Best agencies in the state??

[zulu_22]

Thought I'd start some discussion about some of the better agencies in the state. The criteria I would like to consider is the morale of the department, the technology/equipment the officers are provided, the support of the administration, and the pay.

Here are a few agencies I have heard good things about (in no particular order)-

Tampa PD
Hollywood PD
Manatee SO
Sarasota SO and PD
Polk SO
Volusia SO

[NavCop22]

Thought I'd start some discussion about some of the better agencies in the state. The criteria I would like to consider is the morale of the department, the technology/equipment the officers are provided, the support of the administration, and the pay.

Here are a few agencies I have heard good things about (in no particular order)-

Tampa PD
Hollywood PD
Manatee SO
Sarasota SO and PD
Polk SO
Volusia SO

It all depends on who you talk to really. But, this is how I would rate the departments you just listed from what I've heard.


Tampa
Volusia
Sarasota
Polk
Hollywood
Manatee



Tampa has AMAZING benefits and I think they equip their officers pretty good. Volusia and Sarasota both have really good salaries and its good pay and low risk counties. Polk county is good because of their pro cop, anti politics stand which is good to see. Hollywood seems to have so many problems with their guys, especially with what happen two years ago with the who FBI investigating more than half of their department for being corrupt. Manatee is a decent place but the pay and benefits doesn't compare to the other agencies you listed.



Maybe, someone else can chime in and tell you more in depth information about those agencies. In my opinion though, if you were to go for one. Go with Tampa, they have good pay and awesome benefits.

[conesweeper]

Post deleted by conesweeper.

[Delta_V]

Volusia and Sarasota both have really good salaries and its good pay and low risk counties.

What in the world are you talking about? This is the second post where you've tried to rate an agency by saying they're in a "low risk" area. What is a low risk area? In case you didn't know, the majority of officers in the United States killed in the line of duty every year don't come from big city agencies in "high risk" areas. Many are killed in traffic stops or ambush situations in areas of the country that have relatively low crime rates. If you ever do get a job in law enforcement, no matter where you are, thinking that you're somewhere that is "low risk" has a very good chance of contributing to a mentality that can get you killed.

BTW, the index crime rate in the City of Sarasota for 2010 was almost DOUBLE the crime rate in the City of Tampa. Do you still think Sarasota is a "low risk" area?

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Content/...010annual.aspx

[NavCop22]

First off, you can't compare Sarasota to Tampa. Tampa is a heck of a lot more risker than Sarasota in the grand picture. I know that the numbers tell a lot. However, you have to look at the populations of both areas. If you have a said town that has a hundred people (using small scale as an example) out of those hundred, 50 commit crimes. Then by numbers THAT town is more risker than a big city that has a said number of 10,000 because the small town has a 50 percent crime rate over that big city. Comparing Sarasota to Tampa is like comparing apples to oranges. There is no way you can compare the two because of their populations. Its like comparing NYC and Miami, while both are metropolitan cities. NYC is still a heck of A LOT more risker to work than Miami.


Officer A who has to deal with gang bangers all day long working in the ghetto compared to Officer B that works in a semi rural community along with some suburban areas that are upper middle class. Your telling me that both of them have the SAME risk of getting seriously hurt on the job? The answer is NO. Officer A has an INCREASED chance of getting hurt on the job than Officer B. While the chance is STILL there to get hurt on this job. The RISK is HIGHER for Officer A than with Officer B. So, when I say "Low Risk" thats what I'm talking about.



I know and I'm fully aware than ANYWHERE can be dangerous but I was speaking about the big picture in comparison to what would be considered high risk and low risk areas. Tampa is a heck of a lot more risker to work than Sarasota. Thus, why you guys up there have higher pay and better benefits in comparison to other agencies in the area. So, when I say that these places are "low risk" they are in comparison to other places that are big metropolitan areas.

[Unit453]

Manatee is a decent place but the pay and benefits doesn't compare to the other agencies you listed.

Manatee S.O. makes more than Polk and right on par with Sarasota S.O. Benefits for counties are pretty much the same everywhere you go so, there's no such thing as one county has better bennies than the other.

Volusia deputies make about 14 bucks an hour so their pay pretty much sucks donkey balls and no where near gulf coast agencies.

I also don't think you can compare a county to a city. They're two very different things.

[MDPD4LYFE]

I dont know about the rest of the agencies on that list, but I can speak personally about Hollywood PD; they just flat out blow. Their officers arent very qualified; if you know what I mean, their response times are extremely poor, their dispatch is horrible, and as far as their cars/equipment goes well their okay at that i guess. Ive had several interactions with them as I work loss prevention for a major retailer in their jurisdiction.

[Unit453]

but I can speak personally about Hollywood PD; they just flat out blow.

And if they offered YOU a job, I'm sure you'd tell them that and move onto something bigger and better right?


Some of you guys have absolutely no clue. Response times are based on call volume. If it takes them 45 minutes to respond to a call, then there's obviously in progress calls going out that take priority. The less priority calls will sit. It happens everywhere and it is the way that it works.

For those of you that don't work at any agency mentioned above, you guys really have no clue what it's all about. You judge based on this guy you talked to or that officer/deputy that you ran into. There is no "best" agency in the state. Some are better than others. Some pay better than others. Some offer better training than others. Some have a nicer looking fleet than others. Some run Coopers Standards and some don't. Unless you work there, you guys really have no clue.

[Delta_V]

First off, you can't compare Sarasota to Tampa. Tampa is a heck of a lot more risker than Sarasota in the grand picture. I know that the numbers tell a lot. However, you have to look at the populations of both areas. If you have a said town that has a hundred people (using small scale as an example) out of those hundred, 50 commit crimes. Then by numbers THAT town is more risker than a big city that has a said number of 10,000 because the small town has a 50 percent crime rate over that big city. Comparing Sarasota to Tampa is like comparing apples to oranges. There is no way you can compare the two because of their populations. Its like comparing NYC and Miami, while both are metropolitan cities. NYC is still a heck of A LOT more risker to work than Miami.

You really have no idea what you're talking about. The crime rate is just that--a rate. It quantifies crime based off of the index rate per 100,000 citizens. Just because a city has more reported crimes doesn't mean it's more dangerous. You speak of NYC for example. The crime rate in NYC is about a third of the crime rate in the City of Miami. There are a greater number of crimes because there are more people, but that also means that there are a lot more officers on the street. Miami PD has about 1100 officers while NYPD has 35,000. That means that the NYPD is over 30 times larger than MPD. Given the crime rate and the number of officers, those MPD cops are going to be exposed to more. Also, given the population of Miami compared with the population of NYC, Miami's citizens have a much greater chance of being victimized because of the higher rate of crime. It's a relatively simple concept to comprehend.

Officer A who has to deal with gang bangers all day long working in the ghetto compared to Officer B that works in a semi rural community along with some suburban areas that are upper middle class. Your telling me that both of them have the SAME risk of getting seriously hurt on the job? The answer is NO. Officer A has an INCREASED chance of getting hurt on the job than Officer B. While the chance is STILL there to get hurt on this job. The RISK is HIGHER for Officer A than with Officer B. So, when I say "Low Risk" thats what I'm talking about.

More illogical BS. Using your logic it would seem like the cops in the "high risk" cities you speak of such as NYC would be getting killed all the time. The NYPD had an officer killed in an assault this year, and he was the first NYPD officer feloniously killed in the line of duty since 2007. Considering the size of that department and the "high risk," as you say, that should be unusual. It's not. Other departments in "lower risk" areas have had more officers killed in a shorter time frame. Which city in the country is known for one of the worst gang problems? Los Angeles. Aside from an officer killed in a SWAT raid back in 2008, they haven't had an officer feloniously killed since 2004. How does your personal risk assessment explain that?

I know and I'm fully aware than ANYWHERE can be dangerous but I was speaking about the big picture in comparison to what would be considered high risk and low risk areas. Tampa is a heck of a lot more risker to work than Sarasota. Thus, why you guys up there have higher pay and better benefits in comparison to other agencies in the area.

I really don't think you're fully aware of anything. Go to odmp.org and look around. Most of the officers who get killed in the line of duty come from small departments in what you would classify as "low risk" areas. Large cities are represented as well, but there are a disproportionate number of officers from small departments killed every year that you wouldn't expect if all you look at is the "danger level" of the city. Tampa has higher pay and benefits because the union, the mayor, and the city council believe in paying the police well. If pay and benefits were based on the risk involved, small agencies that police affluent areas like Palm Beach wouldn't be the highest paid in the state.

[Delta_V]

For those of you that don't work at any agency mentioned above, you guys really have no clue what it's all about. You judge based on this guy you talked to or that officer/deputy that you ran into. There is no "best" agency in the state. Some are better than others. Some pay better than others. Some offer better training than others. Some have a nicer looking fleet than others. Some run Coopers Standards and some don't. Unless you work there, you guys really have no clue.

This is the main reason that I went on a hiatus from officer.com for a while. This place is full of people with screen names that imply that they're cops who post information about things they know nothing about. It didn't used to be that bad in the Florida section but that seems to be changing.

[NavCop22]

You making it sound like I said that there isn't ANY RISK involved in small populated areas. Of course there is, so tell me something.


How many cops were seriously injured or killed up in the Tampa Bay Metropolitan area in the last few years compared to cops in Sarasota and the surrounding area? Sadly, a lot more.



The risk of getting seriously hurt in this job exists EVERYWHERE. I'm just pointing out the INCREASED risk that someone faces in certain areas compared to others.



As for my example being "Illogical BS" anyone can see that what I'm saying is true. You've got some random examples of LEOs being seriously hurt in other places that aren't as populated. However, given the fact that you have MORE people then you have an INCREASED risk of getting into something serious. Its a fact and you can't spin this around, with all due respect I guess we agree to disagree.

[NavCop22]

This is the main reason that I went on a hiatus from officer.com for a while. This place is full of people with screen names that imply that they're cops who post information about things they know nothing about. It didn't used to be that bad in the Florida section but that seems to be changing.

I was in Naval Law Enforcement when I was in the Navy, Hence my screen name. We obviously disagree on things so it is what it is. I never made it sound like I was the ultimate authority on every department in the state. You obviously have a vast amount of knowledge and experience than I do, so thats why I don't argue or debate with you over a lot of things. I just feel strongly about the low risk to high risk subject because its something that I believe is true to some extent.

[hapc]

The reality of it is that each Agency will have something that appeals to someone. For instance, I feel that the Agency I work for is the best. The reality is that its the best fit for me, another person might not feel the same way. Other Agencies have more "toys", but I believe in the "Policing philosophy" of my Agency.

Sure some Agencies are way ahead of the curve when it comes to new equipment and technology, however, that definitely does not make the Agency more appealing to everyone. Yes new equipment is nice, but some of the best training comes from mastering what you have at your disposal. Newer isn't always better.

On a side note, Delta and Unit 453 I agree with your posts in this thread. Sometimes we need to remember that there are a few people on here that may believe in what they are saying without having all the information, I guess that is human nature. NavCop, nothing personal, I don't agree with your statements in this post.

Stay Safe

[mbpdhopeful]

your just asking to pick a fight with this thread.....lol (Miami-Dade Police Department i feel is one of the best agencies in Florida!)

[NavCop22]

The reality of it is that each Agency will have something that appeals to someone. For instance, I feel that the Agency I work for is the best. The reality is that its the best fit for me, another person might not feel the same way. Other Agencies have more "toys", but I believe in the "Policing philosophy" of my Agency.

Sure some Agencies are way ahead of the curve when it comes to new equipment and technology, however, that definitely does not make the Agency more appealing to everyone. Yes new equipment is nice, but some of the best training comes from mastering what you have at your disposal. Newer isn't always better.

On a side note, Delta and Unit 453 I agree with your posts in this thread. Sometimes we need to remember that there are a few people on here that may believe in what they are saying without having all the information, I guess that is human nature. NavCop, nothing personal, I don't agree with your statements in this post.

Stay Safe

Alright, I respect that.