I was in the process of becoming one when I was told I was deploying in a few months so I decided it would be best to continue the process after deployment.
Well, about a month left and I go home so l've started to look back into the process, where I want to apply, etc.
I have my undergraduate degree (Bachelor of Arts) and military experience, as well as volunteer work here and there throughout my life.
In my Infantry company there are quite a bit of law enforcement officers, as well as first responders in general. This deployment has allowed me to work with many of them so that I'm in a better position to add them as work/ character references during the application process.
One of my team leaders, a sergeant, is an LEO (law enforcement officer) for the county right below the one I live in currently. Our XO (1LT) is a deputy for a county more up north that offered to right me a letter of recommendation if I decided to apply.
Other friends of mine I've meet are LEOs in other places.
Everyone of these men would 100% write me a letter of recommendation.
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I’ve been conflicted over where specifically to apply to due to goals of mine that I have within LE and beyond LE, such as within the military and within my personal life.
I need to find a way to balance all of my goals and wishes.
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My brother is also starting the process as he recently graduated from university and earned his degree. He’s going to get into a paid internship program with a LE agency, although I’m not sure which one. Personally, I’m excited to get back home and start this process with him. I have a lot of goals I want to start working towards not just in LE, but in other areas of my life as well. The choices I make regarding LE will better facilitate other goals of mine in my opinion.
I was going to when I retired. I spoke with the country sheriff's department. Their training officer did a background check and looked at my resume and decided they'd sponsor me in the next class. But I have degenerative joint disease in my neck and realized that I can't even look over my shoulder anymore. I have to turn my whole upper body. If I ever got into a physical altercation my neck could be a great cause of concern. So I told them I couldn't commit because I'd be a detriment to the force. So I did something else. 400+ jumps will mess with your neck.
One of my best friends was a cop for many years, here in the city and also in a smaller town. Rule number 1 is don't live and work in the same city. You're making enemies, some for life. When you're in a small town you keep seeing them. When you're in the city, you'll have sent a lot of shit bags to jail and prison. Some of them went to get even. You always have to look over your shoulder when you work and live in the same town. I don't recommend working places with long cold winters. My friend worked out in Wyoming for a few years and was the first responder to about 100 suicides. It fucked him up because he internalized everything. You have to deal with the worst situations and the worst people, you have to let hate roll off you like water on a duck. Good cops help the community but are still the human trashman, it's a double edged sword. The question is how much of people's stupidity or evil can you tolerate?
In answer to your question, no I’m not trying to become one. My hands are full right now.
I interact with two police departments on a regular basis, and respect and appreciate what they do. Like any organization, they have their share of problem children. HOW they do it is sometimes an issue. A lot of police departments know they need to do better and have to re-think some of their approaches. Citizens need to better as well, and as far I’m concerned mandatory training on how to interact with law enforcement would be in order for anyone getting a driver’s license or renewal.
Location seems to have a lot to do with it. If that’s the career you want to pursue, then as long as you have the right temperament for the job (for others to determine) then good luck in your pursuits. We need good police.
I have never considered either option but I hear from stories on tv that there is less pain and danger in policing then in doing military work and you get better benefits when your career ends due to old age or health factors. You are also in the same location instead of military relocations so you can settle down, have kids and a wife and your own house. I recommend picking up some side skills just in case the government decides to defund police, if you can make it in the military and get a degree, you should have no problem with a side trade if the government stops funding officers.
Different states have different processes. Where I live there is an exam you have to take and you get points for military service and if you are a woman or minority. Having a couple of good references will work in your favor. It sounds like you have a good shot at this.
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Yeah, here in FL we follow something similar generally speaking.
I took the firefighters exam a long time ago and passed it. It took about 4 years before I was called so this might take a while. Although the way things are now a lot of people do not want to be cops anymore so a lot of cities are actively recruiting. I think you would make a good cop,
All I can do is put in effort and see what happens in the future. There’s also equal numbers of paramedics and firefighters here in my infantry company.
Our 1SG (First Sergeant) is a firefighter for the county right below mine.
Yes, unfortunately there is a political component in the hiring processes as well. I used to sell uniforms and equipment to first responders and I literally knew hundreds of cops and firefighters. There were plenty of cop and firefighter families. Some went back 3 or 4 generations. Just keep doing what you are doing and keep yourself out of trouble and you should be okay.
RE:UPDATE- I took the firefighter's exam to get on the fire department in the town I was living in. It took a few years before I was called up. It was a fairly small department in a suburban town. The town hired a former FBI agent to do the interviews.. When I was interiewed I w currently running a small business and earning my degree in Accounting at night. I figured they would like somebody who was motivated and wanted to advance. Instead the guy looked at me and he said "You will just rot on the vine in this job" (his words) He told me there would not be much advancement and that I would probably get bored. I really took his words to heart and I turned down the appointment. I guess you have to find a place where there is advancement and some kind of way to learn about different things even political type stuff.
Yeah, I agree that you have to find a place that fits your interests, desires, etc.
It’s harder to gauge the political, leadership, and morale realms of a place before going into it. Unfortunately, you have to already be within such a place to better determine how these things are yourself.
Arguably, they can be the most important things in an organization, specifically first responder organizations or jobs.
Yes, my uncle was a cop and we are of Italian decent. He had a hard time getting promoted because he was not part of the Irish crowd that ran the department. He would always get top score on the exam but the policy was that all you had to do was pass the exam and the Irish guys would always get promoted and he would have to try again.
Yeah, that was the reality of it many years ago and still is today in some places. Although, it’s not to the same overtness or extent as the time period you’re referring to.
yes, that might be true. I guess I would like to commend you for wanting to serve your community. I know literally hundreds of first responders and I would say %99.5 are good people who want to serve their communities. The democrats and the fake news have been supporting the hate the cops movement that Obama started. I think the public is finally starting to wake up and see the results of defunding the police and hopefully this will turn around at some point.
Yes, the public in many areas all over the country are and have already realized how wrong it is to defund first responders, whether that be firefighters, police, or so forth.
I think most people see the flaw of this, but the vocal super small minority think it is in fact a good idea to defund these groups.
Not anymore. I tried and busted ass applying during 2020 because I wanted to be able to help and back my little sister up. Passed written tests and physical tests no problem, but those oral interviews always got me. It is very competitive, tough and draining. After the tenth attempt I decided to call it. Not ashamed at the end of the day because I tried and gave it a hard attempt.
Well, when you are surrounded by five cops on the table with many years of experience asking questions with stoic expressions and scribbling notes down in between your answers it raises stress and anxiety.
They didn't give additional comments or say anything else afterwards. It was just me trying to answer the questions to the best of my ability and being as authentic as possible and confident as I could without sounding as though I was trying to fit a mold or telling them what they wanted to hear. So with those factors in mind, you need to present yourself well and confidently. So you have no idea if it is because of the answers you gave or if someone just did better and outperformed your attempt.
At my age, my goals are to remember to take my medicine before I go to bed, and only wake up once in the middle of the night to pee.
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A lot of places, perhaps the majority, do not have an age limit to become a law enforcement officer. As long as you are physically and mentally competent to do the myriad of tasks of the job then that is perhaps all that matters.
Just an FYI, but of course I understand where you’re coming from and you are already a professional in the field of law.
There’s been professionals in your field that have been professors of mine, as well as one particular legal figure in FL that made an appearance to speak to us criminal justice students one time.
You should aim for a private military or security company, cops are overrated, there's a lot of crime and the system is just broken and cops are just ineffective on stopping most of the crime, you'll be risking your life for nothing, security are more lowkey
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I do understand what you’re saying, but I’m not entirely in agreement with it, in regards to your take on the justice system and ineffectiveness of cops.
I do agree that private military and security company options can be great for certain people. To be honest, I haven’t done too much research into these fields or options.
Cops get shot just for being cops, because of hatred that's thriving right now, I don't believe it's worth it, you are better off just doing some vigilante work, take matter into your own hands, i personally believe that if I'm going to die fighting crime, it should be with my own decisions not someone else's, it's also the reason why I changed my mind about joining the military
You are being thrown into a battlefield shaking or swallowing bullets just for the retard that send you there can drink his little baby bottle back at base or a whole other country, It's honorable and I thank you for your service but Im simply not worth you risking your life dude, I respect the soldiers and the lives that are given to give me my freedom but I hate the system and cops are basically just city soldiers and tbh I don't know which is worse cause I haven't served for any, soldiers run into battle knowing bullets will fly not knowing if they will get home and cops don't expect bullets to fly and they expect to get home but don't always do
It can be a rather complex thing to think about. I think I find my opinions or thoughts on the military and police to be somewhat simple, which is rather relieving at times. I can think of the myriad of conspiracies, politics, atrocities, and problems of both but I don’t think of them primarily in these terms.
I’m very aware of these issues that you’ve brought up, but I think DESPITE all of these things I’m still inclined to pursue these fields.
Also, when it comes to policing, location is very important. In my opinion? It makes nearly ALL the difference whether or not you’ll have the support of the population, the likelihood of you being in a gunfight, etc.
Yea but I don't think you get to choose where you patrol, I doubt those cops patrolling the worst areas had a choice, I believe it just comes with the job and all the rules of what you have to do and how to sustain a subject is all a disadvantage to the police because criminals don't have these rules, the least that can be done is better protection, clothing made of Kevlar or something
nope... I like to avoid corruption as much as possible, moreso in the region where I live, lol
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Well, I’m in full agreement with you. I guess my divergence would be, DESPITE potential corruption, I find myself still doing the best I can do with what I have. In this case, doing the right thing even when others are not doing the right thing and being good, just, and fair even when others may not be.
I guess it’s akin to this example:
There’s two people
It’s raining awful outside
Both don’t like the rain, but both need to run outside
One stays in doors until the rain goes away
The other suits up appropriately and runs outside DESPITE the rain
yes, the thing is... when that one that runs under the rain misses a step because it's flooded, and ends up getting his leg stuck at a drain, breaks his knee in dozens of pieces, and cannot longer go to work for months, recovery fails and now he's stuck with pain killers for like, and oh well... just because he could not wait for the rain to stop
risks are always there, yes... since it's raining, I don't know, a rogue lightning strike could very well strike either of them, the one that decided to run or the one that decided to just wait
the corruption is within the system... and you end up working for the system, and the system will USE you for their own gain, you will not be able to use the system for your personal gain... if they need you to do wrong, then you have to do wrong to benefit them, and if you do not comply well, they will just get rid of you
and then maybe, sure... you refuse to do the wrong thing, but then then will ask you to keep quiet and look away, while others do the wrong as required from them
frustration will build up to maximum levels... so be sure you're ready to deal with a lot of frustration year after year
Perhaps there’s no clear right or wrong answers in this, rather, whatever suits the individual persons best based on their interests, life experiences, goals, philosophy, etc.
it is not about right or wrong... it is about the reality, and the reality is that Law Enforcement fields deal with corruption on the daily and it becomes a way of life, either you get involved directly with it and corrupt yourself... and you will have to actively overlook it, and keep looking away
and that leads to frustration to build up with anyone who wants to do the right thing... especially those who want to do the right thing "no matter what"
so be ready for that, to deal with high amounts and levels of frustration
The reality is, some places deal with corruption (differing levels of it) and other places do not. Also, misinformation exists about corruption as well, so people can be led to believe things, places, or people are corrupt but there exists no such thing.
At the end, we are all individual people with the power to act or not act how we please. I think we can all see a situation and make our decision on what to do.
What’s tough is that a lot of this stuff is not clearly black or white in terms of what is 100% right and what is 100% wrong.
A lot of it is based on our individual experiences, preferences, fears, etc.
you just said that... the REALITY is that they do exist, places where they do not deal with corruption,... and if they do not have to deal with corruption is because corruption does not exist...
so again, which place is this... which town, city, county, state... is it a foreign country you speak of?
What some police command groups are finding is that corruption often starts with the rank and file patrol officers, but it is camouflaged as either tradition, accepted practices, or procedures.
So, you think every single law enforcement agency is corrupt? I’m saying, as a gamble, there are places that have been proven to be corrupt and not necessarily entirely, rather, specific sections or units within that agency. Now, there are also places that have not been proven to be corrupt and there’s no reason to believe them to be so.
If I’m trying to apply to an agency, it having a history of proven corruption, is NOT going to have a positive impact on me.
Quite the opposite actually.
Again, to reiterate, I simply said there are places that are corrupt and places that are not.
@SaoirseS exactly... they might choose to call it tradition, accepted practices and even "culture"
like the bad apples exist, but they do not represent the whole department, or... the one cop that has to do the dirty job, the infiltrated cop, the undercover cop... the "sometimes you have to do some bad to gain some good"
those are just nicer words for what essentially is, corruption... lol
@embracethepain if you see one corrupted member within an agency as the measure for the entire agency being deemed as corrupt then yes... but no, I would not say the entire agency is corrupt not all their members but they are for sure dealing with corruption between their ranks in that agency
now... you do choose to BELIEVE that are places in America that are completely free of corruption, well that is an idealization for sure, not a reality so you are wrong when you say it is the reality
apart from that, you're going with alternatives... "if you cannot prove it then it was not corruption" well that is wrong as well... that's what corruption is, when you manipulate the system in order to COVER up your wrongdoing, the moment it is uncovered and proven it is not corruption but a crime
now, a more troubling approach of yours here is when you seem to have your own version of what would be wrong and what would be right... THAT, has no place within police, within a police department you have to be willing to do exactly what they say, whether you see it wrong or right, and if you do not, they will just kick you out
@NathanDavis. Sometimes it’s subtle, essentially a collection of seemingly insignificant bad behaviors that go unnoticed because “everybody does it” or “it’s no big deal.” Exceptions and disregarding policy and rules can quickly become the norm, which leads to more serious and blatantly corrupt practices. It’s woven into every branch in the military and rationalized away because “petty corruption” is an awful term. It’s pretty common where people are given authority and little or no oversight. Military, government, civilian. We just don’t want to admit it.
I don’t think we are going to see much agreement on this issue so let’s just part ways mutually having respect for one another despite disagreeing on many points. I don’t really have the motivation or desire at the moment to continue giving you counterarguments even though I surely can.
I’ll only add that a lot of stuff can be misinterpreted by many to be corruption when it is not. Also, some may exaggerate the level of corruption in a given place when that is also not entirely true. There’s a lot of truth to what you say and equally valid counterarguments as well.
it's just you that likes to romanticize and idealize being a cop... and refuse to see reality for what it is, and I merely pointed that out
"counter-arguments" for idealizations are as good as fairy tales, have no place in the real world, but hey... you will realize that only with time, you will experience it by yourself
@EmbraceThePain. Main point here is that minor misconduct when left unchecked and when it becomes widespread and accepted practices leads to blatant corruption. I agree there are various degrees of severity, but it starts with the little things. And I know you see it in the Guard.
@SaoirseS absolutely true... which is also why I either quit or refused to go into careers that involved politics, law enforcement, law in general, the military and econometrics... because I'm not made to just ignore and look away when others do wrong and also because I am certainly not willing to sell my soul, lol
Corruption in the National Guard? No, I haven’t seen such a thing personally. When you say “blatant corruption,” I have not been party to such a thing nor have I experienced/seen this. The trickier thing is when you say “little things.” It’s easy to point out significant or overt signatures of corruption, but other stuff may not be as simply identified.
exactly... I was very clear when I said that I very much like that void the corruption within my area and region, and my perspective comes with actual experience from and within the ranks of law enforcement and also the military
now, one day you will have your own actual experience from and within the law enforcement, and well, we'll see how it goes for you
and in fact, I really wish that is actually true... and that you will be able to find a job and career within an agency in which the entire department sees NO corruption at all, that would be nice for a chance, so... best of luck
@EmbraceThePain. Things like pencil whipping documentation, like that monotonous 350-1 training. Or surfing the net on CQ, and backfilling the hourly checks that weren’t done all night before getting off duty. Pencil whipping PMCS checks. None of it on the surface is a problem until it becomes routine. Then it escalates to claiming those two or three taxis someone didn’t take on TDY to put an extra $100 in their pocket. Then there’s old school wall to wall counseling and other forms of barracks Justice. In your position you probably don’t see so much of it, but when it comes to the supply people, the only things that stand between them and jail time at Leavenworth are a government charge card or a computer. It’s around you.
And I’ve seen enough people get nailed that I chose to take the ass chewing over incomplete motor pool paperwork than falsify records. Falsifying records and fraud (padding TDY expense vouchers) are pretty corrupt practices.
Like what I’ve said before, I’m sure this happens in some places and does not happen in others.
I’m not denying this happens, rather, pointing out that two things can exist at the same time. There are places where what you’ve mentioned has been going on for years and years without any discovery of it. It has become nearly inherent within this respective unit.
For other places, they don’t have such a problem. For one reason or another, it’s just not what happens in this specific unit.
Then you’re fortunate. But it’s really hard for me imagine a few in your unit haven’t pencil whipped an online 350-1 training module lol, especially with the Guard’s wonky connectivity issues.
Thanks as well. Again good luck in your pursuits. If you land here, you’re always welcome to stop by and grab coffee and whatever dessert my mom made. As long as you don’t open carry in My chapels or park in my fire lanes we’ll get along just fine 😀
Just think about, how often are people happy to see the cops? Either they’ve just had a really bad day or they’re about to. Props to anyone that can do it because we do need them, but can’t imagine the motivation why you’d want to. Any chance to actually make any difference is fucked over by our useless legal system
Well, I do believe cops do make a difference, but nothing is perfect so if you’re seeing whatever faults the justice system has as evidence that nothing works and no one makes a difference then I would suggest trying to look into other sources of information opposite of what you’ve been seeing. Also, there are people happy to see the cops and people who are NOT happy to see the cops. To me, this is the reality of the job and it will always be the reality of it. I don’t necessarily see it as a bad thing. As for the motivation, there’s a lot of reasons why people would want to do the job.
