Anyone a police officer?

[Captain Mark]

It looks like all these officers agree. It's either in your blood, or it isn't. You are either drawn to the job, or you aren't. It's the same with being a firefighter. I don't fight fires anymore, I am a Fire Marshal. That is a .....hmmm.....Fire Cop, for lack of a better term. Now, I go out and figure out what started a fire, determine if it was an arson, go after the bad guy and try to put him in jail. In the Stae of Texas, and arson investigator has to be fire, and police certified. So I have been through both academies. I also have to know a lot about fire alarm systems, fire spinkler systems, plans review, fire and building codes.....all the boring technical stuff.

My Dad was a Sheriff's deputy, so I have seen both worlds. The thought of fighting a drunk out on a deserted rural road didn't appeal to me, so I became firefighter like my uncle. He was a Fire Chief and helped me get started a long time ago.

No regrets, except I would like to make more money!!

As for the blood and guts.....it doesn't bother me as long as it is someone elses blood and guts......not mine!!

 

[AsphaltAnihil8r]

So if you Work 24hrs ,how many of those hrs are you sleeping,,how many of those hrs are you sitting in front of the fire house watching babes ,while working on your tan.how many hrs are you feeding your face..

Start the flames


Then their are the Cops,,,I respect the big city cops,,they dont waiste their time on the small sh!t ie: speeding ,stop signs ,no signal...

Suburban cops ""CAN KISS MY WHITE A$$ ""

They would follow my GN everywhere...

 

[fast eddie]

Detroit P.O. for five years now come join the fun.....

 

[1FASTV6]

quote:
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Originally posted by Louie L.
This job has to be in your blood to do this or you wont last long.
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I am a retired NYPD Lieutenant. Did it for 20 years and a couple months extra. The couple of months extra was because I couldn't make my mind on retiring or staying. I would have stayed and worked for free. I loved the job that much. Unfortunately the pension system is setup that you have to take the retirement or have the chance of losing it! I'm not a gambling guy. A job waiting for me in the private sector also helped me leave. There is alot of jobs when you have Law Enforcement experience these days.
I met Louie at BG, KY right while I was retiring. Like he said it has to be in your blood to do this or you won't last long. It's still in mine!

Artie

 

[blackshoebox]

Originally posted by 90TGP
I'm partially thinking of possibly becoming a police officer.

So let me guess, you were a geek in school and got beat up often?! So now, you are looking for a power trip.

***Shoebox apoligizes for thinking out loud***

To answer your original question. There are a lot of jobs out there, that will pay you more and you won't have to worry about being shot at! To me, that makes the choice simple enough.

 

[galoush]

Hey Asphalt yeah we do have some down time here and there but the bottom line is when its time to do your job and go to work were there . No mater what . We average a 4min response in NYC to your door . So if you want to eat cake watch girls etc , just be ready to go inside the building and do your job , crawling around in the heat and smoke not being able to see a thing in front of you , for those of you out there who think " Backdraft" is like a real fire think again . And there are times we run our ball$ off . People call for everything Fires, thats a given , car accidents , water leaks , downed powerlines , gas leaks , elevators etc And the engine companies do EMS runs . In my house the ladder did apx 2300 runs last year and the engine did 3700runs . Figure it out it really cuts into the free time . Im not saying the job dosnt have its perks but the darkside is real dark . Ive be to to many Funerals for guys ive worked with and known to take the we do nothing comments lightly . And thats excluding 9/11 . So instead of bashing us maybe you should load up your car with girls and beer and head down to your local F.D and thank us properly Proud to be F.D.N.Y !

 

[mike]

I'm glad this subject came up. I actually start the police academy for Maywood, Ill(suburb outside of Chicago) on Jan. 7th. Can't wait. I've known I was in for 3 months now but have to wait until Jan. I've wanted to do this since I was a kid and it's less than 2 weeks away.

 

[Gary Wells]

My hat's off to all emergency personnel, regardless of classification and/or rank. The person eating a donut now might be saving your life tomorrow. As far as revenue generation, regardless of how high a policeman is up the totem pole, they always have someone to report to who generally pulls the strings. Cops are not out there generating revenue because they decided it is the thing to do, they are generally doing it cause they are told to do so. All emergency personnel deserve a big thanks for what they are doing. And while you are badmouthing cops, give some consideration to how many gave their lives on 9-11 and will never come home to their families. Also consider how many emergency fire dept. personnel will never return home to their families. Now consider how small/minute this ticket that you got that you felt that you didn't deserve.
The fireman that you are questioning now regarding how many hours worked compared to how many hours off might be dragging your family out of a burning house tomorrow.

 

[jj86gn]

90TGP,

I been a police officer for 8 years in Bellevue Borough, Pittsburgh, PA. On the average, I make about 60+ a year. Great job and a honorable profession, but it is not for everyone.

Think about this, Can you go on a call where parents beat a child for crying soo bad that they broken his arm and ankle and then go home to you own children and not let it get to you?

Before starting at Bellevue, I worked in the projects of Pittsburgh. I watch a man get stabbed to death in front of my own eyes. The purp didn't care that we were on scene. I kept stabbing until he was hit with a night stick several times and handcuffed.

Also in high school I was a metal head and hated cops with a passion. In my eyes they were punks with badges. The ones we beat up. Both college and the military changed my mind soo much that I became one. I have a degree in Bio-Medical Engineering so I not some smack off who doesn't have a clue.

Most cops do the job quite well. We don't abuse our power. But there are some bad apples. Every profession has them, but in ours, since we a more visible, we get the heat.

I say go for it. If your thick skin you'll do a great job. Just be prepared for the harassment for your fellow officers. They'll screw with you more than the public will.

If you want further informaton on what it is like to work here in Pittsburgh, Pa. check out the following web site.
www.hoopieworld.com

Good Luck!
JJ86GN

 

[turbov6joe]

Been a cop for 14 years now and will prolly retire from the field or something very close to it before it's over. It's a good and noble profession but not one that you'll ever get rich working in. The hours basically suck untill you have some senority and the pay is decent depending on your geographical region. You'll have MANY close calls over the years.... if your an adrenaline junky you'll love it! It's the best non-office type job there is IMO, and the feeling from helping others makes it all worth while. Most people will hate you, and the friends/family you have now will never look at you the same....you'll always be refered to as the "cop" friend or family member. Personally I love guns, driving cars fast, and getting into a scuffle now and again, so the job fits my personality just fine. Contrary to what most people think about cops, I was not the kid that got beat up, or the geek in school; quite the opposite. The badge can be very heavy for some folks to handle, so where it carefully if you decide to go this route.
Good luck!

 

[NUTTSGT]

I wasn't busting on the pd for the donuts, i've friends on the pd. it's just a little friendly joking. There is abig difference in the size of the community, big city little city. Some fd run ems some don't>We run back up to the ambulance service and there can be rivaries there too. Since we're small we get alot of o/t something big depts don't get. I probally made more than some of the Lt.s just being firefighter, but I was at the station a close to a total of six months this past year.

 

[ncgreg231]

Not a cop at the moment (between jobs) I've got not even a year under my belt. Didn't really fit into the first dept I joined (long story). After much thought, I decided to try with a different dept, and here in NC, the application processes can drag on, so still I wait. I pursued this job field b/c I decided to get a job close to my wife (as opposed to going back into the military) Besides, I like guns and driving fast, so this job offers both. Gotta agree with lots that have already been said here. Didn't want to have a job where I do the same thing every day, being a cop appealed to me, b/c I wouldn't be stuck in an office/inside. A small part wanted to help the community. Oh yeah, and the money (or lack there-of) isn't a big deal for me. Entry level, I expect to make @$30K in my area, I've got a Bachelor Degree in Mechanical Engineering and one job I turned down was @$60k (before adding overtime). So you can guess what I'll be focusing on if I decide Police work isn't for me.

Never got beat up in high school, and in fact, never imagined I'd become a cop until after I finished my degree, and I was looking through the newspaper job listings. So I wouldn't necessarily suggest the job, but if you think you might like it, then I'd say try it out.

No one else mentioned it yet, but see if you can do some "Ride-alongs" if available to you and that might give you an idea of what the job is like. HTH.

-Greg

 

[1FASTV6]

Raleigh, NC

Greg,

Chief of Police for Raleigh, NC is Jane Perlov. Perlov is a former member of NYPD. She retired as Queens County's Chief of Detective.

Artie

 

[bigz]

I've been a cop for 7 years and like it most of the time. Like any job it has its ups and downs. The money in my part of the country is pretty good most departments top out in the high 50's to mid 60's range plus overtime. I have a BS in criminal justice and am almost finished with my masters in public administration. Most departments require at least an associates degree. My suggestion would be to do some ride alongs and stay out of trouble. The ride alongs will give you a small glimpse of what it's like so you can decide whether or not it's for you. I agree with what the others have said it has to be something that is in your blood because it definitely changes your life and the way people think of you. Here is a link to 911jobforums.com which I help moderate. If you use the search feature you should be able to find the answer to just about any law enforcement hiring process question you can imagine. Good Luck!

http://63.144.255.254/vB/index.php3

 

[1Grand86]

I think any type of law enforcement job is great considering the pay, benefits, and pension plan most depts offer. However, to get the job you have to complete the academy. I can tell you first hand the academy was much harder than i thought. I just graduated a police academy a few days ago(dec.19) and you have to give 110% or you wont make it. My class ended up losing 6 people along the way. For me, it was the first time I had someone in my face yelling and calling me every name in the book. There are definately many mind games the instructors play with you throughout the academy. They will break you down and build you back up the way they want you to act. The academy will definately weed out people who are not fit for the job. My advice to anyone who has to go to an academy is to do a lot of running and push-ups before hand. also try not to take everything personally with what the instructors are screaming at you. Dont forget it is their job to put you through hell, and make you act under stressful situations as anytype of law enforcement job will make you act under these conditions.
c-ya
eric