be a police officer go for it. Where there is a will you will find the way to afford it. I don't know how long you have work in the security field but that is experience. I was 38 years old when I went back to collage. I was married and just had my income cut in half. I had 2 sons, I had to get a part time job that would allow me attend classes. I stuck with it, completed my degrees and landed a job working to mental health and substance abuse. If your mind is set up it do it.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Houston Police Department is always hiring and looking for folks. Then there is New Orleans Police Department with the FBI as your internal affairs division.

 

[soFlaNative]

Good Luck with whatever you decide.
Just a thought, there are ways to "protect and serve" other than law enforcement.
I'll skip the obvious and suggest utilities.
Decent pay, training and certification costs reasonable and about 60% of water and wastewater operators will be eligible to retire in the next 5 - 10 years. Hardest part is the 2,080 hrs. work experience before qualifying for the license.
Besides, ask yourself this. What do average folk need more often, police involvement or fresh water?

 

[Vbk76]

It is still an honorable job

It was a good job

 

[WardenRoss]

I tend to agree with Muss here.

The pay is ridiculous for what you may face.

Thirty some years ago, I loved it. But we all worked a second job back then, because of the low pay. Didn't really matter because we loved the brotherhood.

The hardest things on me was the lawsuits and the fact that if something goes wrong, the lowest on the totem pole takes the hit. I was in Federal court for almost a year on one suit. The Federal judges show no sympathy toward LEO's.

Also, remember you are getting into a profession where you are paid to physically stop someone. There are many out there who will jump at the chance to whip your arse. They grew up fighting and they fight dirty. All they know is fighting. You're probably the amature. You have to have sand.

You will work weekends, holidays and shift work. I worked graveyard four and a half years straight. It didn't bother me personally except I never saw my kids during the important years.

I got clobbered in the left shoulder with a steel bar. I had to have neck reconstruction and it broke my collarbone and completely tore my rotator and tore loose both bicep tendons. I was laid up for 2 years (2 major surgeries) and couldn't get a release to return to duty. I finally did, but it was a journey.

I fell off an 18 foot wall and did a lot of damage to my left knee. I was "Chuck Norris" kicked in the face once so hard I went blind temporarily. It's hard to fight blind. I'm lucky I got out of that scrap.

My best friend lost all his top front teeth when a drunk suckerpunched him over nothing. The drunks aren't as bad as the meth heads.

I loved it and I was good at it. I believe it's a calling. Don't touch it with a ten-foot pole if you don't have the calling.

Thirty years ago people respected the uniform. It ain't like that now.

I'm rambling here. Just thinking back. I mentioned the bad stuff but the majority of the time, your attitude and how you approach people can take you far. I did way more talking than fighting. Whatever it took to keep it a non-incident was my goal 'cause I hated the paperwork.

Pray about it and let us know what you decide.

 

[Protocall_Design]

I saw all the Police Academy movies. It looks like a really fun and exciting job!