Police Academy Adventures

[gigag04]

I would say cast a wide net. Landing your first cop job is tricky enough, and landing a job with a great department is even harder. Just because you are out of the academy, agencies will not be lining up around the block to hire you. Passing the state exam is just one of many stringent requirements to wear the uniform of the top cop shops.

Next - Discounting a department because of a pursuit policy is absurd. If some Rambo cop blows a light chasing some speeding motorcycle and kills my family, heads would roll. It is worth noting that most departments with looser policies leave it in the sergeants' hands and they shut them down pretty quickly.

Lastly - the things that matter most when evaluating a cop job (to me) are as follows:

1. Ethics - are you working with honest, trustworthy individuals and leadership that expects honesty. My last job cultivated a culture of this behavior. Made it easy to trust up and down the chain. This is rare.

2. Schedule - I worked 12hr shifts. This is my favorite as every other weekend is a 3 day weekend. Can't beat that. Second choice is 10s, and lastly 8s. Also some agencies rotate days, nights, and evenings quarterly. I preferred being on nights and getting used to it.

3. Pay/Benefits - factor in off duty policy and how soon you can work extra jobs.

4. Civil service - this is a must for me. Not all

5. Take home policy/ gear issuance policy.

[texanjoker]

Filled out a 30 page app today. I had to admit to some things Im not proud of I did in my younger days. I was 100% honest and hope they look past my mistakes, God forgave me years ago and I pray it doesn't hold me back.

Keep a copy of this background before you submit it. As a background investigator I compare packets between various agencies one applies for looking for discrepancy.

Giggag has a lot of good pointers in his post as well. Many attend an academy and have a hard time getting hired. The key is to get hired and get experience. I am for the strict standards that help keep the bad apples we read about off the job. The busier the area the better IMO for a new rookie as that is how you learn. A street cop in Dallas will have way more knowledge in a year then a street cop in po dunk bohemia. That doesn't say both will not be good cops, just that the first will have more experience and encounters then the latter. Even different beats in a county can be entirely different. Others find their jobs with school districts that do a different type of policing. Keep an open mind when looking and only you know what is in your background. If you have items that may cause concern at a premier agency, better to look for a fit.

[mojo84]

1. Ethics - are you working with honest, trustworthy individuals and leadership that expects honesty. My last job cultivated a culture of this behavior. Made it easy to trust up and down the chain. This is rare.

Telling comment right there.

[WildBill]

Filled out a 30 page app today. I had to admit to some things Im not proud of I did in my younger days. I was 100% honest and hope they look past my mistakes, God forgave me years ago and I pray it doesn't hold me back.

Keep a copy of this background before you submit it. As a background investigator I compare packets between various agencies one applies for looking for discrepancy.

Very good advice.

[nightmare69]

I would say cast a wide net. Landing your first cop job is tricky enough, and landing a job with a great department is even harder. Just because you are out of the academy, agencies will not be lining up around the block to hire you. Passing the state exam is just one of many stringent requirements to wear the uniform of the top cop shops.

The county I applied with is looking for jailers but a perk that they do is if you come in already licensed as a peace officer they badge you in as a deputy so I can start getting the TCOLE hours and time under the badge. Even though I may be just a jailer making a jailers salary Ill at least be commissioned and working towards my intermediate certificate.

Next - Discounting a department because of a pursuit policy is absurd. If some Rambo cop blows a light chasing some speeding motorcycle and kills my family, heads would roll. It is worth noting that most departments with looser policies leave it in the sergeants' hands and they shut them down pretty quickly.

I understand but the main reason I dont want to go with Dallas PD is Ill have to go through their 8 month academy. I would rather get out of mine and go to work. Plus they seem to have a lot of bureaucracy as I'm sure most big departments do.

Keep a copy of this background before you submit it. As a background investigator I compare packets between various agencies one applies for looking for discrepancy.

Giggag has a lot of good pointers in his post as well. Many attend an academy and have a hard time getting hired. The key is to get hired and get experience. I am for the strict standards that help keep the bad apples we read about off the job. The busier the area the better IMO for a new rookie as that is how you learn. A street cop in Dallas will have way more knowledge in a year then a street cop in po dunk bohemia. That doesn't say both will not be good cops, just that the first will have more experience and encounters then the latter. Even different beats in a county can be entirely different. Others find their jobs with school districts that do a different type of policing. Keep an open mind when looking and only you know what is in your background. If you have items that may cause concern at a premier agency, better to look for a fit.

Thanks I will scan the pages on my application that i had to admit a few things to keep as a reference. I feel good about getting on as a jailer with this county. They are building a new jail that will be completed around the time I graduate and are really needing people, especially peace officers willing to work the jail according to those who work there. The biggest complaint I hear from counties is people who graduate the academy are not willing to start off in the jail. The jobs are out there but the ones who can't find one are the same ones who turn down working in the jail. They feel entitled to going strait to patrol, beggars cannot be choosers. I know a few in class that are not willing to work as a correctional officer.

[nightmare69]

Im trying to convert this word file to pdf or something I can view in order to be able to print the application.

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=71889" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Edit: Mojo converted the file to PDF and I was able to open and print it.

[texanjoker]

I would say cast a wide net. Landing your first cop job is tricky enough, and landing a job with a great department is even harder. Just because you are out of the academy, agencies will not be lining up around the block to hire you. Passing the state exam is just one of many stringent requirements to wear the uniform of the top cop shops.

The county I applied with is looking for jailers but a perk that they do is if you come in already licensed as a peace officer they badge you in as a deputy so I can start getting the TCOLE hours and time under the badge. Even though I may be just a jailer making a jailers salary Ill at least be commissioned and working towards my intermediate certificate.

Next - Discounting a department because of a pursuit policy is absurd. If some Rambo cop blows a light chasing some speeding motorcycle and kills my family, heads would roll. It is worth noting that most departments with looser policies leave it in the sergeants' hands and they shut them down pretty quickly.

I understand but the main reason I dont want to go with Dallas PD is Ill have to go through their 8 month academy. I would rather get out of mine and go to work. Plus they seem to have a lot of bureaucracy as I'm sure most big departments do.

Keep a copy of this background before you submit it. As a background investigator I compare packets between various agencies one applies for looking for discrepancy.

Giggag has a lot of good pointers in his post as well. Many attend an academy and have a hard time getting hired. The key is to get hired and get experience. I am for the strict standards that help keep the bad apples we read about off the job. The busier the area the better IMO for a new rookie as that is how you learn. A street cop in Dallas will have way more knowledge in a year then a street cop in po dunk bohemia. That doesn't say both will not be good cops, just that the first will have more experience and encounters then the latter. Even different beats in a county can be entirely different. Others find their jobs with school districts that do a different type of policing. Keep an open mind when looking and only you know what is in your background. If you have items that may cause concern at a premier agency, better to look for a fit.

Thanks I will scan the pages on my application that i had to admit a few things to keep as a reference. I feel good about getting on as a jailer with this county. They are building a new jail that will be completed around the time I graduate and are really needing people, especially peace officers willing to work the jail according to those who work there. The biggest complaint I hear from counties is people who graduate the academy are not willing to start off in the jail. The jobs are out there but the ones who can't find one are the same ones who turn down working in the jail. They feel entitled to going strait to patrol, beggars cannot be choosers. I know a few in class that are not willing to work as a correctional officer.

They don't want to be a CO now. If they don't get picked up they may reconsider. You will learn a lot about people working inside and it will help when you hit the streets. You may also find a patrol gig before you graduate.

[srothstein]

1. Ethics - are you working with honest, trustworthy individuals and leadership that expects honesty. My last job cultivated a culture of this behavior. Made it easy to trust up and down the chain. This is rare.

2. Schedule - I worked 12hr shifts. This is my favorite as every other weekend is a 3 day weekend. Can't beat that. Second choice is 10s, and lastly 8s. Also some agencies rotate days, nights, and evenings quarterly. I preferred being on nights and getting used to it.

3. Pay/Benefits - factor in off duty policy and how soon you can work extra jobs.

I strongly agree that these should be your top criteria in job hunting. My only disagreement on this list is the off-duty job policy. I don't rate that nearly as highly as the actual pay and benefits. If you do get an off duty job, NEVER count on it for your budget. Put that money away in savings or use it for special treats you can live without. It is too easy to lose an off duty job or have the authority removed. I have seen quite a few officers who depended ont hat money and then got into a bind from it.

I like civil service (or did when I was younger) but it is something you can live without if you have an ethical management. The best part of civil service is the promotion and discipline policies are more fair and less political. The not liking it now comment is because civil service law won't let departments hire me now that I am past 45.

The last part about the equipment is actually something I consider as part of the pay and benefits packages. If I have to pay for uniforms or equipment, then it is like getting a slightly lower pay rate. The counter balance is that it usually means I will have more choice about the equipment, especially the firearm.

And it looks like you got good advice from everyone so far on how to get hired. Don't discount the police departments with another academy required. The best agencies usually are the best paid and can get the best applicants and can afford to be the pickiest. They almost always end up as great jobs too. When I first started looking for a job out of the Army, I thought I wanted a small department. I ended up going with San Antonio because they had an academy and would pay me while I went through it. I thought I would stay until probation ended and look for a small town job. 11 years later, I finally did move on but it was a hard choice because I loved the job so much.

[gigag04]

^

Plus...getting paid to go through the academy was the easiest 6 months of my life.

[nightmare69]

Most big depts like Dallas require 60hrs of college and I have none. Im planning on going for my associates degree in criminal justice after I graduate though.

[texanjoker]

^

Plus...getting paid to go through the academy was the easiest 6 months of my life.

easiest 7 1/2 here...

[nightmare69]

Little update. This week is patrol procedures and OC cirtification. Will be sprayed Wednesday and doing night patrol scenarios like felony stops etc Thursday night. I have to go take an assessment test for a county I applied with Thursday morning then turn in my application. We don't have to be at school till 1pm and stay till around midnight. Going to be a quick turn around having to be back at school at 8am. At least we are finally getting out of the classroom.

[gigag04]

Careful in the shower after OC. Water reactivates the OC, and gravity pulls the water down...you have to get creative to keep it away from....sensitive areas.

[nightmare69]

Careful in the shower after OC. Water reactivates the OC, and gravity pulls the water down...you have to get creative to keep it away from....sensitive areas.

I be lean over and wear underwear in shower. I will do both.

[WildBill]

Careful in the shower after OC. Water reactivates the OC, and gravity pulls the water down...you have to get creative to keep it away from....sensitive areas.

I be lean over and wear underwear in shower. I will do both.