Anybody a police officer or work for the police department?

[Warik]

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?

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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?

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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.

Warik-

Go Fed! The pay is better, the hours are better, you have the chance to specialize, and many more advancement opportunities.

If you are going to go local, find a big department with opportunities to advance. Smaller department have fewer of these opportunities. I have a lot of friends that are local cops as well and most of them got off the street as soon as possible and took the Sgt exam, tried out for the tactical team, or motorbikes, or other specialized units. Patrol work can get tedious after a while.

[Warik]

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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.

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

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Well, I'd be interested in the higher roles and I imagine my speed would be limited not by my own abilities, but rather by the department. It would be the Miami-Dade PD. Nice sized city so I imagine there would be plenty to do up the ladder.

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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.

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Not necessarily true... this cop I know through my dad whom I spoke to is making over 55k working behind a desk. My buddy is a programmer with experience making under 55k.

Don't know if that's an exception to the rule or if it's more common than one thinks.

I hate thinking about it from a financial standpoint though since one could reason that just because I'm "smart" I shouldn't be A because B makes more money, or I shouldn't be B because C makes more money. etc... It can't possibly be a job full of nothing but terrible things or else no one would want to do it.

Are you a cop? What exactly do you not like about the job itself that would make you not recommend it?

[diebitter]

I hear if you go in McDonalds in uniform, they're so stupid that... [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[tdarko]

my buddy ricer is but he never posts, i will try to get him to.

No, I am not a cop. I am a computer programmer working for the MA State Police though so I have a different perspective of them than most might.

Personally, I wouldnt like the hours some of these guys have to work to make ends meet. I am a big fan of my free time, so having regular hours makes all the difference to me.

[Warik]

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If you are going to go local, find a big department with opportunities to advance. Smaller department have fewer of these opportunities.

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I am planning to go local if I do it... Fed is an idea but I imagine I'd have to relocate and I'm not ready for that yet. Local experience would be a plus if I ever choose to go that route (if I even choose to go the local route in the first place, that is).

According to what I've read, the MDPD is responsible for 2 million people and has about 3k officers. Dunno if that's considered large or not.

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I have a lot of friends that are local cops as well and most of them got off the street as soon as possible and took the Sgt exam, tried out for the tactical team, or motorbikes, or other specialized units. Patrol work can get tedious after a while.

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I'd have no intention of sticking to patrol work. First thing I read in their brochure was that you can take the Sgt Exam after 2 years if you are good, which would be my plan. Ideally I'd like to do something that involves a lot of critical thinking and investigating where I could do more good than handing out tickets and responding to domestic disputes.

Come on... anybody else? Don't cops play p*ker too?

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am planning to go local if I do it... Fed is an idea but I imagine I'd have to relocate and I'm not ready for that yet. Local experience would be a plus if I ever choose to go that route (if I even choose to go the local route in the first place, that is).

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You do not necessarily have to relocate. A lot of agencies recruit locally for their field offices and you can stay there for your career. Others make you relocate every 2-5 years, depends. You would have to temporarily relocate during training though (3-6 mos.)

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According to what I've read, the MDPD is responsible for 2 million people and has about 3k officers. Dunno if that's considered large or not.


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MDPD is an excellent force, big enough to advance into, and have a lot of specialities. I have metseveral officers from there and all were pretty happy.

my brother is a police officer. He doesn't really like it. I've yet to meet a cop who isn't on the verge of alcoholism, and they constantly deal with the dregs of society. It's not like anyone is happy to meet you on any given day. Days and weeks of tedious crap along with some excitement and funny stories. I don't imagine most people have the perfect temperment to be a good cop.