It is no longer worth it. Law enforcement is not what it was. It is a thankless job given only lip service. You are expected to be a compassionate servant who never tells anyone NO and you are expected to fix everyone's problem.

Your career will be filled with answer calls where you are expected to listen to people who live their lives like a disaster and have shity relationships and you are supposed to fix it. People live lives on drugs and are walking disasters but they call you and you have to listen to their problem and fix it.

-We were both doing drugs, drinking and had sex, it was rape.

-I don't get along with my nieghbor, he is stalking me, look I have surveillance video of him, these are all the HOA complaints I made against him, here is all the cases where I've called the police to investigate him.....see he is harassing me.

-he hit me, I wanted him arrested, I know I dropped those previous 5 battery charges against him but I'm serious this time

-my baby dady stole been driving my car after he got out of prison. I let him drive it but I caught him at a hotel so I want it back, it is stolen

-my car is stolen, rayray has it, I loaned it to him (for drugs) and he didn't bring it back

-my girl I been messing with smashed up my apartment, i want her arrested again to go with the 5 previous arrests that I dropped but I want her arrested again, i ain't been messing with her lately

-my boyfriend stole my meds so I went in his room to go psycho on him and he picked me up to put me out of his room and I ended up on the floor, ARREST HIM

-I was kidnapped and raped, guy picked me up and threw me in his car, I was texting my friend while we were driving around, we stopped at some gas stations and he went inside, I didn't think to call 911 or get out of the truck when we stopped, then he raped me for money....okay, I was late for curfew so I reported a rape.

-I was raped 9 months ago, I didn't know I was pregnant, so I must have been raped at a party


And treat all these reports with seriousness and professionalism or you will be taken to task by the brass. It is oh so tiresome.

Life would be so much easier if people would Break up with their abusive relationships. Stop having kids with convicted felons and drug dealers. Stop doing drugs and drinking to the point where anything goes. Learn that nothing good happens after 11pm so just go home. Quit calling the police for all your problems.

People in law enforcement today are getting burnt out extremely fast. Kids with barely 5 years on are acting like people you would expect to see at the 15 or 20 year mark because of the dealing with the bullsh*t. Karens calling the cops, demanding personal service....administrations dishing out unreasonable standards on their employees......and criminals being treated with kid gloves by State and courts....

And I have it comparatively good in my state compared to other states/jurisdictions.

It has always been like this. What is different is alot more cops are being made scapegoats.

I think thats my point. Like gabby petito...  Somehow its the cops fault that she got murdered. No one deserved or wanted anyone to go to jail that day. Then she gets mudered by the other half of her toxic relationship a week later... Oh its the cops fault.


I dont think people starting in this job today have much prospect for getting to the end of a career.

Deleted. That comment doesn’t belong in BOTS. My apologies. Good luck I hope things get better.

Lol you sound like my cop drinking buddy.

How hard is it to get on as a reserve deputy in a very rural county? I guessing still need full on peace officer license? Just asking because I know some guys who are concerned about border crap and are willing to help when needed. Or is there a way to go honorary or posse route? They’re not interested in typical cop bs like op described but have been told help is needed. Plus I think you can carry in all 50 states plus Canada and England with a badge.

Pretty much always been that way.  
Barking dogs,
Neighbor disputes,
Someone is parked on the street in front of my house,
My kid won't do what I say/disrespectful/etc.
I once had a call for a 5 year old that was mean to his mother and made her cry.

I started in law enforcement after 20 years in the military retiring as a Navy CPO.  I had a bad habit of telling folks what I thought, including if I thought they were an idiot.  I was sent to training on "Defusing the Irate Citizen"..   twice.  

By the end of my career I pretty much disliked people in general and often wondered how they tie their shoes every day.

In hindsight my best times as a LEO was as a detective, only dealing with felonies/major crimes.

All that said I loved the job and miss those I worked with.

Good luck to you.  Hang in there.

Same as it ever was, Brosef. Time for a change of pace, ask your Boss for a temp assignment to a specialty unit that interests you. A thirty day reprieve does wonders. If it's not feasible, take a vacation. Surviving this business is knowing when you're getting burnt out. Its a marathon, not a sprint. Hang in there, we've all been there. YCB

For most agencies and places, you are 100% correct.

You should come work for our agency... seriously... there's no other place I'd work in LE today.

While I don't specifically like the "nature" of my job (adult babysitting and referee) and the direction LE has taken (social worker) over the years, I like my agency, the leadership, and the employees. We have a few rough spots in the county but for the most part, you can't walk into Publix to grab a loaf of bread without several people thanking you for what you do or eat at a sit down restaurant without good odds someone will pay for your lunch.

That can change in a day, especially nowadays.
While I spent my time in Shitholesville working for a truly dysfunctional and infighting department(the mayor-for-life was elected in 1980 on a pledge to "break the teeth" of the department-which he did) the agencies around us were solid operations.
But time goes on, Lawfare becomes Total War, mayors, police chiefs and city councilors move on or retire.
One by one they fell.
I retired and went to the Sheriff's Department... just as he was defeated by a"Historic Civil Rights Victory."
The vicious criminals in the jail went into flights of rapture, taunting the deputies and immediately began pushing the limits of jail policies.
Within 2 years, we had multiple deputies seriously assaulted, multiple escape attempts involving violence(one was a mass murder plot), and began hemorrhaging deputies to other departments and retirement. Of course, the predatory criminals directed all the violence they could at each other, making an already unpleasantly dangerous situation downright dire.
Crime in the County has skyrocketed, especially violent crime, with murders starting to trail the neighboring Shithole for the first time in history.
So, The Historic Civil Rights Victory was elected in a landslide.
The People across America have spoken and deserve what they've voted for.
Good and hard.

You accepted a cash gratuity from a citizen? Policy violation, make good use of the admin leave to find your next job. Corrupt cops must go.

Kind of hard to avoid when you have no idea it's going to happen or already happened. When it does, I get a check for a coffee/drink and leave a tip generally for what the meal would have cost... but something tells me you won't believe me. Kind of hard to avoid in a drive-through when the car in front pays.

You would not believe some of the things I've said in order to force an employee to give me a check, but again, you won't believe that either.  You probably won't believe we avoid certain places because no matter what you say or do, they won't take a penny. Knowing and going to such a place is a cheese dick move in my book.

Here's another story you won't believe... a couple months ago we had a social event at a local County Club to kick off the upcoming Sheriff's Election for 2024 and announce the in-house candidate. The owner had the waiters and waitresses bring us various finger foods and drinks. He prevented the staff from giving us any checks, even for those who purchased meals off the menu. All of us one by one slipped over to another part of the CC and convinced a cashier to discretely generate checks so we could all tip the servers.  

If you're triggered by some citizen buying a cop a burger and a drink, I fell sorry for you.

My post was only to demonstrate there are some select communities out here that still enjoy a great working relationship with their local LE. It was not to suggest "come here for the free burgers". I would suspect a guy like you would appreciate the fact certain agencies still strive to serve the pubic.

I strongly suggest the trades to young men who ask me about a career in LE.  I had one of the greatest jobs in my state but even that was ruined by politicians and yes men command staff.  Retirement was quite desirable at the end.  It was time to take my toys and go home.

Lol, it was referred to as Charm school by the old timers.  I think they quit doing Charm school and simply took vacation days or issued a disciplinary letter.  

You are correct... agency dynamics can in fact change with a new Chief, Sheriff, or City/County Manager and Council.

Our Sheriff, who retires in 2024, has been in office since 1997 and has run four back to back unopposed elections. He is an honorable man for which I feel fortunate to have worked for over the past twenty years. He is not flamboyant like a couple other Florida Sheriffs. His character and leadership has molded our agency into the successful organization that it is... we hope to keep it that way after the 2024 election.

We have a very cohesive Command Staff with not clicks, riffs, or secret squirrel crap... how many places can make such a claim?

I came to the agency as an outsider and have move unincumbered up through the ranks... no "good ole' boy" stuff like many quasi-rural agencies.

This, you can try to avoid it but sometimes it’s a fait accompli.   All I could do was leave a tip that covered the bill.  In fact the smart waitresses knew they made out better that way and would gladly have someone pay the bill.

If it was the establishment that was eating the bill I felt weird enough just to avoid the place on duty in the future but would spend my money there on my own time.

There was occaisionally the mutt that would seek out every freebie there was.  They were ridiculed in house.

My 16 yo son has this idea of being a police officer in his head right now. I know it's a tough job, always has been, but in this timeframe there is a lot more scrutiny of the job. One small percieved mistake can result in a long and drawn out legal process. Cities and municipalities can have restrictive policies, and may not stand up for a defend their officers in some cases to save political face. My hat is off to those that do the job all roll with the punches, but until politics and public opinion change for the better, I'm hoping my son  changes his mind.

I am trying to interest him in becoming a firefighter. No one to shoot at you 99% of the time and the job is not subjected to the left vs right politics that can get cops caught up in that BS.

Tipping the amount of the purchase purchase price doesn’t negate the crime. IA needs to be involved.

How about I just pay you something and we just keep this between us?

I promise I’ll never eat another free hamburger again.

Great. That’s another critical policy violation. Jesus.

Why stop now? My career is over. Go big or go home right?

clown shoes.

leaving money that covers the bill does in fact alleviate it.  You left your money for the food.  Not getting in to an argument over the bill and making a scene is better.  What they do with the money is on them and not in your control anymore.


IA nor any court is going to waste their time to make you feel better.

I simply avoided those places and the issue altogetether.  Even better I went home for a meal and ate something healthier and not deep fried.

I know you love to cop bash but this is a silly thing to assert;  going after a guy who left enough money to cover the bill.

What?  Those are all modern trends in professional standards. The eventual and inevitable outcome is that officers are barred from commercial transactions while on duty.

I wasn’t going after anybody. Just pointing out a direction that things are trending.

Maybe I missed it but where did he accept a cash gratuity?  Someone buying your meal doesn't make you a corrupt cop.  Geez

I was almost certain from his first post that FightingHellfish was joking.

Wouldn't seppuku be more appropriate? Without a Kaishakunin, of course.
Then the wife stoned and children sold into slavery to be thorough.

My daughter made noises about being a cop.
I told her "No".
She asked how I'd stop her.
I told her I'd buy some dope, plant it on her and dime her out to the cops.
I was dead serious.

90% of the encounters must have gone to law school because they more about the law than every officer.

Everyone has a cell phone and is more than willing to take, edit, and post videos that show any officer intervention in the worst possible light.

Heaven forbid an officer actually has to draw their weapon and shoot someone, even if the person has 87 prior convictions for a variety of felonies. The department will distance themselves from the officer faster than dropping a hot rock. The officer's actions will be scrutinized by the public in slow motion for weeks or months and the family will claim that the felon was a "happy, well adjusted person, just minding their own business when he was gunned down." Protests will ensue. Basically, the officer's life and future is over.

If the officer is judged to be wrong, or the person that is arrested dies while being arrested, the officer goes to prison, convicted by a liberal jury.

If a young person wants to make a difference in the community, be a fireman. They only work about 10 days a month. They can go to a fire, burn someone's house down and still get cakes and pies taken to the station at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

What major difference today is that the organization will not back you in a use of force incident if the perpetrator has Politically Preferred Privilege. Also, all it take is one person to report an offensive social media post and HR will end your career.

You are mistaken about Canada and England. LEOSA is probably the only current way to legally carry in all 50 states (plus U.S. possessions and protectorates, IIRC), unless you have Elon Musk/Trump levels of fuck you money. Hopefully that changes in the future.

There is way more to Law Enforcement than the out on the road regular patrol cop.

I started my LE career 25 years ago on a foot post in the south Bronx. A year later I went into Federal LE, and never looked back. Do I ever miss being in uniform and responding to radio runs? Sure, sometimes I think back to the fun I had on some of those calls… but then I remember all the BS that went with it. I also look at my career since then and realize I have traveled the world on the governments dime, and went to some of the best training anywhere. I have been an instructor, a supervisor and a regular old special agent, and had good days and bad days as each one.

I still work narcotics, and still kick doors and run down bad guys, and dont see hanging up my guns any time soon…

Sorry you have reached the point of burnout, and seem to hate your job, its a hard life to do an entire career as a regular patrol officer. But to make a blanket statement of “dont do it” is like people who say “I bought a chevy and its a POS, dont ever buy a chevy!!”

If all you ever did by choice, was be a road dog, well you have my respect, most people would look for something else after a while. In my youth I was always up to throw elbows and get in a good pursuit, but with age and experience, you learn your aquired knowledge and skills can actually do far more good in other capacities.

I wouldn’t tell anyone to be a NYC cop these days, but there are plenty of places I would apply tomorrow if they would take my old ass…

As for my own kids, in 15 years, who knows, I may tell them to apply to a PD or the feds, or I may say go become an electrician. We’ll see which way the world turns between now and then.

no longer worth it?

I had a city police investigator and a county sheriff's deputy tell me separately that being a LEO wasn't the way to go. The investigator said, and I quote, "If you want to get passed over for promotion by a pregnant Hispanic female go ahead and do it".

That was in 1994.

And all the woke prosecutors who will charge you for defending yourself against someone attacking you, especially if it's done by a protected demographic.

You have to learn to take enjoyment in calling people assholes and morons to their face in the most polite and professional way possible. Know the law and policy and don’t take things personal. Pick the right place to work and don’t stay in the same assignment for too long if you can help it. It’s certainly getting harder to recommend but for the right sort of person it can still be viable. We’ll see how it goes in the next few years though.

Sorry OP, that shit has been around forever, just the way it is.

The current legal and political environment is the current problem.  LE is the bad guys, crooks are the good guys, one local DA is out to get the police on anything they can, etc.  

How about a UOF lawsuit involving a riot, when 3 out of 12 jurors admitted they had protested in the same city during the last few years?  Yeah that was fun.

I can deal with idiots on the streets.  The lack of support from the admin and politicians though lets the crooks and complainers think they are in the right, so there are lots more complaints and lawsuits, less effective policing, etc etc.  

My dad did 38 years, I did over 25, my brother is well over 20 in at this point as well.  I think it ends there for us, cannot advise anyone else to do it, just too easy to end up in trouble for just doing your job.  And I am a true believer that LE is important for a functioning society.  But since society has decided to be dysfunctional at this point…..

It’s not for everyone.


It’s still a good job.  There’s nothin like it.

The fundamental issue is that the quality of the communities continues to decline. There have always been bad neighborhoods and crime (and at points in the past, way more), but the trends over the past few decades are where this all stems from: destruction of functional social values.

A well adjusted community comprised of hardworking, family oriented citizens doesn't take much to police. A community comprised of a majority of people who are suffering from addiction or mental health issues, and who are engaged in continuous felonious conduct as a way of life? Endless policing nightmare, because ultimately you're not trying to protect the community from a few bad apples, you're actively at war with the masses themselves. Meanwhile there's not enough tax base to pay for anything, and the politicians are self-selected to appease the criminal masses rather than acting in the actual best interests of society at large.

LOL, no

The change in the years since I started 35 years ago is that back then you could tell the stupid ones that you werent going to entertain their BS complaint
Now, as Op said, the admins expect you to take everything seriously, as if the complainant is pure as the driven snow and not lying through their teeth to benefit themselves. Huge waste of time. Doesnt help when you have admins that didnt put their time in on the street and got where they are because they check a box or two or three

FPNI.

It doesn’t sound like anything changed since I first put my gunbelt on in 89.  

The best side of a law enforcement career is being retired!

If you are in ANY profession nowadays that deals with the public, it ain't what it used to be. If you are in one that often deals with bad news, bad deals, and bad people, it's even worse.

There are some broken sarcasm meters in here

You're right there
Unfortunately in the month since I retired I've been going to doctors offices more than I was going to work when I was still employed.

Fight through it!

Within 6 months of retiring I was getting my house outfitted for wheelchair use ( multiple undiagnosed tick borne diseases). Hardest fight I ever had in my life on multiple levels.

11 years later I’m riding 25+ miles a day on my bike and doing some type of workout every day. Staying healthy has become my job!

Wishing you the best!

36 yrs in state law enforcement for me yesterday.  6 months left to do. If I could hit a reset button, I would not do it over.

I always liked it when people expected you to solve a problem they took years to create in fifteen minutes.

LOL. I feel your pain but not no more, retired. All that shit you listed, some other cop's problem. Not mine. There are rewards to the job, comes at the expense of a lot of pain. I'd still do it again in a heartbeat because I was good at it. Apparently, because I got through without going mental, didn't get broken up too mad and I can at least function with "regular people".

The younguns that want law enforcement for a career need to understand the below. If you're a ghetto cop, inner city the below is call to call. And worse. If you're suburban, the below is probably once-in-awhile. You just never know. One minute you're having a nice breakfast burrito, the next call some sad old man off his meds tried to pull a pistol and shoot your ass. Or you respond to a wreck where the occupants of the little car run over by a bigger vehicle got smashed like they were put in a vegi-matic. ANY of that can happen regardless if you work urban or out in the sticks. it just happens at a lesser rate if you're "rural". New recruits need to understand the "score" and that they will often have to fight their own administration to boot because those "political" types that excel at getting promoted care more about that than doing right by the citizens of their jurisdiction and yeah, those same types will throw you into the volcano just to appease the whatevers.

I worked for a state agency so a geographic change was relatively easy to do every so often if you were willing to move.   Just a change of scenery was a decent reset for another half a dozen years.   Someplace different to learn and patrol.

Yea, it’s not what it used to be where I worked.  Retirement is nice.

Thanks
Looing like what I thought was a lung problem from an old case of pneumonia is a cardiac problem
Yay me.
I'm getting tired of poked prodded and trying to keep it straight which doctor I'm going to next
I still intend to be on the AT in March