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Serious life choices need to be made.

DarthRevan

DarthRevan

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So, I have my associates degree from NSCC in Science with an EE focus. I'm not sure if I want to do this anymore after just having the life sucked out of me from working and going to school, and not having enough money for the lifestyle I hope to one day have. I get the argument that being half way I should just finish but thats another can of worms I've already talked about on Off-Topic.
I've been interested in possibly becoming a LEO either in MA or NH. I've looked at the physical requirements to pass the tests and they aren't impossible (biggest concern being bench presses but its a work in progress). I like the idea of protecting people, driving for hours, and not just working for a paycheck. I want to come home at the end of the day and feel like I've done some good. I also hate the idea of being stuck behind a desk pushing paper for the rest of my life.

Not going to lie, $40-50k starting pay doesn't sound horrible either. I need to start finding a job I can make a living on, not just having enough for gas and food each week. Some direction is needed.

I have no training other than going to the range with a former SF who has fueled my passion for firearms and many days at the range getting great pointers on how to handle and fire pistols and rifles.
 
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If you can't get your foot through the door with a PD, consider backfiring the system via corrections. It's a good start to build your resume and contacts. Follow your heart and best of luck!
 
NH Staties were 1.1x body weight. I'm about 255, so that 275-280 depending what I weigh in at that morning. Push-ups were 35, 41 sit-ups in a minute, and a 1.5 mile run in under 11:40 mins.
 
Do you know many long time cops? I would advise seeking them out and getting their input. Most all that I know have become "less than thrilled" with their jobs and most would not advise it as a career.
 
I pulled out of being a local cop, declined the offer to go to the academy in west boylston. I thought I wanted it but there is too much corruption in the police state we live in and I wanted no part of it.
 
I have an AEE. i make more than leo base pay. I almost joined the force many years ago. I'm glad i didn't join i get to sit down across from my kids everynight at dinner and make all thier sporting events. wanting to join the force to make a difference is a noble cause. every cop friend i play softball with or grew up with says they wish the joined the fire dept.
 
With LEO jobs its best to shotgun your application everywhere. Take the first one you can and gain experience. Makes moving later easier.

USAJOBS.GOV

Getting on with Feds is also a lot less political. Especially with Border Patrol(Me) or Customs officer. Usually large numbers of hires.
Also A lot of Park Ranger jobs at big national parks are armed positions.
 
Kisspik002 said:
Must easier to become a LEO in NH. Best of luck
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This.

While lack of vet status in MA isn't the bar that it was five or six years ago, if you're not a resident who has at least one year of residency in a Civil Service muncipality, well, good luck. If you really don't want to leave MA, try local non-CS departments, Sheriff's Departments, or a career in corrections. It's also a good idea to get a job doing dispatching or some other non-sworn job to make a name for yourself.

I don't mean this as a dig, but the OP seems like "Eh, maybe I'll try the LEO route." Bear in mind, you're competing for those jobs with people who have spent their whole adult lives planning to break into the job you're looking at as a back up. And while I no doubt know some people who decided to become cops on a lark, they are a rarity.
 
ColdDayInHell said:
I pulled out of being a local cop, declined the offer to go to the academy in west boylston. I thought I wanted it but there is too much corruption in the police state we live in and I wanted no part of it.
Click to expand...
You could have done far more to change that by trying to fix it from the inside.

What'd Ghandi say? "Be The Change You Wish To See In The World"?

- - - Updated - - -

Come and take said:
I agree. Mass is corrupt and it's who you know to become a cop.
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I didn't know a soul. I just came home from Iraq and took the make-up CS test with Vet status, got a good score, and had a killer interview.
 
Remember that no matter where you end up, as the newbie you have to put in your time doing the crap work, crap shift, crap everything to be totally honest. Unless you have the fortitude to work through those early years your going to find yourself in the same boat your in right now no matter what career you start in.

When I first came out of the military in the early 90s I took the Mass State Trooper exam. I scored a 96 and didn't even come close to being accepted. For a white male to make the cut you had to score a 99. What ticked me off is that affirmative action was fully in place so minorities who score well below me were accepted. I'm not by any means prejudice, but I still find that to be wrong.

Also, look very hard at whether you want to start off in Corrections. My cousin started in Corrections at the Boston jail and he hated every minute of it. Getting spit on, convicts trying to make a name for themselves taking a swing at you, hard hours, metza pay, mandatory overtime during peak vacation periods, etc'. It's not for everyone. But like I said above. You put in your time and things should start coming your way.
 
dixidawg said:
Do you know many long time cops? I would advise seeking them out and getting their input. Most all that I know have become "less than thrilled" with their jobs and most would not advise it as a career.
Click to expand...

This ^ (Don't do it)
 
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chuck9899 said:
With LEO jobs its best to shotgun your application everywhere. Take the first one you can and gain experience. Makes moving later easier.

USAJOBS.GOV

Getting on with Feds is also a lot less political. Especially with Border Patrol(Me) or Customs officer. Usually large numbers of hires.
Also A lot of Park Ranger jobs at big national parks are armed positions.
Click to expand...

Even feds aren't really hiring right now for LEO's, the Patrol isn't actively seeking. Maybe boothmonkeys (Customs), but I've never looked into it. Not many 1811 slots open either.

Believe it or not, Park Ranger LEO slots are fairly 'have to know one to be one' kinda deal. They have lots of applicants, they can pick and choose.
 
shamrockjr said:
If you can't get your foot through the door with a PD, consider backfiring the system via corrections. It's a good start to build your resume and contacts. Follow your heart and best of luck!
Click to expand...

I would rather collect deposit bottles from under the freeway than work as a corrections officer. The joy of work of having the scum of the earth plan to cause you harm each day, no thanks.
 
Don't waste your time trying to become a cop. The competition for police jobs is very high. Back in the 90's when the economy was better, I took a test for a department in RI. They were hiring 2 cops and almost 300 people showed up for the test.

Towns have no money anymore. Even federal agencies are broke. Any time there are budget cuts, cops are the first to go because everyone hates them. I heard a story from a Border Patrol guy about how bad they have it. He said that it takes him 4 hours to drive to his patrol sector when he gets on duty down south. 4 hours out, one hour on patrol and 4 hours back because management does not want to pay overtime or staff the unit properly.

When my wife was In the academy, 2 of her classmates were dropped halfway through because the town that hired them realized they couldn't afford them. Imagine that? 3-4 months of your life getting the shit kicked out of you in a police academy and they call you one day and fire you before you even start.

Find a career in a growing industry, not a dying one.
 
Its not a dying industry, as long as there are idiots in the world then there will be police. If money were not a issue every town would have 50 cops, but there is not enough money. I would not say "don't waste your time" It is possible, Vermont is always hiring, look up there. In MA the chances are slim, but you could do it. Go to the reserve academy and get on as part time cop somewhere and get your foot in the door and maybe they will put you on full time at some point. But if your looking to get on full time somewhere ASAP then Vermont would be a good choice or if you can make the change Florida. Just remember this is not just a "job" its a life style. Not to sound corny. Your going to start and be the bottom of the barrel in sonority, your going to work midnights or mid shift. If your lucky and the department works a 4-2 your going to get a full weekend off every 6 weeks, your going to miss kids sports games, friends parties, weddings, vacations and so on. Not to mention working Christmas, Thanksgiving, 4th of July and so on. Or getting called into work at 2AM due to a homicide ect. The money is there to be made as well, but its not like you think, you see state troopers sitting on the side of the road doing a detail making 100k a year, if you work in a local town your going to be standing in the middle of the road walking next to a paving machine in the middle of July, dodging old people driving at you for 12 hours then going to work and working your regular shift. But if you can make it work then you can make some extra cash, and don't forget there is always the chance of you losing your life on the job, you drive 90% of the time which makes the chances of you getting into a car crash much greater, and sometimes your dealing with some people that don't particularly like police and do not want to go to prison. Im sure you realize this but just keep it in the back of your mind.
 
If you do end up considering moving out of MA, and you reeeeeeally want to get hired fast, consider Baltimore. In the time it takes you to test, go through the process, and get hired in MA you could test, get hired, finish the academy and FTO, and probably be eligible for a specialty unit with Baltimore PD. The reason for this, of course, is because their turnover is pretty high.
 
its not a job you come home feeling like you did good for society. most you will interact with hate you. if you are looking for self-satisfaction and public adoration, be a firefighter instead.

everything said above is also true - nights, weekends, every holiday, every important event, forced overtime, double-shifts, workings mids for years, spending your time doing traffic which nobody enjoys for long.

the only way to make money is to work way more than your regular 40 hours. more like 80 hours, or doubling up on sunday shifts. eventually you realize that the only people you interact with are other cops because your life is completely different from the rest of society - your marriage will likely fail, you'll never see your kids, your social life will be nonexistent and so forth.

its a bit easier to do when youre young and have nothing, no responsibilities, nothing else to look forward to and you have the stamina to work 16hr shifts, or work all night and start a detail on your feet in the morning until 3 when you go home, crash to sleep and get up at 10pm to go to work again.

depending on the dept you may also be your own investigator, which means in addition to your patrol duties, you're preparing cases, going to court, and all the rest which is often again in addition to your regular 40. you'll get sued if you stay in it long enough, and you'll get black marks on your dept record long before that because that how it works. you wil be challenged on most decisions you make and spend a lot of time justifying your actions. every parent will think you are after their precious snowflake and create problems for you for any interaction you have with their kid.

then there's the whole thing of your advancement being tied to the retirement of those above you. it can be a long arduous wait to move up with all of the political relationship stuff to maintain favored son status.

dont get me wrong, it can be fulfilling at times, and it can be exciting. but it is also endless hours of mundane work and mountains upon mountains of paperwork, report writing, legal refresher classes and so forth.
 
My brother-in-law is a firefighter, recently made captain. As above posters have said, it is good if you want to feel useful, much better schedule than a cop and much less hate. However, that can be really hard to get into. Where I'm from way more people want to be firefighters than cops, so while it is hard to become a cop, it is even harder to get selected as firefighter. You need to do very well on physical and written tests and interviews. Maybe it is easier up here but I would guess not by too much

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk
 
rawlus said:
dont get me wrong, it can be fulfilling at times, and it can be exciting. but it is also endless hours of mundane work and mountains upon mountains of paperwork, report writing, legal refresher classes and so forth.
Click to expand...

If you do it right, those fulfilling times can make it worth it.

It's not for everyone, no doubt. Those who are perfectionists, high strung, and tend to get anxious over small stuff are the ones that don't last--because it is a job that can never be done perfectly. There are rarely clear, black-and-white answers to problems. You often just have to do the best you can and move on, often not knowing for sure if you made the right decision.

I've done it for over eight years, and I enjoy it. I will also note, policing is far from the same job everywhere. In smaller departments, you tend to be a jack of all trades. In larger departments, your role is likely more specialized, but expect to be busier and have more dangerous types of work.

One final note--and I think most cops will agree with this: 99% of the stress I get in my job does NOT come from the street. It comes from police leadership and politicians (often a distinction lacking a difference) who want to use you or abuse you for gains in that arena. In that regard, I've been through some stuff that most cops will never face in their careers. And I still enjoy it quite a bit.
 

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