Posted: 4/24/2008 11:28:00 AM EDT
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I touched on this w/ YANKEEFAN but I wanted to get some more info on what people feel is the best agency to go with, and the best way to go about it. I am currently attending college and seriously considering switching my major to criminal justice. I have alot of questions... Is it better to go get a job after I get my Associates Degree? Or should I wait until I am done at WOU w/ my Bachelors? What agency should I go with? State, City, Federal, County etc. Are there any jobs out there? I hear mixed things on this issue, am I wasting my time in a career that I wont be able to get in to when the time comes? Finally, What is the best way to start in to LE. I want to start arranging some ridealongs but Im sure I can do more while I am attending school to develop relationships and get a feel for what the job will be like. Any information you guys can provide will be extemely helpful to me in my decisions, dont hesitate to add your piece ;D Thanks in advance! -Ryan |
| LE is a huge job field, currently people are hiring all over. Portland PD is hiring 100 people a year for 4 years (according to a friend who applied with them) OSP is also hiring a bunch of people right now. Another thing you might look into because you are my age is the national guard, its a great resume builder for law enforcement as well as a way to serve your country and community. |
I have heard negative things about LE hiring Guard Members/Prior Military guys for one reason or another, I dont know if there is any substance to this. Any other info is appreciated! |
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Don't plan on making a crap load of money. I come from a law enforcement family and by no means does this line of work make you rich (at least my family didn't). On the other hand my neighbor works for the US Postal Service in some sort of law enforcement, bomb squad, mail fruad, drug tracking deal, and he seems to have some bucks. I'm not real sure of the job title but seems like he's home all the time and has a newly built big ass house. this is only my 00.02..... Best of luck either way. |
Postal Inspector. postalinspectors.uspis.gov/ They even had a series of TV movies a few years ago, with Lou Gossett Jr. |
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Heh heh... Not a big money-maker, thats for sure! hinking.gif We do okay though. Getting into this line of work is a combination of rolling the dice and how much you have in your personal tool box! Your tool box should contain more stuff than the guy you're competing with.... College, Military, Reserve police experience (+), Community service, Solid job performance, No criminal history or drug use, Etc etc. When I got out of the military back in '92, I was sure somebody would pick me up pretty quick. I ETSed in a state and city department where I did a lot of research in. I ended up testing with 300 other brown haired, blue eyed white guys like myself! he Remember... There are thousands of guys wanting the job! Departments can pick and choose who they see fit. Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have anymore questions. |
Ryan To get your foot in the door try a Reserve program. That way you can see if this is for you or not. Gladstone PD is testing as are a bunch of others next week. Email me for info. You can go to their web sites and down load the info you need. You can be a reserve while you are getting your degree. College is alway a great thing. It is a great field, good luck! |
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I have yet to see any benefits in joining but if I had to or wanted too, I would do Federal, it seems more interesting and adventourous than your standard city cop fair. I did try out for LAPD and got as far as the shrink test. When I got to the part where they finally pick people to head to the academy, I told them I was not interested in street work but more or less computer cyber crime crap. They were turned off by that and I guess I wasn't selected. If that turns you on, go for it. I'd do reserve first and then go from there. Start with the big city ones because that's where its hurting and that is where the need is right now. Portland is HEAVILY recruiting..they came several times to Fort Lewis and other places and it was interesting. |
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You want to be a cop. Here is the dept you want to be in. My brother has been with this dept for 8 or 9 years. Here is his pay it and this is not including overtime. They are also hiring. Its Kalifornia but you can make a bit of $$$. Plus when he retires currently its 85 % of his last three years average. Monthly salary range: $7,741 - $9,406 (longevity pay up to $9,877). For more information, see Police Officers or the job announcement on the City of Santa Clara website. Recruit Police Officers Academy monthly salary: $5,850. For more information, see Recruit Police Officers or the job announcement on the City of Santa Clara website |
Take into account the cost of living there and that wage ain't much. |
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Yeah...Santa Clara is prett swanky dude. I was living in my uncles RV near a Good Sam. They practically have no AFFORDABLE housing. Perhaps they will this year with the housing collapse. I tell you this much. I did enjoy Substitute teaching in Santa Clara. They paid the highest in any school district injavascript:underline(); Underline Kommiefornia |
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I would join some sort of reserve. Look around and find one that has a good reserve training program. When I was a prosecutor we had one in our county that had a pretty good training program. It had classes on search and seizure, defensive tactics, they got qualified at the range, etc., etc. I would do this while finishing your batchelor's degree. Many big departments pay more for somone with a batchelor's degree. I would recommend that whatever your degree, take a couple accounting classes and some science classes. It will help. In my experience as a prosecutor the officers that moved up in rank and pay scale were the one's that wrote good reports, were competent investigators and could manage others. It all depends on what you want to do and why. For some shift work will get old. Spending four or more months per year working 4p to 2a Tues through Sun can really suck if you have a family. To get out of that and work mostly days (but still get to work the good cases) then a detective is a good position. To get there reasonably fast then it is going to help to be able to sift through financial fraud stuff and have a fundamental understanding of chemistry and physics (in my opinion the interesting cases were money, drugs, and assault/death cases - hence accounting, chemistry, physics). You don't have to know these things. Departments have experts but it will help to know a little. Just my opinion. Good luck. |
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Another avenue to get a different type of experience is to get some type of bomb disposal experience( Navy EOD, Army EOD). If you get your bachelors degree get a minor or dual major in public administration. That way a few years down the line you can move up the ranks and be a desk jockey if you want to do that route. |
I almost laugh at all the talk about getting a degree to become a LEO when I hear about the crap they end up hiring, like the 2 latino gents in Eugene that had, in the words of a eugene PD spokesman, "extensive criminal backgrounds that not one person in the EPD was aware of". It's sad because I'm sure there are guys who spend 4 years in college and just can't get hired in LE then they do hire guys like that. Sometimes I almost think they actually want a criminal background or minor drug use, like "it takes one to know/catch one"?
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Thats really the only thing that I dont love about the job, graveyard is no biggie, but swing shift sucks. I dont have any kids, though by the time I am working for an agency I will most likely be married :D In any case, this route sounds like the way to go. I am going to go talk to the local PD on Monday and see about getting a ride along and ask about their reserve program. -Ryan |
Get thyself bilingual...Spanish. Then read and understand what Rogue Lawyer wrote. Except the part that suggests being a detective. Most LE regret their move to detective. Won't admit it, but they regret it. 99% boooorrrring....1% stark terror. It's a profession that is not for everyone. It's NOT like in the movies and "Cops". Whatever you do; hablar en español. Good luck Bud |
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Absolutely finish your Bachelor's degree. I've seen too many people get wrapped into a full-time position and give up on school. Ask anyone in Law Enforcement.......once you're full time, you'll have almost no time to return to college (shift work - weird days off, etc.). Go ahead and participate as a Reserve somewhere but get your 4-year degree. It's almost a standard anymore. Also, I'd get a degree in something OTHER than Law Enforcement. Criminal Justice is a great program/degree, but limits you to LE work. If you had a degree in Accounting, Computers, etc. that willl relate to MANY fields. Just a thought. If you decide LE work isn't for you, the degree doesn't do you a lot of good. And yes, Federal jobs are the way to go. There are tons of Federal jobs in Oregon - just do a little research. Good luck with college! |
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I am going into law enforcement. I have had some experience with it and like the work. When I was younger I got involved with search and rescue though my local sheriff's office. I have done that for 6 years, been a cadet for 3-4 years (with paid jobs during the summer) and am now a reserve deputy (EVOC this weekend woot woot!). I am enrolled full time in college and am about one more year away from my degree. I do training on the weekends and will be working full time this summer doing beach patrol. You have to stay focused with college. It is tempting. I have already had 3 job offers from different agencies but I am set on getting my degree. Finish whatever major you are currently working on. Any degree helps because it shows dedication and that you are interested in "extra curricular" learning. Definitely take some CJ classes because you can get some really good info from them. Most have opened my eyes to new ways of looking at problems and definitely changed my stance on crime and crime control in general. Finish school and try and get all the experience you can before you start looking for a job. There are a lot of places hiring. The S.O. I work for pays around $25 per hour starting, plus the benefits package. It is very easy to get overtime if you want it and at cost to your free time you can easily add another grand onto your monthly paycheck at time and a half. |
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So the general consensus is that I shouldnt switch my major to LE, rather take maybe 2 terms of LE/CJ/Criminology courses, and finish up my degree in Business/Finance? That sounds like the way to go really, this is why I made this thread, getting tons of good feedback :D I am going to talk to my local dept on monday, have to go get fingerprinted for a form 4 that day anyway :D See about being a reserve officer. BTW..reserve officer is volunteer (unpaid) am I right? -Ryan |
It depends. For me I get paid during the summer when I am working full time or when they need me to sit on a crime scene or do some event (which happens a lot). For us reserve pay is $16 an hour. Some places don't pay their people at all. I talked with one reserve in Hubbard that said once you are trained to go on your own you get paid $20 IIRC per hour and can come in and do normal patrol when you want. Every agency is different. |
Also check into what the agency issues. Some issue everything (uniform, vest, weapon, duty belt, etc). I know of an agency around here that issues vest only-now it's nice that they have a wide ranging weapon approval list, but you're going to have to invest alot with them. |
For the federal jobs in Oregon: can you stay in Oregon or do you have to move around a lot? Would it be easier to get a fed job first or would getting some other LEO experience help to get the fed job? |
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Depends......some Federal jobs stay in one location until you apply for a move. Some agencies, on the other hand, make you sign a mobility agreement which allows them to move you throughout the country and abroad on a whim (I.E. DEA). Getting ANY federal job increases your chance at a good federal career. Current federal employees as well as military veterans (and minorities) get extra points in the Federal system. I'd say 70% of Federal jobs in Oregon are safe, in that you won't be forced to move during your career. There are SO many agencies in Oregon alone it's hard to think of them all...........USPS, ICE, DEA, FBI, ATF, USFS, BLM, US Park Service, VA cop, Federal Protective Service, etc. etc. etc. Good luck bro! |