Pro's and Con's of being one of the finest!

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Joey101

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The Stars At Night Are Big And Bright....Deep In T
Ok, I will preface this with a hello, it's been a while since I been on here, and last I talked to you all I was going through the employment process with the Sheriff's dept. While all that's done with, and I'm now one of (INsert my county here) finest. I am happy and finding out all the pro's and con's of this job. I won't go into all of them, not enough time but I will give you a for instance.

Tonight, my cousin came over to pick up some clothes for himself. He has quite the stereo system in his work truck. He is a repo man. Anyway he comes over and has his stereo a little too loud but I didn't think anything of it due to the fact that he was just picking up clothes and then leaving. One of my ignorant neighbors who I have never even talked to comes up a mintue after he had walked through my door and asks him to turn it down. He says ok I will in a sec. She says "In a Sec?" "No, you need to turn it down now!" And he says ok in a minute , so she walks away. Anyway a minute later when he walks out the door towards his truck two of her "Hoodlum" kids starts yelling at him telling that he needs to leave and to do it right now! He says ok I'm going, all the while trying to keep the peace around my neighborhood. Anyway things escalated and the "thugs" threw off their coats and were bouncing around like a bunch of idiots. And so my cousin of course takes his jacket off when their mother yells that their minors. He then quickly puts it back on.

So their mother of course calls our lovely local police dept., as do I. I also feel compelled to give them all of my information and some information as to why I'm calling them. I called their non-emergency number. Anyway about 5 units show including the patrol seargent. I ID'd myself and talked with the seargent about things that happened. To which he was not happy to be there for. Which I could understand to a certain extent, but he didn't have to show up. Anyway the other party was claiming that my cousin pulled a gun on them, which he didn't. So they following SOP patted him down and searched his repo truck. No big deal they found nothing cause there was nothing.

So now my wife is worried about our families safety. I am not. But that's pretty self-explanitory. I am however going to raise hell in the morning with our apartment management. My next door neighbors do not shut-up thru-out the whole day until 11pm when city ordnance takes effect. They slam doors and scream and holler, and bang on our ajoining walls, they are very annoying. But then again most people in my neighborhood are.

So if you were placed in that situation what would you do? I am still on probation, so I don't want to draw any unnecessary negative attention to the department. But on the other hand I am a citizen of this city just like everyone else that lives here, so I should have a right to complain. Maybe not. I don't know.

I'll keep this gun oriented to make the Mod's happy. The seargent was carrying a Springfield XD. Don't know what caliber but knowing cops it must have to be in .40 S&W.
 
he comes over and has his stereo a little too loud but I didn't think anything of it due to the fact that he was just picking up clothes and then leaving. One of my ignorant neighbors who I have never even talked to comes up a mintue after he had walked through my door and asks him to turn it down. He says ok I will in a sec. She says "In a Sec?" "No, you need to turn it down now!"
In my opinion, your cousin was being extremely rude. One of the keys to domestic tranquility with your neighbors is to respect their right to a little peace and quiet. How do you know one of your neighbors was not sleeping, or trying to enjoy a little TV? These are the things you need to think about if you want to demonstrate the kind of objectivity you will need as a LEO.
 
rock jock said:
In my opinion, your cousin was being extremely rude. One of the keys to domestic tranquility with your neighbors is to respect their right to a little peace and quiet. How do you know one of your neighbors was not sleeping, or trying to enjoy a little TV? These are the things you need to think about if you want to demonstrate the kind of objectivity you will need as a LEO.

Oh, nono! I understand that and completely agree. Not to try and justify what he did. And to try and not make this a racial thing. BUT.......The same person who came and complained about my cousin doesn't complain when "others" come in and "bump". You know. I have absolutely lost it with this community. I have these same rights to peace and quiet sometimes correct? I don't I'm glad all this happened after the office was closed that'll give me time to collect my thoughts, and be more professional about this.
 
Many people think once you are in LE you have "More Rights" You will soon find out you are in a minority. You should have anticipated that this could have happened and headed it off prior to anyone calling this to your attention. You are now held at a higher standard. Argue all you want but I am speaking from experience. You must set a stellar example or you will be critisized. UNfair maybe realistic yes. Welcome to the brotherhood. Grin and bear it. Be objective, fair, and firm and you will do well. Do not allow someone else to use any behavior on your part against you. This will be a true trial of character. How you do whether you stay in LE or not will be your guide on how you do in life. Welcome to the big league. Merry Xmas
Jim
 
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This is easier said than done but as soon as your probation is up or sooner.......MOVE!! It sounds like you live among a bunch of scum.
 
Sir, i am glad that you have heeded the call to duty and a life of service...as with every job that we have been called to do...they come with challenges no doubt that is...it comes with the territory. As others have said, you are now judged in a higher "plane" of standards, both personally and civically. Do your best/honorable always to uphold your profession. We count on it! We need it! with that, We are all imperfect and times will seem as though we may have let ourselves down by failing to live up to our/other's "standards"...It's normal...but getting over it and using that trial to overcome and edify oneself in the process does have its reward...I may be wrong. YMMV;)
 
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What did you get put on probation for? (If you would perfer not to answer I understand I was just trying to understand if it was an issue where the PD wouldn't take your word on something like this.)
 
What did you get put on probation for?

Most departments (mine does) place new officers on a 1 year probationary period for training during which time they ride with a Field Training Officer. You're still an officer, you're just not qualified to ride by yourself until the FTO signs off on you.

One of the things that will be hard to get used to, Joey101, is arresting and booking someone, and then running into that same person a couple weeks later at the local supermarket when you have your wife and kids in tow. Now *that's* an uncomfortable feeling, having some puke giving you and your family the evil eye and realizing that he now knows what your wife and kids look like. It also explains why many officers carry off duty when they can.

I sure do.

When you deal with the criminal element of society, you need to be prepared to pay the cost of increased vigilance, both on and off duty.
 
Most departments (mine does) place new officers on a 1 year probationary period for training during which time they ride with a Field Training Officer. You're still an officer, you're just not qualified to ride by yourself until the FTO signs off on you.

Thanks for clarifying that, I wasn't aware of that.
 
I feel for you.

You have much to lose and the scum have nothing.

I know it's harsh. However, move. Yes, they "win" in some ways (not really since more scum will move in), but you will be able to have your career and family.

The maggots are not always worth fighting since in our society they sometimes pull down the people trying to do right.
 
00blkgt said:
Have you considered being a firefighter? :D


No, believe it or not I would rather dodge bullets than run into a burning building. :D



This is something I have wanted to do since I was little. I woke up one day and decided to go for it, after realizing I wasn't getting any younger. I am only 22 and already plan to double dip. (2 Retirements). Hopefully one Civilian PD and the other Federal.

As to being held to a higher standard I know, I am slowly realizing that that is true, and in most cases I am the minority. The hard thing is trying to split my work game and my home game. Very difficult. I have been taught that while in uniform you need to keep on your "game face" just another way for our department to say professionalism. And there have already been times where I didn't have time after work to home and change. And trying not to seem like an a$$ to my family and keep that "game face" on is incredibly hard while in uniform looking odd at a local Wally World:cool: LOL.

I appreciate everybody's thankfulness. But I don't see it as a job, to me it's not work. I wanted this career soo bad I was willing to work for free!

I am over the next couple of years going to be working my way out to patrol or up in confinement. Either way they pay very well. And I am happy with both.

I figure I have a dream job of sorts, when you can honestly wake up everyday and be happy to get out of bed, you know your in the right line of work!
 
One of the things that will be hard to get used to, Joey101, is arresting and booking someone, and then running into that same person a couple weeks later at the local supermarket when you have your wife and kids in tow. Now *that's* an uncomfortable feeling, having some puke giving you and your family the evil eye and realizing that he now knows what your wife and kids look like. It also explains why many officers carry off duty when they can.

Along with this, you'll have to deal with your regular customers seeking you out in public to either talk to you like you were their long lost brother (especially if you have solved a little problem for them), or bringing their problems to you when you are off duty. Unfortunately, most of your regular customers won't be the kind of people you want anywhere near your family.

You need to take some precautions to keep the public from knowing where you live and who your family is. This can be hard to do if you have a take home car. I had a couple show up at my door at 8pm on my night off with their drug addicted 15 year old daughter in tow after she had run away and they had tracked her down and went to pick her up. She told them she was going to run away as soon as they got her home, so they just pulled into my drive, seeing the squad car was home....

If you want to double dip on pensions you need to start with the feds now. You can't hire into federal LE above age 37. And yes age discrimination in police and fire hiring is legal.

Welcome to the profession brother....Jeff
 
LOL, I was just at the barber today with my family when one of our "regulars" comes walking in and felt the need to come over and introduce himself to my family. Luckily he is just a loser ????bag and not a real bad guy. You have to be constantly on the look out for this stuff. Good luck in your career!

Dave Williams
 
"Have you considered being a firefighter? ":D :D

Oh man I should have seen that one coming! I just honestly burst out laughing after that one.

Welcome to the Brotherhood.

It is not a job, you live this career. How you treat people will have a lot to do with how well you get along in the community and it will affect your safety.

Example:

About 6 years ago my wife and I lived in a bad neighborhood. The neighbors across the street were hard core bangers and they knew what I did for a living. Kinda obvious when you take a machine gun in your house with you at night and are observed putting darth vader gear in your G ride from time to time.

I had never spoken with them and always kept my eye on them. Our only contact was when we would make eye contact and give each other the "head nod". I minded my own buisness in the neighborhood and ignored many minor infractions. I ended up working a couple of cases against some of their friends and was a little concerned since they knew where I lived and when I was home or when it was just my wife. They were well known in the community for their violence against other bangers.

Anyways, I was away on an EP (executive protection) assignment for about 5 weeks when a couple of drunk street thugs started giving my wife a hard time asking where I was and getting in between her and the door to the house. I do not know what their intent was but it was not good.

Anyways, my gangbanger neighbors came over and threw them off of my property and asked my wife if she was ok. She of course called me. I came home that weekend. I took a case of Budweiser over and put it on their porch with a yellow sticky note that just said "thanks".

You can't believe the mileage I got from that. I ended up going to a fight call about 4 months later to assist the local cops with the situation since they were outnumbered and there are two of my neighbors. The locals were simply trying to get things under control and disperse the crowd. The bangers were yelling and threatening the local cops as well as each other. Things were a little tense to say the least. I figured both gang banger sides were well armed.

I walked up to my neighbors and simply asked "you cool?". The older one says "yeah we're cool with you". I replied "allright, do me a favor and take off". They did and things kind of fizzled out after that.

In the two years I lived there that was the first and last time I spoke to any of them.

The point to that long story was that to get respect, be respectfull. You get further than trying to nut up on most people. Sometimes you have no choice as there are some who only learn one way. With them it is simpley Speed , Surprise and Violence of Action. Give them no warning and be brutal, Fast.

For most simply be firm and polite. The longer you work the Job, the more you see things in grey instead of black and white.

Oh yeah, Move to a better neighborhood.
 
IV Troop,

Great post. Too few Officers treat people with respect. IMO it has a lot to do with their ego.

Dave Williams
 
One point not made here is this. LE is only as good as the community that supports it. That is why you need to be proffesional and curtious to others. This is a lasting impression. Try not to form an opinion that it is them against us. Easy to do when most of the time all you deal with is individuals who are on their worst behavior or frankly scum. Wave, stop and talk with buisness owners and people walking down the street. Be OBJECTIVE at all times. Things are seldom as they look when you show up at a scene. Find a good role model and do as he does. Remember you are never off duty as far as scrutiny goes. Good Luck Bro and as Jeff said Welcome to the brotherhood. That is something that will stick with you for the rest of your life. Merry Christmas
Jim
 
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IV Troop

Good post. It's amazing how much easier the job is when you approach 95% of your contacts with a smile, it lets people's guard down and they feel like your going to give them a chance to tell their side. The case of beer was a nice touch.
 
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