Posted: 11/9/2004 8:45:29 PM EDT
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I am a LEO hopeful with a local department and I am wondering if more experience with various weaponry would help my chances at all? I currently own a glock 30 (one of the guns issued in the dept) but I am thinking of getting either a Mossberg 590A1 shotgun or an AR in .308. I am thinking about the AR because it would be nice to have a high power rifle in my patrol car (if I can) in case something bad went down. My town is fairly small right now (around 200k people) but it is growing quick. Would owning and having experience with either weapon assist me in obtaining a job? Not so sure about the AR after reading the psych test post! Also is there anything else that might help my chances at all? |
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You may want to downplay the firearms a bit. Management tends to focus on such things as liability over pure street effectiveness when it comes to weapons. What may be a move effective approach is to key in on your college degree (assuming you have one), your general physical fitness, your military service, an EMT certification, your community connections thru participation in civic groups etc. IMHO best to avoid the firearms topic entirely. Regards, Gary |
So do you think owning either of these weapons would actually hurt my chances? I do not have a full college degree but I plan to finish it (Bachelors) whether or not I get on, there is just a hiring boom right now and I thought I may as well try. To bad we are getting a new chief in Jan.  Job stuff aside, which would you choose to buy first? |
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You would be better off sharpening up your writing skills and maintaining a good fitness level. I am not being a smartass, but these are the skills you will really need in the academy. Firearms will come later. It is easier to learn to shoot "thier way" in the academy than it is to un-learn improper or unapproved techniques. Trust me, you will get plenty of firearms exposure. If you can hold a gun and pull the trigger you are already ahead of the game. NorCal |
+1 Most management and a fair number of LEO's are not "gun oriented" and look with some suspicion upon their collegues who are. Best not to come off as too interested in that aspect of the job. |
+1 Worry about the basics right now (physical fitness, writing ability and ethics); the firearms stuff will come after you prove you belong. |
You indicate you are in a town of 200K (200,000). To my way of thinking that is far from a small town. I would classify that as a medium size city. No doubt with it's own tactical team for high risk assignments. I would suspect your department would issue a shotgun for your patrol vehicle if they want you to have one. As for patrol carbines, that varies from department to department. In many areas only supervisory level officers are issued these weapons. In any case, I would doubt that a .308 semi-auto would be issued to a patrol officer in an urban/suburban area. As to your question as to which weapon you should buy, that depends on what you plan on doing with it? I would not buy any weapon with the expectation of using it on duty. As others have said: 1. Get in good physical and mental condition. 2. Get your degree. 3. Understand you want to be part of the community in a service capacity. 4. Be sure your writing skills are up to speed. 5. Keep your interest in firearms to yourself until you have earned respect from others. Regards, Gary |
. I guess I will just use the time and energy from that to get a little more prepared for the fitness test (if I get that far). Thanks again.|
While there are many, many skills that can be useful on the streets (I keep a mental list of which of my guys have exceptional skills and send them or call for them when those are needed) the only skill that I think of that would make one more hireable are language skills, particularly Spanish. Many, many jurisdictions have unique and special communities of recent immigrants and may have targeted recruiting to hire proficient speakers in whatever language is needed to serve those communities. Spanish proficiency is probably needed just about anywhere in the country. Your most frequently used skill, and most important, in my book, is your communications ability. Take some public speaking classes and psychology classes and learn to read body language and how to talk to people from diverse backgrounds; talking and learning how to read people will save your a** more often than the fanciest, most elaborate duty rig and most tricked out weaponry (that being said I have a carbine in the trunk that most folks would weep for, but I also believe in hedging my bets). Firearms proficiency is nice, and must be absolutely correct for those few times you need it, but you (hopefully) won't need it many times in your LE career. I have also known crack shots who were crappy cops, or couldn't apply tactics in real-world or even training situation, and all the weapons proficiency in the world won't do you a lick of good if the bad guy gets off the first "good" shot. |
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We have terminated students for unacceptable grades in; emergency driving and geography, investigations, officer safety, multi tasking, report writing, onview abilities, and a few other essential areas. Never 86'd anyone because of their lack of "experience with various weaponry". Some very good veteran advice offered here. Take it. |
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Alot of Great advice here!!! People skills are HUGE in police work!! If you can deal with shitheads, than you can deal with anyone! Practice your interview skills. chances are they are going to grill you on anything they can; up to and including: not having your degree, knowledge of the area, work ethics, morals, and reading and writing. But no one said that you can't buy a new gun for fun. I still wouldn't bring it up at an interview! 200K people is alot though... |
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Thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it. I hope I have a fairly good chance. I did an internship with the department this summer and I know the interim cheif (he should have been chosen) so I already have some ins. As far as dealing with people, I can do it well as I have held a lot of jobs where I have been yelled at, cursed at, threatened, you name it I've heard it. I will be taking a dispute resolution class during the spring semester that should help me some. I am also currently certified in first aid and CPR.
I understand what you are saying but I haven't shot/owned/used any gun besides a G30, Moss. 500, 10/22, WW2 Russian rifle and a wimpy .22 revolver. I would say this is far from every gun/weapon known to man, but as I said before I understand what you are saying. If I get passed the beginning stages I will have a lot of help from a professor that was a cop and cops I already know within the department. Thanks again for the advice. |
| You'll be expected to use your brain more than you'll ever use your gun. I would sharpen up all my skills. You'll get trained with their weapons, their way so I would not get too worried about that. Keep up your skills, but don't come across as the "Gun Nut". Administrators get nervous about that, they usually forget where they came from. Good Luck. |