Ft. Lauderdale PD..give me the facts(That's cop talk I guess)

[eh19512]

ME: 20+ years LE in Pa., have FL. Certification, make $56,500 a year here, cost of living is about like North Florida, curently detective(major crimes), can't stand it, looking to re-locate, checking out FLPD.

YOU: Anyone with FLPD(No rumor people that "just heard"), or had been associated with the agency, I want to find out as much as I can on the place, and also including: OT potential(My starting rate would be $53,400), shifts are permanent, so Mids I suppose is the starting one? Adancement potential, is it fun working the streets or are you micro-manged to death by your superiors, how much lateral movement in the place, what about my spouse, who is also a police officer applying at the same time I do? They show on their web page they advocate "families"....but in reality, would they consider hiring a married couple, and if so, would they put us on opposite shifts(Divorce central)?
Hey, anything you have opinion-wise, I want to know, good, bad, ugly. Tell me what ails you, or gets you off there the most. I want to make sure I cross my T's, dot my I's.
Thanks for everything,
Paul

[co911]

You might not like this reply but your chances of getting on with them are not good despite your experience. I don't work at FLPD but I know they have hundreds of lateral apps from around the US for every open position. The highest paying dept in FL for lateral cops? Good luck.

[ftlaudcop]

ft laud is a good dept to work for,
plenty of overtime at certain periods of time.....
plenty of off duty jobs......

your back ground is no doubt gonna look good.....

but yr gonna be in competition of their civil service list
no matter what yer credentials are......

at 20 yrs already in, yr gonna have to lock in a pension
at 10 yrs....pay for the pension yerself.....so the $$$$$
may look good..ya gotta lotta things to view in the over all game plan...

midnite shift....more like 3 to 11 shift where they will run ya ragged....
calll to call to call....
your off duty detail's may not even be included in yr pension build up
just yr overtime and court time.

housing is prohibative inside the city....either a million dollar
neighborhood or crack town....your choice..
plenty of good medium size...dept's...davie, sunrise,margate, coral springs
pembroke pines,plantation.....
myagency needs people also.....yr just gonna do a lotta redundant paperwork
and we are going thru a crisis now, it's been good to me...but if yr from
another agency...ya make shake yr head...but 6 yrs to lock in a pension that you don't pay for..is attractive for sure.

[eh19512]

Kinda figured as much..

Everyone I've ever talked to that wants to go to Florida names the same department, FLPD, so I assumed the competition would be pretty fierce. A lot of those people also have retired after 20 years wherever they are at, and already have pensions coming in too. At 20 years, mine won't kick in till I'm 50....10 years from now, so if hired I would have to work at least that long.
The other clue is the process itself I found. A simple application...and only a PT test and swim test, it looks like they don't want to have you go through a whole lot of paperwork in the beginning, probably because of what you guys are saying. Most apps. I've seen want a whole lot more than what the want on the one I downloaded, which kinda makes me wonder. Looks like they just want the basics now, and if picked later, they'll get into the real background and personal history stuff.

[darrell]

I know that Ft. Lauderdale PD came to Detroit a few weeks ago recruiting a bunch of Detroit Officers that will be getting the axe soon from the city. I'm hearing the total number of layoffs at DPD was 717. There were some other departments up here trying to recruit them but I hear for most part the DPD guys are going to apply with FLPD.

[co911]

As stated above, DPD cops and anyone else are welcome by FLPD recruiters to apply down there. But without a spotless IA/employment background history, steller references, a degree plus a military background and a whole bunch of luck, they ain't getting hired. Best of luck to anyone who applies.

[ftlaudcop]

one of my freinds...who is 25, just got hired , he's had sand-box time over sea's, plus 4 yrs sheriff's office time, and he was rated # 2 of the group
he was hired with.....nice kid, party boy for the most part....
good luck to those applying....