What made you decide to become a policeman?

[chad]

As a small child I thought it was like this all day, every day.

 

[topgunz1]

Well said Knave... it's not just your briefing room that sounds like that, trust me. But for better or worse, we're all in it together. It's the biggest street gang in the world, and even though I may bitch, ****, and moan, I'm proud to be a part of it.

You'll learn quick to come up with a backup career to tell people you do in casual conversation, soon as they find out what you do the conversation instantly shifts and you either start getting run downs on their family/personal drama or lame jokes. This job will take over your life and change everything in it, make sure your ready for that.

 

[tactical723]

Great question, I absolutely loved my LEO career. Served in the Air Force, finished college with 2 degrees and joined the local SO Reserves in the early 90's. Went on fulltime and worked Patrol for 4 years and then 4 years as a detective. I left because I was working overtime and details and making a meager salary in the mid 20's. Within a couple of years in the insurance / PI field I tripled my salary. Was really hoping to go with the feds, but I was not eligible due to poor vision that cannot be corrected by surgery. Those were some great years and I dont regret 1 minute serving my community. About 10 years after I left, most agenices in SE LA began to pay a decent salary. Go for it, but most patrol divisions work swing shift (days then nights) and college will be hard to schedule and complete.

 

[Cochise]

If y'all don't mind me asking, which departments are you guys with?

Anyone with a Sheriff's department, or are y'all all city and state police? What are some of the significant differences between Sheriff, campus, city, and state departments?

 

[Mr_Willson]

interested in becoming an officer as well.

matter a fact Im going down to JPSO next week for a scheduled appointment to talk about a career. sort of like an interview i suppose?

if anyone has any tips or advice i'd be happy to know.

what should I be expecting?

 

[JR1572]

interested in becoming an officer as well.

matter a fact Im going down to JPSO next week for a scheduled appointment to talk about a career. sort of like an interview i suppose?

if anyone has any tips or advice i'd be happy to know.

what should I be expecting?

Be patient. If you get hired it will be 3 or 4 years before you see the street.

JR1572

 

[Mr_Willson]

Be patient. If you get hired it will be 3 or 4 years before you see the street.

JR1572

will do.

this is going to sound dumb, but I took the address down as a quick note in my search bar as chief deputy Thevenot told me the address over the phone and then it got deleted.. I kinda feel like an idiot and really wanna make it to the right place on time. I'm supposed to meet with him on tuesday.

 

[762NATO]

As a small child I thought it was like this all day, every day.

You thought it was non-stop 1980s martial arts choreography and action flicks?

 

[Quickdraw22]

Hit up a small town's PD. A buddy started working at a po-dunk town around here at 22, and moved to LCPD a year later.

On the serious note - the lie detector test is no joke. They *WILL* find out the things you've done in your past...

 

[glock4me]

First let me say that I love my job because of what I do and not because of the paycheck I recieve. The bills still roll in and roll out and sometimes its still a struggle but its definitely not about the money. I worked as a diesel mechanic and made damn good money but I hated and dreaded going to work. I now actually look forward to going to work and anticipate whats gonna happen next. Whether it be helping someone change a flat tire or having a high speed pursuit.

Second this is a majority thankless and often times difficult job. There is NO glory in giving someone their first DWI, (when everyone knows we could have been there and that could have been us at one point in time or another), there is NO glory in having to arrest someone in a situation where you know that you would have done the same thing if you was in their shoes. The bad often times outweighs the good and you have to deal with very stupid people. The self-fullfilling feelings come at the strangest times and alot of times you will just not know how to feel.

I DO NOT do this job with the intention on putting everyone in jail but with the intention to make the community that i work in a safe and enjoyable place no mater what it takes. Beware that its very likely that you will have to arrest a friend sooner or later. However always remember that not every arrestable situation REQUIRES that an arrest be made.

Most importantly make sure that you come into this job with the intention to protect all of your fellow officers at all cost. Simply put even though you may not like some of the people that you work with you may the difference between them going home or them going into a body bag.

The last thing that I'm going to say is above all ALWAYS BE RESPECTFUL NO MATTER THE SITUATION. I'm not telling you to be soft but you don't have to be ugly and disrespectful to get the job done. Some people may deserve to be cussed out but just because you have a badge does no mean that it gives you the authority to do so.

Remember that we as LEOs all bleed blue but we as humans all bleed red and should be treated as so.

 

[alpinehyperlite]

on the serious note - the lie detector test is no joke. They *will* find out the things you've done in your past...

do not lie!!!!!

 

[Law1911]

I think this is fitting here:

 

[Trachito]

lol @ the hitler pic

 

[PawPaw]

I had a real job once, and I hated it. It dealt with ladders and shingles and a grumpy supervisor.

After the Army, I sort of fell into police work. Thirty years later, I can't imagine doing anything else. Two of my sons had sense enough to get a technical education, the third went to college and is now following me into police work. I hope he finds the same joy and satisfaction that I've found.

 

[Summit_Ace]

Option 1- I was a jock in high school and enjoyed bullying those weaker than me. I thought law enforcement was a good way to continue my favorite pass time and get payed to do it. How could you not want to do it? Before I could get in trouble if I got caught but as a LEO, damn I am almost untouchable!

Option 2- I got picked on as a kid. Now that I have a badge and gun I can get even with all those jocks

Option 3 I am a good person at heart. I try to do the right thing towards my fellow citizen and want to help people. I thought becoming a LEO was the best way to do this. I know I have authority but I do not let it go to my head. I know I am not perfect and do not expect others to be. I wield my authority with the utmost discretion.

Chances are you will fall in or close to one of these 3 categories, whether you admit it or not. If you fall in one of the first 2 please find another line of work we have enough of those already.

 

[Emperor]

Apparently, my parents wanted me to be a cop. They let me stay up later than my older sister before I entered kindergarten, watching Columbo, Kojak, Beretta, Starsky & Hutch, CHiPs, The Rookies, etc. Then they bought me lots of toy guns, walkie-talkies, a CHiPs playset, noise-making/light-flashing toy police cars, etc. (seriously, every old Christmas or birthday photo or slide has me with some sort of toy like that). Then they encouraged me to join any uniformed outfit they could find such as Cub Scouts, School Crossing Safety Patrol (even came with a tin badge), NJROTC, and The Marine Corps. I don't think I ever really had a say in it.

That's f'n funny, man.

 

[Emperor]

Honestly there's a difference between how police talk about their careers with outsiders, and how they talk about it among themselves. Among themselves, at least where I'm at, we talk about it like we're serving prison sentences. Everyone is counting down the years to their freedom when they can get the hell out and collect their retirement checks. The sad thing is most of us won't even live beyond a couple years into retirement, if we make it that far. Granted, morale around where I work is also the lowest it has ever been in the last few decades, or so I'm told. Maybe it's not like that in other places. But then again, I haven't seen too many other careers where there are books specifically designed to help the employees cope with their careers without committing suicide.

Anyway, it's a job like any other and unlike any other. You won't save the world and most of what you do consists of dealing with other peoples' ******** because they are too weak to handle their own business, throw in alot of clerical work and bureaucracy frustrations and you've got your average workday. But add in the fact that you can have a hell of a lot fun in between all of that, and maybe every now and then you might do something that really makes you feel good about yourself.

That's even more f'n funny!

 

[Emperor]

First let me say that I love my job because of what I do and not because of the paycheck I recieve. The bills still roll in and roll out and sometimes its still a struggle but its definitely not about the money. I worked as a diesel mechanic and made damn good money but I hated and dreaded going to work. I now actually look forward to going to work and anticipate whats gonna happen next. Whether it be helping someone change a flat tire or having a high speed pursuit.

Second this is a majority thankless and often times difficult job. There is NO glory in giving someone their first DWI, (when everyone knows we could have been there and that could have been us at one point in time or another), there is NO glory in having to arrest someone in a situation where you know that you would have done the same thing if you was in their shoes. The bad often times outweighs the good and you have to deal with very stupid people. The self-fullfilling feelings come at the strangest times and alot of times you will just not know how to feel.

I DO NOT do this job with the intention on putting everyone in jail but with the intention to make the community that i work in a safe and enjoyable place no mater what it takes. Beware that its very likely that you will have to arrest a friend sooner or later. However always remember that not every arrestable situation REQUIRES that an arrest be made.

Most importantly make sure that you come into this job with the intention to protect all of your fellow officers at all cost. Simply put even though you may not like some of the people that you work with you may the difference between them going home or them going into a body bag.

The last thing that I'm going to say is above all ALWAYS BE RESPECTFUL NO MATTER THE SITUATION. I'm not telling you to be soft but you don't have to be ugly and disrespectful to get the job done. Some people may deserve to be cussed out but just because you have a badge does no mean that it gives you the authority to do so.

Remember that we as LEOs all bleed blue but we as humans all bleed red and should be treated as so.

Very prophetic!

 

[Emperor]

Option 1- I was a jock in high school and enjoyed bullying those weaker than me. I thought law enforcement was a good way to continue my favorite pass time and get payed to do it. How could you not want to do it? Before I could get in trouble if I got caught but as a LEO, damn I am almost untouchable!

Option 2- I got picked on as a kid. Now that I have a badge and gun I can get even with all those jocks

Option 3 I am a good person at heart. I try to do the right thing towards my fellow citizen and want to help people. I thought becoming a LEO was the best way to do this. I know I have authority but I do not let it go to my head. I know I am not perfect and do not expect others to be. I wield my authority with the utmost discretion.

Chances are you will fall in or close to one of these 3 categories, whether you admit it or not. If you fall in one of the first 2 please find another line of work we have enough of those already.

 

[JonMPPD]

Honestly there's a difference between how police talk about their careers with outsiders, and how they talk about it among themselves. Among themselves, at least where I'm at, we talk about it like we're serving prison sentences. Everyone is counting down the years to their freedom when they can get the hell out and collect their retirement checks. The sad thing is most of us won't even live beyond a couple years into retirement, if we make it that far. Granted, morale around where I work is also the lowest it has ever been in the last few decades, or so I'm told. Maybe it's not like that in other places. But then again, I haven't seen too many other careers where there are books specifically designed to help the employees cope with their careers without committing suicide.

Anyway, it's a job like any other and unlike any other. You won't save the world and most of what you do consists of dealing with other peoples' ******** because they are too weak to handle their own business, throw in alot of clerical work and bureaucracy frustrations and you've got your average workday. But add in the fact that you can have a hell of a lot fun in between all of that, and maybe every now and then you might do something that really makes you feel good about yourself.

NAILED. IT.
Don't come into law enforcement for money. It's not worth it if that's your drive. There is NOTHING else for you if this is what you are cut out to do, and if that's the case, you won't care what the pay is anyway.

just my 2 pence.
Jon