I've decided to pursue an LEO career... advice please!

[Jeff22]

Law Enforcement pay

And how much you get paid also depends on where you work, and the size of the municipality that you work for . . .

In my state, you need 60 college credits to get hired as a police officer. Functionally, since the late 1970s,for the most part, if you were a white male and wanted a police job, nobody would look at you seriously unless you had at least an associate degree. (This did NOT necessarily apply until to women & minorities until the law changed in 1993).

I don't know of any agencies in my state that require a batchelor's degree, but one certainly helps to get hired.

And then in other places in the country, all they need to get on is a High School diploma or GED . . .

The requirement for Academy training varies significantly state to state. In Wisconsin, its 520 hours minimum (13 weeks). Other states, it's more than that or less than that, and some larger agencies that run their own recruit academy have longer training periods.

It's just about impossible to make general statements about police work, because things vary so much area to area in the country . . .

 

[RustyShackelford]

This is not a firearm/gun related topic...

This is not really a firearm or gun related subject for this message board.

Before it's closed you may want to go to these LE employment websites/message boards;

www.officer.com www.lawenforcementjobs.com www.aslet.org www.fleoa.org www.usajobs.opm.gov www.firstgov.gov .

Rusty

 

[Nimitz]

good thread...i'm looking at the same career, i'll be 19 in feb. im in the Marine Corps Reserve as of now and a few of the guys at the unit work as LEO's.

my question is whats the pros and cons city vs county?

im thinking city has better benefits (sp) and a smaller force, and not as much politics?

i worked for the Broward sheriff's office part time in the motor pool and it was interesting to hear how you have to "walk on eggshells and could be fired at any moment"

not exactly inviting.

for you LEOS on the board...any prior military? from my experience many cops are also some sort of military either reserve or prior service.


Chad

 

[Father Knows Best]

for you LEOS on the board...any prior military? from my experience many cops are also some sort of military either reserve or prior service.

I'm not an LEO, but as I've said many times, my brother is. He is former Army. He attended college on an Army ROTC scholarship and earned a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice. He then went to paratroop and flight school, where he learned to fly OH-58's. After that, he did five years active duty with the 82nd Airborne. He left the Army after Gulf War I when they were downsizing and had no money, so he had little to do and barely got enough flight time to maintain his rating. He then joined a county police department (not the Sheriff's department, the police department) in Georgia, and has been there for about 12 years now.

 

[Father Knows Best]

i worked for the Broward sheriff's office part time in the motor pool and it was interesting to hear how you have to "walk on eggshells and could be fired at any moment"

not exactly inviting.

That doesn't sound like a good place. Keep in mind that in the private sector, you are almost always an "employee at will" and can be fired at any time for any or no reason. Your employer doesn't have to give notice, or have a reason. If your boss decides he doesn't like the way you looked at him, he can fire you. That's the American way.

Police officers typically have far greater job security than private sector workers, for several reasons -- unions and/or civil servant protections. It's typically a lot harder to fire a police officer than your average private sector employee.