CHP Stations

[Merrimacke]

Hello everybody,
Quick question for the CHP vets regarding station assignments. I understand that they place new officers where the greater need is. So is that always L.A.? I have been invited to the August Academy, but I am actually from the East Coast. My girlfriend will be staying with relatives in Hollywood while I attend the academy. I guess another question I have is will my training after the academy with a FTO be at a more permanant station, or will I end up in LA, and then say Border after the FTO? Thank you for your time.

[PTI]

A few weeks prior to graduating your class will be given a dream sheet. (list of available offices to report to) You will then choose them from first to last choice. I'm not sure how they determine seniority now, when I went through the academy it was by your entry test score. I think they use SS# now. Anyway you will then be assigned to one of those offices. Once you get assigned to an area you are there until you decide to transfer. Your FTO program will take place wherever you are assigned (45 days unless you get extended). Whether you end up in LA or not is an unknown, just depends on how things are when you graduate. It seems that LA, the bay area and the desert is where most folks go to after graduation. But that is not always the case. I went to East LA out of the Academy and it was the best thing that could have happened. You will learn so much more in a major metropolitan area than you will anyplace else. Hope that answers some questions. Good Luck.

[Wyatt Earp]

When I was there in 1990 (CTC IV-90), they gave us the Dream Sheet and you put down your five most desired places to go that currently had vacancies. At the time, most of the vacancies were in LA (East, West, Central and South). A few went to West Valley several went the Hayward area. Three went to San Diego. One went to San Francisco and another went to El Centro. They sent one cadet to her desired area even though there were no vacancies because she had a "hardship" case.

My first choice was West LA (because Malibu didn't have any openings). The cadets who owned homes had first choice, then the ones who had kids, then everyone else chose based on the last four numbers of your Social Security Number. The highest numbers got first choice. If you had a low number, you got last choice. You usually stay at your assigned station after field training. At least we did back then.

I am also from the east coast and brought a girlfriend with me who stayed with my relatives in LA.

After graduation, I was assigned to the West LA Area, she eventually went back to NY and I went to work for the Ventura County Sheriff's Dept.

[Welpe]

Wyatt, if I may be so bold as to ask, what made you decide to move on from the CHP and go to Ventura County Sheriff?

[Merrimacke]

Thank you

I would like to thank all of you for your help and information. It is greatly appreciated

[Wyatt Earp]

Wyatt, if I may be so bold as to ask, what made you decide to move on from the CHP and go to Ventura County Sheriff?

I wanted to be a real cop.

[PTI]

I wanted to be a real cop.

So did I, but I scored too high on the test. They told me I was too smart for that and should go to CHP.

[Lucky Seven]

So did I, but I scored too high on the test. They told me I was too smart for that and should go to CHP.

If that's true you should be a chief by now!


So I guess a "real cop" who drives to noise complaints, domestic violence calls, and other "real" LE calls especially those crime scenes where you put up yellow tape and secure the scene and wait while the "real detectives" do the detecting cause a patrol unit can't detect, makes someone on patrol in a non-traffic unit more real then someone in a traffic unit.

Everybody has a job to do...albeit with different responsibilities.

[Welpe]

Damn, should've known that would be a loaded question! Sorry for the impending war...

[PTI]

If that's true you should be a chief by now!

Just a chief??? You sell me short. Actually the Comissioner and me have a lot in common. We both have gone as far as we are going on this department.