[ QUOTE ]
Been thinking about a career change for a while and this came up. Is anyone here a police officer or play some other major role in their local departments? Are there a lot of advancement opportunities for a smart guy to do a lot of good and make good money? What should I think about before investigating more and getting started?

Little background on me: 24 yrs old, college graduate (Computer Science), excellent shape, and I can whoop any background test/drug test/etc... I'm certain I will be taking a substantial paycut initially from what I'm making now, but from what I've been told there's potential for a lot to be made if you're good and dedicated.

How do you like your job?

[/ QUOTE ]

There is room for advancement, but you are going to be a civil servant - get used to not getting paid. Overtime is where its at, but each department's policy will dictate that. Sometimes you can get in on event detail as overtime (think the cops at the Stones concert) and thats great. Other than that... I hope you dont like really nice things.

There are limits to how fast and how high you can move but they are usually in need of smart people in some of the higher roles. Smart isnt a term usually batted around the squadroom when referring to your peers...

But again, its really all going to be dependant on your department.

As for money - you have a degree in computer science. You can get an entry level position for more than you will ever make as a civil servant. Being allowed to carry a gun aint worth the pay differntial.