Community service officer

[phialpha56]

Any recommendations whether or not a CSO is a good way to get a foot in the door?

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

[tpcop007]

YES it is a great way to get your foot in the door. I was one for 3 years and then the dept hired me as a cop. Well, the academy was that much easier because I already knew about crimes and how to write reports. I also knew all of the radio coeds and signals. It also taught me how to deal with people..It was really a great job and I always said, "if they would pay me the cops salary, I woulda stayed a CSA forever."

[SoInTeNsE54]

YES it is a great way to get your foot in the door. I was one for 3 years and then the dept hired me as a cop. Well, the academy was that much easier because I already knew about crimes and hot to write reports. It was really a great job and I always said, "if they would pay me the cops salary, I woulda stayed a CSA forever."

thats really good info.

[dBrown]

YES it is a great way to get your foot in the door. I was one for 3 years and then the dept hired me as a cop. Well, the academy was that much easier because I already knew about crimes and hot to write reports. It was really a great job and I always said, "if they would pay me the cops salary, I woulda stayed a CSA forever."

I was one for 6months when I was hired as a leo with a nearby dept...I wouldnt stay one forever because you have no arrest powers and I can handle only so many animal complaints

[tpcop007]

csa's in my area are mainly accident invetigators. We can issue citations in conjunction with a traffic crash, issue parking citations and enforce city code violations. We also handle not in progress calls for service so we stay very busy.

[SoInTeNsE54]

csa's in my area are mainly accident invetigators. We can issue citations in conjunction with a traffic crash, issue parking citations and enforce city code violations. We also handle not in progress calls for service so we stay very busy.

What did you have to do in order to become a CSO?

[dBrown]

csa's in my area are mainly accident invetigators. We can issue citations in conjunction with a traffic crash, issue parking citations and enforce city code violations. We also handle not in progress calls for service so we stay very busy.

We handled mainly ordinance violations. Closest we would get to an accident scene was to block off traffic and stand by until the vehicle was hooked..Then you had the parking violations, vehicle lock-out (i hated) and house checks. The only citation we could issue was ordinance for dog or cat running at large and of course parking....the job did get your foot in the door

[tpcop007]

What did you have to do in order to become a CSO?

In florida to become a cas they require you take the T.A.B.E. test and submit the resluts with the application. Then the hiring process consisted of an oral board, poly graph and medical (some depts do pshyc test too for csa). Then I was hired and sent to a 2 month csa academy which mostly consisted of traffic accident investigation, at the local police academy. The academy is militiristic but no physical requirements are to be met. I then went back to my dept for a 3 month FTO program and was released after that.