Part Time LEOs cannot work off duty jobs.

[nightmare69]

...
... Ive heard this law was put in place cause the private security sector was crying due to the reserve and part time LEOs taking all the jobs. That may be just a rumor though.

maybe, but then there's....

Maybe, but:

...
Just my .02 I don't mind if reserves or part time officers work part time security as long as the full time officers have had a chance at that job first.

Frankly my first thought was a rule of this nature would be pushed by full time officers to cut down on the competition, but it's plausible the security companies would have an interest in this as well. Government licensing bureaus tend to end up running protection for the industries they are supposed to supervise. (One giant exception being the BATFE!)

I started grocking this when I asked the gal who cut my hair if she could shave my face. She could not, because the did not have a barber's license (she was a "beautician" or some such). I got curious and looked into this, and was stunned to find out, it requires something on the order of 1400 hours of training to get a state barber's license. This is absolute nonsense. (Getting a beautician's license requires something similar, not as many hours I think). The state has no interest in whether you can give a decent haircut, the only state interest is whether you are safe, e.g. do you clean your tools between customers, etc. Get a crappy haircut, don't go back.

There's more state interest in making sure people running around performing security know what they're doing, but I'm finding it hard to believe that the hours-per-week law that nightmare69 cites is really about the quality of people providing security.

nightmare69, maybe you should bring this to the attention of Greg Abbott, Attorney General running for Governor. He is touting a new initiative to cut back on occupational licensing rules in Texas. The article I link to below doesn't mention security, just "interior designers, salvage vehicle dealers, dog trainers, coaches, auctioneers, barbers, cosmetologists and towing boat operators," but who knows. Doubt he will get to it in time to help you out, tho.

Texas Looks to Decrease Occupational Licensing

This law should be repealed, there are way more security jobs in my county then there are officers to work them, supply and demand explains the pay.

I started grocking this when I asked the gal who cut my hair if she could shave my face. She could not, because the did not have a barber's license (she was a "beautician" or some such).

I don't object to more training being required to use a straight razor on paying customers than using scissors or clippers.

I also don't object to someone being required to get a Paul Blart license if they want to get paid to dress up and play Paul Blart.

Maybe it's just me.

Most departments let you wear you department issue uniform, some require a generic uniform. Its not hard to buy a shirt that says Police and get an generic badge. Why should I have to get a level III security license when Ive already been through it in MUCH greater detail in the academy? I called an instructor who teaches armed security and he said if I did take the class bring a pillow.

[nightmare69]

Yep. I'll remember that the next time I hear about police officers being underpaid.

You think we like working all the time to support our familes. You believe we enjoy missing out on kids growing up to make sure we have money for food? We do it cause we have too to make a living.

I know full time deputy's at my county that cannot afford insurance for their wife or kids. Their kids are on Medicaid cause it would cost an extra 1,300 per month to add their family on the insurance. I know for a fact that the Sergeant makes only 14.30 a hour and he had been there 6yrs. So guess how much the full time deputy's make. You understand why off duty jobs are critical for cops now? Next time think before posting.

[srothstein]

...
... Ive heard this law was put in place cause the private security sector was crying due to the reserve and part time LEOs taking all the jobs. That may be just a rumor though.

maybe, but then there's....

Maybe, but:

...
Just my .02 I don't mind if reserves or part time officers work part time security as long as the full time officers have had a chance at that job first.

Frankly my first thought was a rule of this nature would be pushed by full time officers to cut down on the competition, but it's plausible the security companies would have an interest in this as well. Government licensing bureaus tend to end up running protection for the industries they are supposed to supervise. (One giant exception being the BATFE!)

As I recall, the law was passed for multiple reasons. While both of these reasons were debated, the primary motivation for the law was to eliminate a lot of small town departments that many saw as unnecessary and poorly trained. At the time it was passed, there were a lot of small cities that had only one or two paid officers and the rest of the department was reserves. There was one department in a suburb of San Antonio that had two paid officers and 40 reserves. The reserves made a living by working the part-time jobs in the area and the city carried their commission in return for one free shift per week. After the law passed, this department had to hire about 8 officers full time to cover their city and it put a lot of part-time officers out of work. In theory, by having the officers working full time for a department, they got better training and supervision.

To the best of my knowledge, the only cases where this has been enforced have been blatantly ignoring the law. As one way around the law, ask the agency if they will allow you to work 32 hours if the pay is reduced to the same per week as the 24 hour pay. A lot of departments used to do this too, but they may not now because of the ACA definition of who gets insurance benefits.

[gljjt]

Google "average police officer salary in texas". An officer making $14.30 an hour after 6 years might want to look for another department. That is low starting salary level in low paying department.

[gigag04]

Yep. I'll remember that the next time I hear about police officers being underpaid.

You think we like working all the time to support our familes. You believe we enjoy missing out on kids growing up to make sure we have money for food? We do it cause we have too to make a living.

I know full time deputy's at my county that cannot afford insurance for their wife or kids. Their kids are on Medicaid cause it would cost an extra 1,300 per month to add their family on the insurance. I know for a fact that the Sergeant makes only 14.30 a hour and he had been there 6yrs. So guess how much the full time deputy's make. You understand why off duty jobs are critical for cops now? Next time think before posting.

Please loose the attitude. You haven't been in long enough to gripe and getting snippy with people on the internet because you're not happy with the compensation for the career that you chose looks bad. There are enough police apologists out there.

[talltex]

Yep. I'll remember that the next time I hear about police officers being underpaid.

You think we like working all the time to support our familes. You believe we enjoy missing out on kids growing up to make sure we have money for food? We do it cause we have too to make a living. I know full time deputy's at my county that cannot afford insurance for their wife or kids. Their kids are on Medicaid cause it would cost an extra 1,300 per month to add their family on the insurance. I know for a fact that the Sergeant makes only 14.30 a hour and he had been there 6yrs. So guess how much the full time deputy's make. You understand why off duty jobs are critical for cops now? Next time think before posting.

Please loose the attitude. You haven't been in long enough to gripe and getting snippy with people on the internet because you're not happy with the compensation for the career that you chose looks bad. There are enough police apologists out there.

Nightmare: The same can be said for just about anyone else, regardless of their employment...they work to support their families...they wish they had more time to spend with the kids...they do it because they have to make a living. I'm 57yo, been self employed since I was 25. I work at my business 50-60 hours a week . I usually spend an additional 4-8 hours on evenings and weekends doing maintenance and upkeep on rental properties I own. I've never received one dollar of overtime pay and I've never had a paid vacation in my life. I don't have a single dollar of guaranteed income just because I show up and put in the time. I don't have any pension fund or unemployment coverage and I have to pay for 100% of my families health insurance. That was the choice I made, and I'm not complaining about it...it's allowed me to go places and do things that a lot of people don't ever get to. My point is: the grass always looks greener on the other side, but remember that you CHOSE to do this.

[jmra]

Yep. I'll remember that the next time I hear about police officers being underpaid.

You think we like working all the time to support our familes. You believe we enjoy missing out on kids growing up to make sure we have money for food? We do it cause we have too to make a living.

I know full time deputy's at my county that cannot afford insurance for their wife or kids. Their kids are on Medicaid cause it would cost an extra 1,300 per month to add their family on the insurance. I know for a fact that the Sergeant makes only 14.30 a hour and he had been there 6yrs. So guess how much the full time deputy's make. You understand why off duty jobs are critical for cops now? Next time think before posting.

I think other LEO have done a great job of answering this but I'll stick my two cents in. Welcome to the real world. Many people are in the same boat with one exception, they don't have the benefit of laws generated in order to create an artificial market where they can make $35/hr cash standing around doing nothing. How many of those extra duty jobs do you think there would be if churches weren't prohibited from using CHLs on safety teams? Or if other charitable organizations were allowed to do the same?
You want to talk about being away from your family? I worked a job where I didn't know what country I would be in from one week to the next in order to provide for my family.
Think before I post? Great advice. Maybe you should have taken it before you started this whining thread.

[mojo84]

I find it interesting a cop is only worth $14/hr or less being a cop but worth $35/hr being a security guard. If that's the case, why not stop being a part-time cop and be a security guard full time? Also, why be so resentful of the career one chooses when a little research beforehand would have revealed the pay scale?

I also think it crazy a commissioned officer "qualified" to work as a security guard. Whatever perceived training deficiencies could easily be addressed without requiring a cop to get a security guard license.

[jmra]

I find it interesting a cop is only worth $14/hr or less being a cop but worth $35/hr being a security guard.

They aren't worth $35/hr. That's the point - it's an artificially created market by lobbyist. In a free market it would be more like $15/hr paid by payroll check. I also take issue with the whole "cash payment". Everyone in the real world would have to make $55 to $60/hr to walk away with $35/hr in our pocket.
Of course the money to pay those off duty officers those absurd hourly amounts ultimately comes out of the pockets of the average guy whose just trying to put food on the table.
It is time to change some laws - changes that would allow the free market to function properly.

[mojo84]

I agree. Just making the point through a sarcastic question. It's not everywhere a part time job doing less and requiring less skill/training pays more than someone's primary job.

[Jim Beaux]

Though our country was built on the premise of the unrestricted pursuit of trade & Thomas Jefferson envisioned that we become a nation of entrepreneurs; the disheartening fact is the U.S. is no longer business friendly. In our early years there were no taxes other than tariffs... and then like the camel's nose under the tent, today we are being regulated & taxed out of existence.

Our ancestors came to the U.S. to escaped the onerous restrictions that ruled the craft trades & the indentured servitude known as apprenticeship. Ive read stories that in the UK, one had to serve an apprenticeship to even be a bartender!

On the current World Bank list of business friendly countries, the U.S. doesnt even rate in the top 10...it is easier to start a business in Rwanda then the U.S.

[talltex]

At my church, we didn't mind paying extra to get LEO instead of private security, because LEO were able to arrest troublemakers, they could block traffic on the public roads following services, and they knew the local trouble-makers.

It was good for the police department, as well, just because of the interaction between the officers and the congregation.

THERE is the real reason the LEO's get more money than private security services...they have the AUTHORITY to grant special privileges to those willing to pay for them. The use of off-duty LEO's to direct traffic is a prime example. Your congregation is willing to pay them because it gives you a privilege you could not otherwise have, while at the same time, it inconveniences everyone else attempting to use the same public street...which they paid for the same as your congregation did. C'mon...have they ever really needed them to "arrest troublemakers" at your church services? Ya'll must have some really interesting services!

[carlson1]

...have they ever really needed them to "arrest troublemakers" at your church services? Ya'll must have some really interesting services!

Our church is a small church and I have had three people arrested in the last three years including one this last Easter.

I guess you have missed the church shootings.