San Diego Police Teams with Army To Offer Post-Military Job Opportunities
City News Service




If you've been a soldier, you'd make a great cop.

San Diego police officials stressed that message today while announcing a joint project with the U.S. Army to promote law enforcement careers for ex- soldiers.

"One of the best trainers of our youth today is the military," SDPD Chief William Lansdowne said during a midday signing ceremony to formalize the project.

The Army recently approached the Police Department about taking part in the program, called the Partnership for Youth Success, said Lt. Col. Michael Oubre of the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion Southern California.

The initiative will allow military recruits to prepare for municipal police work from the outset of their soldiering stints, giving them expedited access to the SDPD's job-application processes and job requirements.

Though it's not a guarantee of a civilian law enforcement career, the program gives Army veterans priority hiring status with the city police agency, Oubre told reporters outside downtown SDPD headquarters.

"So it allows them a foot in the door," he added.

For its part, the Police Department gets another way to "replenish" its work force, which has been hard-hit by attrition in recent years as the city has slipped into difficult fiscal straits, Lansdowne said.

To outgoing military personnel, the joint hiring effort is a means of furthering the service they can provide via the skills honed in the Army, the police chief noted.

Already, some 35 percent of the department's ranks consist of former members of the country's fighting forces, according to SDPD officials.

"What greater way (is there) to really serve your country than to serve both the military of the United States and the city of San Diego, (through) the San Diego Police Department?" Lansdowne said.

I wonder if it will affect those in the Army National Guard?

Reason why SDPD is recruiting hard is because their losing alot of good officers.  I work for SDSO and know several SDPD lateral over.

most are looking into Harbor or CVPD.  Because they pay the most and have decent beats in San Diego.

Main reason people are leaving SDPD is pay.  And the fact that they will not be receiving any new pay raises for the next couple years.

As for ex military making good officers/Deputies isn't necessarily true.  As long as you have good common sense and ability to probem solve, one can make a good law enforcement personel.


True many in public service are ex-military, oh rah!!!

That's awesome. Especially at a time when the ARMY is lowering their enlistment standards.

Lower ASVAB SCORES  

Giving civil waivers for things the Navy and Air Force would never entertain.

Body fat standards that make no sense to my height-weight chart.

That Lt. Col is in the fight for - ENLISTMENT CONTRACTS & SHIPPING enlistees to basic training.  It's his job on the line and I would venture to say he could care less about troops-to-cops type programs.  

RECRUITING DUTY - is a hairy scarey MONSTER that can make or break on Officer in command of a "recruiting battalion".  


wow i had a bad day