Law Enforcement

[Topher-x-01]

 I have decided that I am going to persue going into law enforcement...
The academy is 12 weeks long and costs about $4,000.... But they have a 95% job placement when you get out.... Most beginning salaries begin at aroung $36,000 a year then after two years jump up to $39,000.  Also you can retire after 20 years and when you retire you get half of what your highest pay was a month! plus social security and such! full benifits...
I have always loved watching cops and have always thought about becoming a cop.  I think it would be a fun job!  Here in Montana the chances of being killed aren't as high as say LA or anywhere lol, but still there none the less... The academy goes two or three times a year, the next round is January 6th.. So that is my goal.  Get a school loan and get things figured out... But 12 months away from my girlfriend whom i been with 3 years is going to be a long time!!! lol but well worth It i think.... with a starting wage of at least $35,000 a year, and full benifits... what more could an 18-19 year old ask for?

Well.... a 1969 Charger with a 440, a/c, posi, and 727 would be nice oh and dont forget the gear venders under/overdrive and...and...and.... lol

[Blown70]

Montana eh,

We have a few LE people here I hope you do well.  Montana cannot be too bad, however you all do get some of those extremists on occasion... well armed if you will....

I just think you have to enjoy your job.  PERIOD, NEVER do anything for the money... Well if a million dollars was laid in front of you would you ..... Ohhh never mind we had that thread already.....


Best of luck, BTW can we go back to the no posted speed during the day?

[Mopar440+6]

Not to hi-jack your thread Topher. But I am also attempting to make a decision on my future career. I am at a point where I MUST make the decision on my career soon. I am currently majoring in Mechanical Engineering but I have considered a career in law enforcement. So do any of you guys out there in the law enforcement field have any advice? Pros? Cons? Thanks guys!

[Silver R/T]

dont be asshole cop alright? I hate deputy Dicks

[SuBLimE 69]

Just remember it isn't for everyone.  My dept paid my way through the schools and send me to different ones all the time.  Primary and back up weapons are issued aswell as all your gear and I mean EVERYTHING except underwear they have given me......Jeez, they even issued me a leather jacket and Danner boots...that stuff aint cheap !  I personally wouldn't pay for the mandate training i'd make them hire you and pay for it.

[4402tuff4u]

I have decided that I am going to persue going into law enforcement...
The academy is 12 weeks long and costs about $4,000.... But they have a 95% job placement when you get out.... Most beginning salaries begin at aroung $36,000 a year then after two years jump up to $39,000.   Also you can retire after 20 years and when you retire you get half of what your highest pay was a month! plus social security and such! full benifits...
I have always loved watching cops and have always thought about becoming a cop.   I think it would be a fun job!   Here in Montana the chances of being killed aren't as high as say LA or anywhere lol, but still there none the less... The academy goes two or three times a year, the next round is January 6th.. So that is my goal.   Get a school loan and get things figured out... But 12 months away from my girlfriend whom i been with 3 years is going to be a long time!!! lol but well worth It i think.... with a starting wage of at least $35,000 a year, and full benifits... what more could an 18-19 year old ask for?

Well.... a 1969 Charger with a 440, a/c, posi, and 727 would be nice oh and dont forget the gear venders under/overdrive and...and...and.... lol

By going to the academy you have to pay, does it guarantee you that you will be recruited by the Police Dept in Montana? Here in NY you have to take a written test first and if you pass it with a high grade, then, only then you will be accepted to the academy. You also have to have a clean record of course. If you are a minority you have a better chance. It's very competative here in Nassau County where an average police officer is making $ 100,000 a year with no OT!

[Topher-x-01]

From what i read if you go to the acedemy by yourself and pay for it by yourself they have a 95% job placement here in the state of montana.. Now when you get to the station I do believe you have to pass a written test, but then your hired... If I am remembering this correctly. 
The reason I would do the acedemy by myself was the job placement for one... And more likely to get hired because the station didn't have to pay for your hiring. That is my logic behind it.

As for doing it for a job that I would want to do... I have always thought about it when I was younger... Just to get the bad guys off the street and such.... Not to give my self credit, but I have very very good street smarts... and ok book smarts, so I think I would make a good cop.

And for the no speed thing here in montana when im around go for it as long as you aren't driving like an ass! lol
Did you guys know that when we had the no speed law here in montana, Fatalities actually went DOWN drastically?  Only when there was one, it was a bit messier...
I miss the no speed law.... But there aren't many highway patrol units out on the interstate....I cruise 90-95 when I need to..but to save my car and gas I still usually go 80..... you didnt hear it from me, but get a radar detector  

[Blown70]

I think a guy I know is in MT Highway patrol or sheriff department.....

Quite funny... I was doing 80 in a 65.  He was in the median I did not see him.  Until it was too late.   Pull over get out the card, and suddenly he says,  YOU KNOW I SHOULD HALL YOUR ASS TO JAIL!!.... Keep in mind it was dark and I could not see with the light in my eyes....... Then he starts laughing..... we chatted for 15 minutes and he let me go only to say watch out up the road some of the guys were doing speed checks.....

Yes, I know even when they had the no SPeed YOU STILL could not drive like and ass.  I did see one guy pulled over getting a ticket,  Not sure for what.... I was doing 95 at the time....

[1968 Charger B5]

Hey yea thats my area of interest.  Im pursuing law enforcement as well, though im from Massachusetts and competition is rough.  So far I have completed the Massachusetts Basic Reserve Academy, it was a 120 hour course. Im gonna go into the ful time academy as soon as I graduate college. I recently got hired by the Stoughton Auxillary PD, which is volunteer but Im allowed to work details for the surrounding towns, which is sick money in my state, and it looks good on a resume.  Also im finishing up my senior at Bridgewater State College for a Bachelors in Criminal Justice.  Im working my way towards a Masters degree hopefully.  But I have a few relatives who are polcie officers and lawyers, and they lvoe their jobs......ii have been on many ride alongs and see what happens, i ghope it goes well for you, as I love the interested area

Rick

[4402tuff4u]

If that's what you really want to do, then go for it! I'm sure it's a rewarding career. As with any other occupation, there is bad days too. But I think Montana is quite still rural and population is low.   If I ever get out there in Montana and you see a 68 Bronze Charger R/T fly by, give me a bit of a break. Don't want to end up like Kowalski in Vanishing Point trying to get away from you.   

[Orange_Crush]

I have decided that I am going to persue going into law enforcement...
The academy is 12 weeks long and costs about $4,000.... But they have a 95% job placement when you get out.... Most beginning salaries begin at aroung $36,000 a year then after two years jump up to $39,000.   Also you can retire after 20 years and when you retire you get half of what your highest pay was a month! plus social security and such! full benifits...
I have always loved watching cops and have always thought about becoming a cop.   I think it would be a fun job!   Here in Montana the chances of being killed aren't as high as say LA or anywhere lol, but still there none the less... The academy goes two or three times a year, the next round is January 6th.. So that is my goal.   Get a school loan and get things figured out... But 12 months away from my girlfriend whom i been with 3 years is going to be a long time!!! lol but well worth It i think.... with a starting wage of at least $35,000 a year, and full benifits... what more could an 18-19 year old ask for?

Well.... a 1969 Charger with a 440, a/c, posi, and 727 would be nice oh and dont forget the gear venders under/overdrive and...and...and.... lol

First thing's first.  WHen you buy the above Charger, dump the posi and put in a sure-grip.

BTW...get hired FIRST and then go to the academy.  If you're hired first, then you have a 100% chance of being placed.

[bad1032]

They have the same program in Maryland and many people have put themselves thru it, If you pass they give you a certificate that should be good for the entire state, others states will accept it after you do comparative compliance for that state, But what ALOT of people fail to realize is that the background check and polygraph usually eliminates 3/4 of these. Its not the academy that your girl friend needs to worry about its being stuck on midnights and shift work and working holidays,etc, Plus most of the friends you have know you will loose. But I am glad I changed careers into law enforcement 16 years ago,

[472 R/T SE]

dont be asshole cop alright? I hate deputy Dicks

Dude, if you don't have anything good to say......




Go for it topher.  It sounds as though you have your head screwed on right.  A person's gotta have benee's and that's cool you recognize it at an early age.  Telvis retired at a fairly early age if I remember correct.  Good for you to have the insight.  I have the utmost respect for the men and women protecting us.

[derailed]

. It's very competative here in Nassau County where an average police officer is making $ 100,000 a year with no OT!

?? Is this correct, if so im in the wrong profession.

[ChargerHound69]

You will be working all holiday, and on call 24 hours of the day.  Your stress level will go up about 25% for the first few years.  You look at people differently. 

Just be prepared, most married coulpes get divorced in the first few years because of the hours and stress.

I have been in law enforcment for along time now, and it is a job you can be proud of.  Don't let money be your driving force, and maybe wait until you are 21.  That is a good age to get your head on straight and know just for a fact what it is you want to do in life. 
Also like someone else on the board said, you want them to hire you first, then go through thier acadamy.

Good luck if this is what you decide.

[Ponch ®]

Damn, thats weird. Here the CHP and LAPD pay you while youre attending the academy.

[ChargerHound69]

Most law enforcement acadamys do.

That is a good point Ponch.

[B5 Charger]

When I was hired I had a college degree and had put myself through a 470 hour academy at my own expense.  To get on I still had to pass a physical agility test, written exam, polygraph, oral board, physical examination and psychological examination.  After being hired I also had to pass a 14 week field training program and get past my first years probation to stay with the department.  It can be a fun job but just know that most of what you see on TV is the funny, exciting and "good guys always win" type of stuff.  There is a lot of boring, mudane, depressing and deadly things that you don't see.  You will also learn very quickly that not everybody loves the Police.  As far as being safe where you are I wouldn't count on it.  I thought the same thing when I first got hired but a little over a year after I hit the street one of my good buddies got gunned down.  A local guy got high on meth and walked out into the street with an assault rifle and started shooting people as they drove by.  When Brad responded the guy was lying in wait and ambushed him.  He left behind a wife and twin two year old girls.  Less than a year after that a State trooper made a stop on the interstate here in town and was also gunned down.  He stopped the guy for not paying for $23.00 worth of gas.  The guy got out with a gun and killed him.  He also left behind a wife and daughters.  It can be fun and rewarding at times but don't forget to consider the downside.

[Charger71]

Do the job because you love the work.  Money isn't everything.   There are risks inherant to law enforcement.  There are great rewards, too.  The TV shows alot of stuff, but doesn't tell you about the paperwork and court hearings after their wild chases and arrests.

Try and find a department that will pay for your training.   Check with a local college police academy to see if any departments are hiring.  You might even check out some internet sites about police recruitment.

A few more things:  Set your goal, work towards your goal, and you can achieve your goal.  After 20-25 years, you'll look back and be proud of achieving those goals.  (That goes for any other occupation, too)

Besides, you'll have some peers on this messege board....  MOPARs and Cops 

Charger71

[GTX]

I once considered the move into law enforcement, mostly because I knew a bunch of guys who were cops and also I wanted to make a difference.
I realized that they were just ordinary guys who were doing a tough although pretty cool job. The problem was that it made these guys look at regular people as possible bad guys all the time and they had a very hard time leaving that attitude in the patrol car and not bring it to parties.  Some of them also got the attitude that if you were not a cop then you just didn't understand the brotherhood and therefore they were not going to waste much time talking to a 'civilian' .  And yes, a motorcycle cop I knew was the worst of all although another from a different dept is really cool so maybe the mustache and riding boots don't make you a total ass.
One of the guys who I knew quite well suddenly up and wrote me a ticket for no front plate one night. We were all chatting and having a great time and suddenly out of the blue he writes me the ticket.   No discussion and no warning and he knew about the plate for months and said he didn't care.  I knew his kids and knew him pretty well but he always kept a distant and very unpredictable side and I never trusted him after that and sort of kept my own distance.  He never did get totally right after being gut shot on the job though.
I totally understand the reasons for the attitudes but didn't want that happening to me. I still know a number of cops from several different departments and every one of them shows signs of this seige mentality to some degree. They just won't relax around people like the rest of us, still good guys and some are very cool and fun to be around but I decided it's not for me.  Some of my firefighter friends are also like that.

Still, thank God for those who do decide that it's for them and my hats off to them!

Just don't plan to get rich from it and make sure you are doing it for a good reason.


My 2 cents worth

[Telvis]

I'm a retired Police officer. I retired November of last year. It's a pretty good career path if you have the constitution for the job. It's not all excitement like the TV shows you watch. There's a lot of down time and a ton of paperwork and other mundane stuff. You end up dealing with a lot of the same people over and over again. The hours can be tough on the family too. Depending on how the depatment you end up working for does their schedules it could be a long time before you see day shift. If your department has fixed shifts it might be years before you get off 3rd shift or 2nd shift. If they rotate shifts it's even worse. Your body never gets adjusted. There are a lot of good aspects too. There's a strong fraternal bond between officers in most departments. There are litttle perks too. There's also a sense of satisfaction when you do a good piece of work and make an arrest in a major case. Those are not frequent so don't think you will be arresting murderers and high profile drug dealers every other week. Most arrests will be Alcohol intoxication, disorderly conduct, domestic violence and DUI. Did I mention all the alarms? Argh!  Pretty mundane stuff with the occasional burst of adrenaline. The money isn't bad. The benefits are pretty good. There's also the rare occasion when you actually make a difference in someones life. You get an occasional letter of gratitude or bump into someone and they tell you that you helped them in a rough time and made a difference. Those almost make up for the complaints and other pains you deal with. You should try to get hired by a department that will train you. Here in KY there is no academy that you can go to without already being hired. There is one main academy that is run by the state. All law enforcement officers of every agency go through it. Usually the larger agencies will have their own academy in addition to the state run program. It usually ends up about 26 weeks then 12 weeks with field training officers. Try to get hired in a larger agency that pays for the training. You can always move to the agency you want once you get the training.

[myk]

Way to go.  What could be more honorable than serving your community by trying to keep the peace.  I would've done the same, but bad hearing keeps me away from Police work OR the military...

[Topher-x-01]

Thanks a lot for the replies guys and gals...
You have helped me a lot and are giving me the good and bad sides to it all...After reading most of those, I think that I might just wait and get hired by an agency before anything... $4,000 is a lot of money that I don't have lying around either!  And apperently my g/f whom I been with three years after reading all these with me wants to talk about it as well lol
But I am glad of all the things you have all written, and everything will be brought into consideration... The only time the largest law enforcement agency here in Montana is hiring isnt until march... but I can prepare an application and such and have them go through it.
Thanks a lot once again!
Topher

ps - is there anything more that I should wonder about?
I do have a question.. What is the pistol that you get? Or do you buy your own and if so is there a certain kind?  I've always wondered that.

[ChargerHound69]

All departments are different on their firearms.  It just depends on where you work.  That goes the same for if you buy or they have.  My department supplys the firearms, you buy everything else.  EVERYTHING!

[Charger71]

My department issues Glocks....  And all the patrol/tactical gear.

As far as guns go...  They are a real burden.  Each time you use it,  you're either a hero or a criminal.

Did we mention there can be alot of rewards?  Besides getting free coffee at the 7-11.....  Like - Saving someone's life,  Solving murders,  helping people, personal satisfaction of doing a hard job.

Just make sure it is the job for you.    Let us know how it is going....

Charger71

[4402tuff4u]

. It's very competative here in Nassau County where an average police officer is making $ 100,000 a year with no OT!

?? Is this correct, if so im in the wrong profession.

My best friend is a detective now in Nassau county, but started as a police officer in NYC and moved to Nassau. When he was working as an officer last year, he was making 100K! That is the only friction in our friendship between him and I, so we both agreed never to bring it up. What burned me the most was that he used to march in the local parade on the 4th of July and other holidays where I live and use to get paid for it. It just left a bad taste in my mouth because I know he was raking in possibly $ 500 for a few hours of work. Please dont get me wrong I'm for every body to make a decent living, including my friend who was shot point blank in NYC but the prep missed him on a drug bust that went bad, the only thing that burns me is that our taxes are going out through the roof and the county residents are choked up with taxes. Their contract is amazing and keeps climbing. Sorry about the rant!

[dodgeboy67]

i say go for it....if there werent any cops, we wouldnt have any  back when iwas younger , getting ticket stories to tell people....what fun would that be....besides,,, then you have records of your stories in case anyone dont believe you ....lol

[GTX]

Did we mention there can be alot of rewards?  Besides getting free coffee at the 7-11..... 

I worked a 7-11 for a while back in '81 and there was a rash of robberies at all of the stores around us. The county sherriff came in and told me that as the graveyard shift I could expect to be coming up soon.
I gave out a hell of a lot of free donuts and coffee for a month!!
They weren't supposed to take freebies from me but since they were watching the store anyway well......


My parking lot frequently had 2-5 cop cars in it at night. I even got a cop or two from the city although we were in the county by about a half mile.
It even stayed like that long after the robbery scare. They just hung out at my store and continued long after I left there.

I never got robbed and I still know a couple of them although they are now old, higher rank and don't drive patrol.


All I can say is thanks to those guys who are willing to eat free donuts, slurp free coffee and keep the rest of us safe!

[itsbacon]

it beats workin' for a livin'. december 2nd i start my 9th year. its a great line of work and if you get into it just remember its what you do, its not who you are. good luck.