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Becoming a LEO officer...

I couldn't be a local cop in my town because it would be like shooting fish in a barrel, half of my high school class would be doing time[rofl]
 
ochmude said:
If I recall correctly, you pick the towns at the same time you take the test. It's one of the forms you fill out. You also are allowed to change your choices via the HRD website after scores are released.
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This.

5-0 said:
I got out of CS game, but I thought they did something weird recently regarding statewide scores? Heard some rumor to that effect. I'll check into it.
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Back on the 2009 test, they banded scores-example, band 1 (100-97.5), band 2 (97.49-95), and so on--presumably to give departments more flexibility in hiring by creating more tie scores. I thought they did away with it after that one test. They tried the band with the promo exams too, and the outcry turned into lawsuits.

Whatever the case, you'll get your raw score if you sign up for MSP as they hire off of those.
 
ochmude said:
Just out of curiosity, how does that work? Do you just automatically apply to every CS department in the state or something?
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No. You pick four municipalities to submit your name to, and one is always your residency preference should you have one.

My recommendation has always been:
1) Town of residence (preference)
2) MBTA
3) Nearby wealthy muncipality
4) Any municipality where you have intel that they may be hiring.

Remember, you can always change them later.
 
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partyboy424 said:
Learn and get certified in ASL (not Age Sex Location, perverts) and Spanish. Departments don't just want to hire the highest scorer or the second highest scorer who's in first because of his 10% Vet status on the exam. They want to fill roles that they don't have and stay within budget.
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Some city departments with ethnic communities (ex. Brockton, New Bedford, Lowell--basically anywhere you can't get an LTC-A without restrictions) will often pull "language lists" where they pull those who noted they have second langauge skills. Those lists are relatively rare, and may only be geared to the language of the minority community in that municipality (ex. Brockton - Cape Verdean creole, New Bedford - Portugese, etc.), so I don't know that I'd put all my eggs in that basket.

Being a resident with veterans preference is still hands down, the best way to get ahead on the CS test. Though, I have seen some police departments digging down into to the non-vet sections of the resident lists, it's fiecely competitive and your score better be top notch.
 
I was just an AUX. cop so I do not think I count,but one way to get some points is to know where all the donut shops are in your town.
 
PATRON said:
I was just an AUX. cop so I do not think I count,but one way to get some points is to know where all the donut shops are in your town.
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Wow. Hilarious. I'm sure no cop has ever heard a donut joke before. You should do stand-up.
 
In God We Trust said:
Has anyone actually ever seen a cop eating a donut? I haven't.
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I used to work overnights at a gas station in Northampton with a 24 hour Dunks inside. Almost every night a particular statie from Northampton barracks would stop in and get a croissant and hot tea.

Blame Forum Runner for any typos and such.
 
In God We Trust said:
Has anyone actually ever seen a cop eating a donut? I haven't.
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Neither have I. When I worked for the PD, they used to pickup fresh muffins (huge and very tasty) at a local bakery that used to bake them overnight, bring them back to the station for each shift officer.


PATRON said:
Back in the 90's there was a donut shop in Roxbury, that had so many cops stoping by that they enlarged the building,and put a police supply shop in it.
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Back in the late 1960s when I was going to NU from my home in Randolph each day, I would see a cluster of ambulances at a DD in Roxbury. In fact they oftentimes ran lights and sirens racing to get there, which used to piss me off no end. Eventually there was a crack-down on misuse of lights/sirens in Boston . . . I'm guessing that someone or many complained about the misuse.
 
The reason the cops always go the the donut shops is because--and I'll let you in on a little secret--they usually also serve coffee. Plus, DD is usually the only place open 24 hours unless you want a Quarter Pounder with Cheese (gross).

I don't find donut jokes offensive--I find them annoying with a tinge of obnoxiousness. And everyone who makes them always thinks theyre the funniest ****er in the room.
 
location_location_police_station_dunkin_donuts.JPG
 
I was not trying to be offensive,or the funniest ****er on the post. It was just a joke,like if I told him that he should also get practice shooting dogs.
 
When Krispy Kreme opened in Medford, the cops pretty much put them out of business. They would give donuts for free to the cops and there was a line of cruisers from every agency you could think of to get in. One time I brought back 3 dozen for the house (HQ) and one of the officers working in dispatch wanted his own dozen. By the end of the shift, he had eaten the whole dozen. Obie - you are right, though. Cops love coffee and Krispy Kreme's coffee sucked.
 
If Krispy Kreme would have worked harder on the their coffee beverage products they would still be around in New England, they also really didn't follow a pattern of controlled growth.

Best location for a donut shop: Dunkin' Donuts next to the State Police Barracks in Athol.
 
How 'America drinks dunkin' is beyond me. That swill is mostly laxitave with a dash of ampthetamine. And it tastes awfull; then again I see the folks behind the counter add about a pound of sugar and pint of milk to it - making it a laxitive sundae for chrissake. Thats not coffee, its a desert.
 
Want to talk about career suicide. My ex use to work for a Dunkin shop up here and the owner has four shops between two towns. This guy is a true ass as he would rip the employees off by "missing" several hours of pay every week and complain about how long it would take one employee to clean and close the store at night. He once got and successfully fought a speeding ticket and had a few other tiffs with the local PD. To this day you will not see a LEO from either town at any of his locations.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk
 
OfficerObie59 said:
No. You pick four municipalities to submit your name to, and one is always your residency preference should you have one.

My recommendation has always been:
1) Town of residence (preference)
2) MBTA
3) Nearby wealthy muncipality
4) Any municipality where you have intel that they may be hiring.

Remember, you can always change them later.
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What Obie said is true - your town of residency should be first choice because it's where you have the best chance of being hired. Apart from a statewide department like MBTA or MSP, you stand virtually no chance of being hired in a city where you are not a resident.

MBTA is a great second choice because the are the second largest department behind the MSP and they seem to always be hiring (I tuned that down several times over the course of being on two consecutive lists because I already has a CS job and was waiting for a specific department and ended up taking another fire job in the end anyway). The MBTA is a great opportunity if you don't already have a job because they have just about every different unit you can think of.

If the town where you live right now doesn't look like it will be easy because it's too small, move. Seriously, this sort of thing takes some planning and several years of prep work. Going on active duty in the military for a few years makes it much easier - as long as you move to a town with a reasonable size department and are patient and willing to take the test more than once, you'll eventually get hired if you have vet status.

This is all assuming you can pass the entrance requirements, physical and mental and you don't have anything on your record (including bad credit or a large amount of debt) and you don't present as a moron to the interview board. If you get to the point where you have passed the exam and you get a card from the city of your choice, check back with some people at that time to find out the dos and don'ts of the interview and application process.
 
MrJingles said:
So, besides acing the written exam, what other things can I do to improve my chances at a position? Or am I just SOL because I don't have veteran status? My father was an LEO that was injured while on duty early into his service, and was never able to return, so I have great respect for you guys and was curious about the process of following in my fathers foot steps.
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Get on the Reserve PD or Special PD within a PD...


.
 
That Guy said:
What Obie said is true - your town of residency should be first choice because it's where you have the best chance of being hired. Apart from a statewide department like MBTA or MSP, you stand virtually no chance of being hired in a city where you are not a resident.
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Do remember however, the big difference between MBTA and MSP is that the MBTA is fully within the Chapter 31 rules of Civil Service, whereas state police fall under Chapter 22C. So while both do not have a residency requirement by virtue of being statewide departments, the MBTA list is still subject to an absolute veteran's preference while MSP simply gives a 2 point bump.

That Guy said:
MBTA is a great second choice because the are the second largest department behind the MSP and they seem to always be hiring (I tuned that down several times over the course of being on two consecutive lists because I already has a CS job and was waiting for a specific department and ended up taking another fire job in the end anyway). The MBTA is a great opportunity if you don't already have a job because they have just about every different unit you can think of.
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Not entirely correct. With about 250 officers, the MBTA Transit Police is actually about the size of the departments you'll find in one of Massachusetts' moderately sized cities--think Springfield, Worcester, Fall River, etc. By contrast, MSP and Boston Police are up around 2,000 officers and troopers.

The people who get totally boned by the Civil Service residency are those who don't live in a CS municipality, because there's no way for them to get residency preference on any eligible list. Sure, a number of non-CS towns run their own tests, but those are generally a way for them to narrow down their applicant pool and by no way limit who they can hire.

Finally, the reason I mentioned a small "wealthy municipality" as a 3rd choice is rather simple--you're less likely to be competing with homegrown residents with preference who tend to go out an get other jobs besides that of a lowly civil servant. If that sounds like I'm stereotyping, it's because I am--and I know people for whom this approach has been sucessful.
 
I have a relative who got onto the force in Nashua, NH. He majored in Criminal Justice or something like that in college but is not a military veteran.
 

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