Local PD is looking for officers. If you get through all the background checks and tests, they will send me to sheriffs dept for 6 months of paid training. Anyone care to lend some info on anything that I should know?

Don't hang out with McUzi. [:D]

Best advice I can give you is to keep your cat on your own property.

ummmm, start running, LOL.  Actually I have no clue if they will run you, but running is good for you anyways.

Paulie, you poor bastard. You just cant let go the past can you?

Mmmmm donuts.
[img]http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/Gif/homjump.gif[/img]

[;)]

Shooting well is fine.

Being in good shape is important.

Being able to communicate (and persuade people) effectively is the most important skill for Law Enforcement, bar none. You will use your communications skills far more often than your weapon.

I think that being able to look at someone for a few seconds and then picture them in your mind (so you can describe them later) is very important.  Could you then describe what clothes they were wearing, color.  Color of eyes, hair.  Facial hair?  significant facial marks? etc.

Even though I'm not a cop, I wish I was better at this.  I guess it takes practice like everything else.

Practice standing still while someone spits in your face and calls your momma a whore. Then get some hooker to repetitively kick you in the groin. A few weeks of this and you will be ready to join the force.

Good luck.

[sleep]

A few tips from a 7 year vet:
#1) you are not going to save the world, so don't try
#2) It's just a job.  Yes its a fun job most of the time, and it can and WILL go to your head, But remember at the end of your shift you're just another guy
#3) When you hang up the uniform, YOU ARE NO LONGER ON DUTY.  Relax and be a normal guy
#4) don't let work get in the way of a good home life
#5) (this one was hard for me for a long time) You, are a public servant.  Serve your public
#6) it doesn't matter how old the old guy is, he is only old because he knows more, has seen more, and has lived to tell about it so respect him and learn from him
#7) you are your best teacher and worst critic.  Don't let good judgement go to your head, and don't let bad judgement get you down.....Learn from both
#8) If you screw up and get caught, take it like a man
#9) you don't know it all, you will never know it all, and if you ever do figure it all out, it will change tomorrow
and the #10) tip to being a good cop is, Always watch your back, even if your partner is there to watch it for you.  1 year and 6 days ago I was almost killed because I put more faith in my partner then I did my own instinct.  Thank God Himself that I am here to talk about it, but above all else if it doesn't look right, it's probably not right so keep your eyes open

"Make sure" they call you by your ar15.com posting name.  

Go get the goods on that oneshotonekill guy in the other thread.  Then you can join the force in oneshotonekill's hometown.  Hell, maybe you'll come in as detective sergeant.

LOL  Damn that's funny.

[(:|)]

Depends on what department and what region you're trying to get into.  In the north-east I'd recommend making sure you can run.  The departments around here don't care if you can shoot or if you're smart.  All they care about is whether or not you can run 1.5 miles in less than 12 minutes or whether you can run 5 miles at a 7 minute mile pace.  Which of course is all silly since most of them don't seem to have any physical fitness standards once you're out of the academy.

Anyone remember the name of the town in Maine that made CNN because they dismissed a qualified applicant because his IQ was too high?  It hit the news I think when he sued for discrimination.  LOL

No insult to be taken, but maybe look for another job, or get a life.

-bc

BrianCav is that comment addressed to me? If so WTF is that all about?

No, it was some other guy in a hat.

I didn't mean for it to be an insult, thats why I said, not insult to be taken.

i still dont understand where that comment came from. I simply asked if anyone had advice on being an LEO. So why tell me to get a life?

Well I guess that was uncalled for, but have you ever thought about the Coast Gaurd, Army, or some other sort of public service that doesn't have to do with Nazi's?

-bc

Yes I have given thought to the Air Force and the Marines. I just don't feel that is for me at this point in my life.

A man was walking along the shore one day and saw a bunch of fish washed up on the beach, flopping around, and saw another man throwing the fish back into the water.  The first guy told the other guy "Hey, you can't save all these fish!"  The second guy threw another fish back into the water, smiled, and said "I just saved that one."

You're gonna be the second guy.  You can't save the world, but hopefully along the way, you'll make a difference in at least one persons life. Remember that the majority of the people you deal with day to day are the dregs of society, but they represent the minority of society.  The rest of the people you deal with are most likely good folks that had something bad happen to them and are not at "their best" when you are talking to them.  

Don't lose your empathy and compassion.  

Don't develop an "Us against Them" attitude.

When you stop the working man for a traffic violation, take into consideration that paying the fine may cause his kids to eat not so well for the next week or two.

Don't be quick to write tickets for the same thing you regularly do, i.e. speeding.

Treat everybody with one level of respect higher than they show you.

Everybody doesn't have to go to jail, sometimes they just need a good talkin to.  Expend your energy on the ones that need to go to jail.

When you're throwing your weight around, be prepared to have it thrown around.

There is still such a thing as "Officer Discretion".  Use it.


edited to say that you can email me with any specific questions you may have

Yes, I think it was Philladelphia (I think).  He was disqualified because he had a Ph.D.  I think the rationale was because those people are overqualified and will soon leave the department.  Since the department shells out about $1 to $3 grand to put them through academy (at least here in Texas) they would be wasting their money.  When I was on the hiring committe at my local PD, we (collectively) turned down the only applicant with a degree because they thought he would get hired to get training and then move to a better paying department.  I personally wanted him with the department.

Well, I just applied and I'm finishing up my master's degree.  I guess I'll be somewhere in the middle.

[(:|)]