Unfortunately, it looks like I'm going to be moving back to MA within a couple of months.  Born and raised on the south shore before moving to FL where I got hired onto a good-sized sheriff's office.

Wife (no pictures) hated FL and wanted to move back close to family (north of Boston).  She got a job offer last year and moved up with the kids.  I stuck around to finish up my 10th year in law enforcement so I could get LEOSA in case I didn't continue in an agency up north.

We're probably going to wind up living somewhere near the I93 / I95 junction north of Boston.

I'm in my early 40s, so it looks like any agency that is part of civil service is out.  I've got 7+ years "on the road" in patrol and 3 years as a detective in property crimes.  Not sure which agencies are non-civil service and even so, if any of them would hire someone my age or if my FL certification would be valid up there.

Any ideas of what I could be looking for in terms of work up there that does not involve me uttering the question "would you like fries with that?"

As much as I despise the forum I am about to recommend to you, after you sift out all the BS and back-stabbing, it is a LE forum based in MA and a few people who aren't posers on there may be of some help to you. I quit that forum 10 yrs ago after an alleged state trooper threatened to arrest a federal agent since he carried a double-edged knife on the job and admin allowed such things to occur on their forum.

www.masscops.com is the place to look.

You might also look in NH, given the area where you are relocating.

Best of luck to you.

I've been on Masscops for years, am somewhat acquainted with the site owner, and have never had a problem there. You will get a no-BS answer if you ask an honest question.

That being said, my first department was a non-CS MA suburban PD. I submitted a cover letter and resume and was hired full-time from day one, with a Bachelor's degree and military law enforcement experience, nothing municipal. The process was easy and simple and I had no inside connections or anything of the sort. One of my childhood friends had similar luck, magically without a degree or military experience, but I believe he was brown-nosing all over the area (by being a part-time/per diem dispatcher for many towns as well as attending political events) and just waiting to see who would hire him. A relative of mine with that same background-- but with the added bonus of precisely the same LE experience as you have-- also managed to quickly and easily get onto a non-CS town PD. He completed most of the process from FL and flew up for a PT test and interview, if memory serves.

Good luck.

That site is one I feel really can give a horrible name to LE. I haven't looked around there in a few years but the attitudes were terrible. The troopers looked down on the rest of the cops and anti 2nd Ammendment talk was beyond annoying. I wouldn't talk much, if any advice there seriously.

Thanks for the replies.  I'll take a look at Masscops and see what they have to offer.  Can't be any worse than the individual agency forums on LEOaffairs.com can they?

I'd really love to at least reside in NH (Salem or Pelham areas in particular) but that's going to be a no-go.  My wife is working Stoneham and is absolutely refusing to look at any home that isn't a 15 to 20 minute commute (during commuting hours) to her job.  I (and countless others) have explained to her repeatedly how unrealistic that commute time is, how we can get more house (and land) for less money even a little further out, but she's being obstinate about it.  Ejecting isn't an option.

Good to know too that it sounds like my previous training and experience may let me just apply directly and get hired.  I'm too old and in no mood to go through an academy again.  

What about scoring a federal job in NH? DoS has a passport processing place in or near Manchester, as I recall, and there is some CIS FDNS office in the area as well. Not front-line LE, but both certainly jobs that are looking for people who are used to interpreting criminal histories and whatnot.

This interests me as well.  Something that's not directly LE but is still better than working for Wackenhut (or whatever they're calling themselves these days).  I've heard of Paragon Systems which is in the area and hiring.  What is "CIS FDNS"?

Discussion taken to PM...I answered your questions.