Posts #3 and #6 hold some great weight, and this is from a guy who has over 28 years as an LEO, and I am currently badge numero uno on my PD.
Some things to consider;
Becoming a full time LEO isnt something you want to "try out" for a bit. If you get hired, the academy alone is 6 months, then you have a years probation, and when all that is said and done, youre at the bottom of the totem pole. I dont know how old you are, but I can tell you this, the guys on my job under the age of 30 are the loudest complainers about what they feel they "deserve" after putting in 8 or 9 years on the job, they feel theyve paid their dues. They havent. These guys never swept a floor, roofed a house, cleaned a shitter, been told theyre useless and wont amount to anything by a parent, teacher, boss, drill instructor, etc etc etc. Their first full time job has been LEO. Sure, you can make $150k in your first year OUT of the academy, but that involves a constant flow of 90 hour work weeks.
Christmas, weekends, honeymoons, ? Always just a possibility, nothing is a given. Getting "forced" to work a last half, or a day tour on the day you were leaving on your week long singles cruise? Its going to happen. Though not nearly as bad as the military, you have no choice but to grasp the concept of "my time isnt really my time anymore", if you dont, then you wont keep your job. Working for guys that are morons, bullies, suckasses etc and not being able to do a thing about it? Check. Missing your kids birthdays, baseball games, anniversaries etc? Check. I could go on, and on, and on, but I wont.
These are the basics, we are barely even scratching the surface. I have a great retirement yes, I make $30 an hour on straight time with zero college, awesome, I have awesome health benefits for my family, mint! I make a difference in some poor bastards life every now and again, sometimes positively, sometimes negatively. There are exponentially more cons than pros to the job though, that I promise.
Heres a hint, if post #3 offended you, look elsewhere.. Mark offerred information that was very accurate, but if his delivery made you buttsad, walk away.
Glen