Being a Police Officer?

[jlee]

You'll make a shitload more money as an RN.

That said, I still wouldn't trade jobs.

 

[Kirby]

Donuts FTW!

 

[ichy]

Do a ride-along with the agency that you're planning on applying to. It can be a pretty interesting experience.

 

[Monster_Munch]

they wouldnt let you have a gun though.

the motto of british police: "Stop, or i will tell you to stop again!"

 

[IceBergSLiM]

putting citizens in jail is the one thing this country still does better than anyone. We could always use more man power.

 

[Texashiker]

Being a Police Officer?

My brother is a deputy sheriff, its nothing I would want to do. He sees everything from dead children in car wrecks, to people strung out on drugs.

A couple of months ago there was a car wreck my brother was called out on. The wreck involved a car that had rolled on its side and skidded a couple of hundred feet.

When the police showed up, the guy in the drivers seat had half is head rubbed off by the road. The window was down, and the guys head was dragging on the asphalt as the car skidded down tthe road. The thing was, the driver was so high on something he did not know what was going on, and was in no pain.

I dont know if the driver lived.

During Hurricane Ike there was a guy who was trying to get back to his house, when his truck was overcome by flood waters. The guy called 911 to see if he could get some help, but nobody could get to him. The 911 dispatcher finally told the guy to hang up and call his wife. The search and rescue found the guys body 2 weeks later. My brother said it was emotionally draining to hear this guy in a panic, knowing he was going to die, and there was nothing anyone could do.

Then there are the dead kids in car wrecks because the parents were too lazy to put the child in a car seat. The car hits something, the child goes through the windshield and across the road.

You need to ask yourself if you can deal with stuff like that.

 

[brianmanahan]

i think they only let her have a gun

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_use_of_firearms_in_the_United_Kingdom

 

[Svnla]

OP, here is the list of the requirements for Police Officer in Plano, TX (north of Dallas).

http://plano.gov/Departments/Police/Employment/Pages/app_requirements.aspx

The pay (52K to start out as recruit and 56K as officier) and benefits are not bad = http://plano.gov/Departments/Police/Employment/Pages/benefits_salaries.aspx

Edit: Don't forget about the fitness requirements = http://plano.gov/Departments/Police/Employment/Pages/fitness.aspx

 

[DigitalCancer]

I understand that it won't be easy...and yes, I do need to cut into my diet just a bit (although not overweight, I'm not in great shape right now) which I've already started doing (eating better/situps/pushups every morning, etc). I'm going to start running soon so that I can manage that 2mile run w/in 16mins.

The reason I'm not looking at the RN any longer is that the new 'networking system' that has come into play...they're pretty much getting rid of RN's and they'll do a CNA job almost and get paid slightly more than a CNA. If I considered this still, it would take me 6yrs and I would go to a Nurse Anathesis...^_^

 

[DigitalCancer]

OP, here is the list of the requirements for Police Officer in Plano, TX (north of Dallas).

http://plano.gov/Departments/Police/Employment/Pages/app_requirements.aspx

The pay (52K to start out as recruit and 56K as officier) and benefits are not bad = http://plano.gov/Departments/Police/Employment/Pages/benefits_salaries.aspx

Edit: Don't forget about the fitness requirements = http://plano.gov/Departments/Police/Employment/Pages/fitness.aspx

Looks like I wouldn't be able to do this...

What are the educational requirements to be a recruit police officer with the City of Plano?

Applicants must have a Bachelors Degree from an accredited college or university by hire date.

 

[UncleWai]

My brother is a deputy sheriff, its nothing I would want to do. He sees everything from dead children in car wrecks, to people strung out on drugs.

A couple of months ago there was a car wreck my brother was called out on. The wreck involved a car that had rolled on its side and skidded a couple of hundred feet.

When the police showed up, the guy in the drivers seat had half is head rubbed off by the road. The window was down, and the guys head was dragging on the asphalt as the car skidded down tthe road. The thing was, the driver was so high on something he did not know what was going on, and was in no pain.

I dont know if the driver lived.

During Hurricane Ike there was a guy who was trying to get back to his house, when his truck was overcome by flood waters. The guy called 911 to see if he could get some help, but nobody could get to him. The 911 dispatcher finally told the guy to hang up and call his wife. The search and rescue found the guys body 2 weeks later. My brother said it was emotionally draining to hear this guy in a panic, knowing he was going to die, and there was nothing anyone could do.

Then there are the dead kids in car wrecks because the parents were too lazy to put the child in a car seat. The car hits something, the child goes through the windshield and across the road.

You need to ask yourself if you can deal with stuff like that.

Yes it's a morbid job. I am a popo in Hong Kong. I went to a scene where this 60 year old had been rotting for 2 weeks inside a 15 sq ft room at 30+ celcius. The room was literally just large enough for a bunk bed. He had his crotch facing the door. When I walked in, first thing I saw are maggots crawling around his thigh and flies popping out.

Lucky the internet had desensitized me when I was young.

 

[Svnla]

Looks like I wouldn't be able to do this...

What are the educational requirements to be a recruit police officer with the City of Plano?

Applicants must have a Bachelors Degree from an accredited college or university by hire date.

You don't have to have a college degree because it also says " Applicants possessing at least three (3) years active duty prior military service or two (2) years full time, sworn law enforcement experience (paid) shall have, in lieu of a baccalaureate degree, a minimum of sixty (60) semester hours credit from a college or university accredited.." But it surely helps.


Other Police Departments such as Dallas won't require a college degree but the pay and benefits are not as good as Plano.

Here are the requirements to become a Dallas City Deputy Marshal (no college degree required) ".....Two (2) years full-time paid experience in a law/code enforcement position in which primary responsibilities included performing enforcement or investigative support in the resolution of crime and/or the prosecution of subjects or as a corrections/detention officer in a municipal, state or federal facility. Must have a BASIC Peace Officer Certificate from Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE). Requires physical abilities for running, subduing, and restraining prisoners. Valid driver’s license, good driving record and basic PC skills required. Subject to intensive background check including psychological and drug screening. Required to work various shifts including nights, weekends and holidays. High School or GED.

Bachelor’s or associate’s degree in criminal justice, public/business administration or social science fields will substitute for one (1) year of the required experience"

I just want you to see a snap shot of typical requirements to become a cop.

 

[Lithium381]

Don't study too hard.

if you're a minority i wouldn't bother studying or anything, you're pretty much guaranteed a job

 

[boomhower]

The application process is long, tedious, and frustrating. In this day and age your background needs to be squeeky clean and you really need at least a two year degree. There are a lot of good cops with experience getting layed off that you will be competing with. Plus there are a lot of new applicants. Anytime the economy tanks a lot of people start applying for govt jobs and law enforcement is always popular. Anything they can use to eliminate you will.

There typically isn't an intelligence test but a civil service test. Unless your a real dope you'll be fine on it. The fitness tests are typically rather easy for most municipal and county agencies. State Police and State Troopers are usually much more difficult.

Assuming you get hired be prepared for crappy shifts, missing birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and many other important events in your life. You'll be paid like crap in most areas. It's a thankless job, just look at a lot of the threads around here. You have to be motivated and want to do the job for what it is. But those days that you know you made someones life better or put someone away that really needs it makes up for everything.

If you make a career out of it you will retire with a beat up body, your back and knees will be shot.

I strongly encourage you to go back to all the agencies you got applications from and inquire about doing ride alongs to get a better feel for what daily life is really like. Try to get them during night shifts if you can.

I love my job and wouldn't trade it for anything but you need to know what your getting into.

 

[Nebor]

You're not going to get hired on as a Plano police officer. It's a department of transfers from other departments. It's one of the highest paying, lowest risk law enforcement jobs in the country, in the wealthiest city (pop over 100k) in America. The only civilians they hire come in through the intern program, and even then only ~30% get picked up.

 

[L00ker]

computer job will pay more than police job 9 times out of 10. and most likely no one will shoot at you. i say stick with computers.

I'm with this guy. I can tell you first hand, tech support will pay WAY better than any job with a badge and a gun. It's not unheard of for well qualified tech support engineers to make upwards of 125-150k you ain't going to be clockin' that look writing speeding tickets buckwheat

 

[El Guaraguao]

For the most part, I believe that people who apply for law enforcement, dont do it for the pay.

 

[Nebor]

I'll just leave this here... Doesn't include OT or off duty work, btw. Just base salary.

 

[DigitalCancer]

I'll just leave this here... Doesn't include OT or off duty work, btw. Just base salary.

Unfortunately...that's kind of my issue right now, I have the opportunity to move to Texas, but not the means. ^_^

That's what I'd like to be banking though starting out. ^_^

I'll be starting this in Indiana...I've gotten 3 applications for the most part filled out right now. It's asking about any traffic violations in the past...should I mention that I've had 3 speeding tickets? Only (1) I paid...the others I went to 'driving school' for to keep them off my record so, I assume they don't know about those? The one that I did get was in Illinois (on the interstate) where a cop tagged me from a bridge in a speed trap (55 on the interstate...really??) and I was doing 68 when he tagged me.

I've looked into all of the physical stuff and I can do most of it, I just need to work on my situps/pushups a little more (I can do about 20 right now and I need to be able to do 25 at least). I can run the 1.5mi in 14mins pretty decently.

I don't plan on applying right this second b/c I still don't know where my job is going right now, as I said, they want to move me to Texas but I can't due to not having enough funds to support my wife and I comfortably (assuming she doesn't get a job before we are scheduled to move). I refuse to put us in any worse of a situation than we already are and she has a steady job making decent money here and our rent is cheaper b/c her sis is room-mating with us.

 

[jlee]

I'll just leave this here... Doesn't include OT or off duty work, btw. Just base salary.

Damn.

The internet says cost of living there is 28% less than where I work, and their pay is WAY higher.

I'll be starting this in Indiana...I've gotten 3 applications for the most part filled out right now. It's asking about any traffic violations in the past...should I mention that I've had 3 speeding tickets? Only (1) I paid...the others I went to 'driving school' for to keep them off my record so, I assume they don't know about those? The one that I did get was in Illinois (on the interstate) where a cop tagged me from a bridge in a speed trap (55 on the interstate...really??) and I was doing 68 when he tagged me.

Any good department will demand 100% honesty from you - anything less is going to compromise your own integrity (and get you booted from the hiring process).

People fail for stupid reasons - if you smoked pot once when you were 17, don't lie and say you didn't. They don't care if you smoked pot once ten years ago. They do care if you lie about it.

Honesty is crucial in this line of work. You're not only representing yourself, but when you're hired you'll be representing thousands of fellow officers. Please don't let us down.

 

[edro]

I think it would suck being a cop.
You have to deal with the scum of the earth everyday.
They have nothing to lose, have disease, can hurt you, etc.
Then when you are deal with a regular citizen, you are labeled a prick.

 

[Beev]

I thought about being a cop, but I don't think I have the personality for it. In order to advance its all about who you know, and I'm not a very social person.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I am going to go on a ride along ... been trying to for years, but they keep putting me aside.

Just bought a car from a cop, he said he'll get me right in

I'd love to do field work for ICE/Homeland, but no military background is screwing me ... I also don't know how to find local jobs to MN.

 

[DigitalCancer]

I am going to go on a ride along ... been trying to for years, but they keep putting me aside.

Just bought a car from a cop, he said he'll get me right in

I'd love to do field work for ICE/Homeland, but no military background is screwing me ... I also don't know how to find local jobs to MN.

Yea, I'm going to try and do a ride-along as well...do I need to try this before or after I actually put in my app?

I also have no military background but I have a decent history (no arrests/felonies/etc). I do have a bankruptcy on me and so-so credit right now, that won't affect me in landing a job will it?

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Damn.

The internet says cost of living there is 28% less than where I work, and their pay is WAY higher.

Time to ask for a raise... you are worth it