We recently held city elections here in my fair 'ville and wouldn't you know it, the most anti police candidates won, to include the mayor elect. My partner and I on a whim decided to submit applications for a city PD a few miles away and lo and behold they began the hiring process with us. We both completed the process and were offered employment with thier agency. Neither of us has signed thier contract yet.

My quandry is this: a couple of days ago, I was called in off-duty by my Asst, chief. She and the chief were waiting to speak to me in her office and they proceeded to ask me what was going on and askning why or if I thought i was making the right decision etc, etc. well, I told them i would think about it over the weekend but the truth is, I think I've already decided to leave.

The dept and city I am looking at is growing almost exponentially. Unreal growth. Good benefits, retirement, equipment, take home sleds all of that stuff. Staffed with around 20 or so.The dept I am leaving is 11 employees not as active and mostly a bedroom community. The new city gov't is openly hostile toward our dept and the future is uncertain there. I could stay but then I would probably watch my current dept be whittled away to nothing or go I could go to a dept that has the full and enthusiastic support of the city and it's leaders. Not a hard decision you might think.

Well I guess my sense of loyalty is giving me second thoughts or something. I really like working at my current dept but I just cant bear to watch as all of the hard work I and my friends put into it is dismantled and dismissed. I saw the PD go from a Mayberry type part-time deal to a decently staffed, State certified, full sevice dept. Watching all of that come undone would really be shitty.

I am just looking for opinions, really, and if anthing is at all unclear, I will do my best to clarify.

Thanks.


 Well, I spoke to my Captian Saturday and she said that she had recieved additional info pertaining to the impending situation. She said that based onn what she has heard, I would probably be best served by continuing my present cpourse of action and going on. I guess I already knew it but to hear it from my CO really put things in perspective.

I truly appreciate your time and attentiveness in this matter. If I can return the favor, anytime,  I will.

Thanks,
Jeff

Quoted: We recently held city elections here in my fair 'ville and wouldn't you know it, the most anti police candidates won, to include the mayor elect. My partner and I on a whim decided to submit applications for a city PD a few miles away and lo and behold they began the hiring process with us. We both completed the process and were offered employment with thier agency. Neither of us has signed thier contract yet. My quandry is this: a couple of days ago, I was called in off-duty by my Asst, chief. She and the chief were waiting to speak to me in her office and they proceeded to ask me what was going on and askning why or if I thought i was making the right decision etc, etc. well, I told them i would think about it over the weekend but the truth is, I think I've already decided to leave. The dept and city I am looking at is growing almost exponentially. Unreal growth. Good benefits, retirement, equipment, take home sleds all of that stuff. Staffed with around 20 or so.The dept I am leaving is 11 employees not as active and mostly a bedroom community. The new city gov't is openly hostile toward our dept and the future is uncertain there. I could stay but then I would probably watch my current dept be whittled away to nothing or go I could go to a dept that has the full and enthusiastic support of the city and it's leaders. Not a hard decision you might think. Well I guess my sense of loyalty is giving me second thoughts or something. I really like working at my current dept but I just cant bear to watch as all of the hard work I and my friends put into it is dismantled and dismissed. I saw the PD go from a Mayberry type part-time deal to a decently staffed, State certified, full sevice dept. Watching all of that come undone would really be shitty. I am just looking for opinions, really, and if anthing is at all unclear, I will do my best to clarify. Thanks.

Sounds like you dove in the deep end not really sure where it would lead, and now you've got a real decision to make, very quickly. If you stay, plan on being thought of as someone who won't stick around when the going gets tough, since it got tough, and you applied elsewhere. On the other hand you and your friend are both wanted by the other department which you speak so highly of. You haven't really mentioned one thing you like about your current dept or its future. You already made up your mind and now have butterflies in your stomach. Time to write a short letter informing your Chief of your new job.

Go to the new department. I'm currently in a dept where the Mayor and majority of the city council are Anti police. My Chief just resigned due to all the crap and it's getting worse.

Time to bail.  Go to the new department and don't look back!!!!

YMMV

Do you really want to stay in a town where your bosses boss is looking to hang you?  Your current town deserves what they get electing the A-Holes they've elected.  It's not like your abandoning ship in the midst of a crisis.  When it comes time to cut staff, think they'd give a crap about you?  Enjoy your new career.  Your departure might actually help the men and women you leave behind.  It is often after mass defections that management changes things for the better for those left.  Good luck.

Regards,
Gary

In mho you'll be better off at the new department. Although you might have a strong sense of loyalty, sometimes you gotta do whats right for you. I used to work for a small Dept. and the politics came to play when our Constable decided to retire he than LAW ENFORCEMENT....needless to say I am now working for a city with an officer strength of about 1700, and things couldnt be better. Best move I ever made!!!headbang.gif

Quoted: We recently held city elections here in my fair 'ville and wouldn't you know it, the most anti police candidates won, to include the mayor elect. My partner and I on a whim decided to submit applications for a city PD a few miles away and lo and behold they began the hiring process with us. We both completed the process and were offered employment with thier agency. Neither of us has signed thier contract yet. My quandry is this: a couple of days ago, I was called in off-duty by my Asst, chief. She and the chief were waiting to speak to me in her office and they proceeded to ask me what was going on and askning why or if I thought i was making the right decision etc, etc. well, I told them i would think about it over the weekend but the truth is, I think I've already decided to leave. The dept and city I am looking at is growing almost exponentially. Unreal growth. Good benefits, retirement, equipment, take home sleds all of that stuff. Staffed with around 20 or so.The dept I am leaving is 11 employees not as active and mostly a bedroom community. The new city gov't is openly hostile toward our dept and the future is uncertain there. I could stay but then I would probably watch my current dept be whittled away to nothing or go I could go to a dept that has the full and enthusiastic support of the city and it's leaders. Not a hard decision you might think. Well I guess my sense of loyalty is giving me second thoughts or something. I really like working at my current dept but I just cant bear to watch as all of the hard work I and my friends put into it is dismantled and dismissed. I saw the PD go from a Mayberry type part-time deal to a decently staffed, State certified, full sevice dept. Watching all of that come undone would really be shitty. I am just looking for opinions, really, and if anthing is at all unclear, I will do my best to clarify. Thanks.

If you read the hghlighted words you wrote above, you'll see that the decision, from a practical point of view, has already been made. Stay with a go-nowhere Dept with a hostile leadership, or move to a larger, more progressive dept with a leadership that supports you..Its obvious that the only reason you haven't left yet is out of a sense of loyalty....Ask yourself this; What will staying with your current Dept out of a sense of loyalty, especially in the face of a hostile administration, get you in 5 yrs? I think you know the answer already.....

I recently left a 16 yr career with FDNY-EMS for the exact same reasons ( an administration and leadership that has since turned hostile towards its employees), and I do not regret it for an instant! Loyalty will only go so far....

Go, go now.

[/Ahnold]

Seriously, you've already laid out some very solid reasons to bail, and they are all realistic.

Quoted: Go to the new department. I'm currently in a dept where the Mayor and majority of the city council are Anti police. My Chief just resigned due to all the crap and it's getting worse.

10mmillie and I are with the  same department, and let me tell you, you don't want to work where the city management is working against you. When the mayor and the city manager start telling you where to park your cars around the building and try and tell you how to patrol so they don't get arrested for DWI, life starts to suck.

When the chief of Police resigns, "rather than subordinate my duty to the public to the misguided interest of certain elected and appointed officials" (Quoted from the chief's resignation letter), than life does suck.

Good luck.

sk

The right decision is to get out now while the getting is good.  It is difficult because you are going into the "unknown".  You are comfortable where you are as you know what to expect.  This is like staying in a crappy relationship with a woman because it's "easier" to stick around instead of doing the right thing and pulling the plug.  Fear of the unknown can be terrible, but it's never as terrible as staying in a dysfunctional relationship that is causing you to lose sense of your self.