Moving to Missouri

[PTR-Jason]

Hey all,

I know this should probably be in the Employment section but I posted it here because I wanted people from Missouri to see it.

I am moving from California to Missouri in May, to Lampe, about 30 min from Branson. I am looking at departments in the area, like Branson, Springfield, Neosho, and Joplin.

1. The question I have is what the requirements in MO. are I have called MO POST and they said they do not do lateral transfers, but use a point system. What would be considered for the point system?

2. I am 23, but have been in law enforcement since 1998. I was a police explorer for 4.5 years, worked security for 2 years, and I am currently a Tribal Ranger (Tribal Police basically) on a Federal Indian Reservation. I have worked as a ranger for 3 years. I have a lot of useful knowledge and training I have picked up from my years. I am also going through a 64hour California POST PC 832 course in April. It is the minimum training requirement in California for a Peace Officer, and everyone knows CA has some of the strictest requirements for Peace Officers. I have taken NIMS classes, as well as other training provided by my department.

3. Would a department or the state take my training as experience to use on the point system?

4. Also can anyone recommend some department in the area?

5..Also I know in some states, Sheriff's Departments are pretty much civil officers that run the courts and serve papers, they do not really serve as law enforcement, like respond to calls, and act as primary law enforcement in the county. Is MO like that? In CA Sheriff's Deputies are full officers and patrol any areas that are not incorporated, they respond to calls and do the courts also, but they tend not to serve papers or stuff like that very much.

Thank You all for any help.

[Bearcat357]

1. Point system....? I am from MO and have never heard of a point system that POST uses. Personally, I would call someone there again and see if you could send them all your training certs and if they could figure where you stand and go from there.... POST is very short-handed.....and a couple of the ladies can get surley at times.....so be nice....trust me on that one....

2. In Missouri, the bare minimum for training is 470 hours. So, not sure where you stack up there. See post#1......as POST is going to have the final say if you have enough training or you will be required to go through an academy......

3. I like the Branson PD a lot. They don't get paid a lot (not even sure what it is) but their Chief is a heck of a guy. He rose through the ranks and made Chief a year or so ago. He's trying to get them paid more. They do have nice equipment..... Any of the County SO's would be fine.....but you will have to look around. Some of them are very low paid and only have a couple of Deputies and the Sheriff working the road.

And yes, in MO, County Sheriff's Depts. are full service LE Agencies. But, due to manpower issues, you will probably be limited in what you do as you will be busy with other stuff....like Court.....

If I was to move back to MO and go to the area.....Branson would be tops.....Stone County, Tanney County and Barry County all have SO's. Not sure what towns have PDs as they are all very small......

Joplin and Neosho hire from time-to-time....but not sure when they are hiring again. Both seem like good PDs as well. Not sure how far you are wanting to drive or if they have residency requirements.....

Here is a link the the MO Attorney General's website.....it has a listing/contact for every agency in the state....

http://www.ago.mo.gov/policesheriffs/policesheriffs.htm

[quallze]

I've lived around the Joplin, Mo. area my whole life. I've talked to several of the PD Officers and they seem to be very squared away. Don't know what info you have on the Joplin area but there is alot to keep you busy, LE stuff and family stuff. I think it would be a good place to work.

[BehindBars]

A guy on my dept was certified in Texas and only had to take a test to get his POST certification in Missouri.

BB

[Bearcat357]

A guy on my dept was certified in Texas and only had to take a test to get his POST certification in Missouri.

BB

That's how I have seen it done in the past.....but POST also looks at how many hours you have in LE training and certs. It all has to add up to at least 470 hours for the smaller counties and 600 hours for the counties around KC and STL........

Now, that could have changed since I left there 2 years ago......as I had never heard of the "point system" like the original poster had posted.....

[DesertRat]

It is a point system. You have to go to their web site and down load the application. You then send in the application along with the required documentation and you wait, and wait, and wait, and wait.

Then you call the lady at POST three weeks to a month later and VERY POLITELY ask if they can give you an approximate time as to how long it will take.

They will snap at you.

You will then explain you have an offer from an agency but they need to fill the position soon and it is a plain clothes day shift position just 7 blocks from your house with a take home car instead of the 100+ mile commute you are making in your personal vehicle every day right now and with better insurance but they need to fill the position within two weeks.

The lady will then snap at you again, move your application to the bottom of the pile, and you will wait, and wait, and wait, and wait and the agency wil give the job to someone else.

Several weeks later when you still haven't heard anything some guy will post a message on O.com asking about certification in MO and you will do your best to maintain your diplomatic personality and explain the process to him without displaying even the slightest hint of frustration or bitterness.

I hope that answers some of your questions

[Bearcat357]

It is a point system. You have to go to their web site and down load the application. You then send in the application along with the required documentation and you wait, and wait, and wait, and wait.

Then you call the lady at POST three weeks to a month later and VERY POLITELY ask if they can give you an approximate time as to how long it will take.

They will snap at you.

You will then explain you have an offer from an agency but they need to fill the position soon and it is a plain clothes day shift position just 7 blocks from your house with a take home car instead of the 100+ mile commute you are making in your personal vehicle every day right now and with better insurance but they need to fill the position within two weeks.

The lady will then snap at you again, move your application to the bottom of the pile, and you will wait, and wait, and wait, and wait and the agency wil give the job to someone else.

Several weeks later when you still haven't heard anything some guy will post a message on O.com asking about certification in MO and you will do your best to maintain your diplomatic personality and explain the process to him without displaying even the slightest hint of frustration or bitterness.

I hope that answers some of your questions

We must have talked to the same people...... I would toss her name out.....but at this time don't want to go there.

I got into an argument with one of the ladies about training I went to in Iowa. The same course, taught by the same instructor in Missouri (who teaches it for a ton of money at MU) will not tranfer over because it was taught in Iowa... It's the same damn course!!

My Chief about crapped himself when he stuck his head in my office and figured out who I was talking to in a heated manner......and finally got me to just drop it....as he didn't want them to do something to my status as a LEO....

On a side note, sorry to hear they jacked with you DR. I would suggest calling someone....but not sure whom..... I guess the Director of DPS might do...?

[BehindBars]

The part about waiting is right. It took the guy I work with nearly a year. And to cap it off to take the test he had to go to Jeff City. Luckily we are in the jail where he could work as a civilian or deputy.

BB

[glock17guy]

Hey all,

I know this should probably be in the Employment section but I posted it here because I wanted people from Missouri to see it.

I am moving from California to Missouri in May, to Lampe, about 30 min from Branson. I am looking at departments in the area, like Branson, Springfield, Neosho, and Joplin.

1. The question I have is what the requirements in MO. are I have called MO POST and they said they do not do lateral transfers, but use a point system. What would be considered for the point system?

2. I am 23, but have been in law enforcement since 1998. I was a police explorer for 4.5 years, worked security for 2 years, and I am currently a Tribal Ranger (Tribal Police basically) on a Federal Indian Reservation. I have worked as a ranger for 3 years. I have a lot of useful knowledge and training I have picked up from my years. I am also going through a 64hour California POST PC 832 course in April. It is the minimum training requirement in California for a Peace Officer, and everyone knows CA has some of the strictest requirements for Peace Officers. I have taken NIMS classes, as well as other training provided by my department.

3. Would a department or the state take my training as experience to use on the point system?

4. Also can anyone recommend some department in the area?

5..Also I know in some states, Sheriff's Departments are pretty much civil officers that run the courts and serve papers, they do not really serve as law enforcement, like respond to calls, and act as primary law enforcement in the county. Is MO like that? In CA Sheriff's Deputies are full officers and patrol any areas that are not incorporated, they respond to calls and do the courts also, but they tend not to serve papers or stuff like that very much.

Thank You all for any help.

I have lived in springfield my whole life... I have been active in tactical shooting groups made up of area LE in this area and work for a county juvenile detention center... I also am friends with many officers from all over the area. So I can cover most of your questions

1. POST in Missouri is a major deal. All officers must have 470 class B Cert. If you want to work for Springfield, You must go to their academy, which is state certified, and will give you a class A. Most other departments in SW MO are open to any POST officers.

2. I really dont know on this but, Sheriff Hill in Stone County, next to Branson, is on the POST Board of Directors.

3. ?

4. I can say that Springfield is a good department with issues in the micromanaging city manager.. that being said they are needed over 70 officers right now and are losing 20 a year, so they are hiring. Greene County Sheriffs office is my personal choice, I know the road guys and some detectives and even the chief and sheriff.... All of them are out to stop crime in Greene County, its a great department.. Stone and Taney are good counties too.. they are smaller but still have a lot of action with a good tax base... The cities in this area are small compared to Springfield.. I know that Joplin is hiring right now and is a fast paced department. Neosho just had two officers shot in the line of duty.. they are going to live, but it is small department. Most towns in this area have 2-3 man departments.. but there is still Nixa and Ozark, which have about 35 officers. Beware of the really small counties, sometimes they have only 5 officers in patrol division and do not have 24 hour road coverage.. they use the State patrol for LE on midnights.... This being said their are LE jobs in this area, if you want to work for a city, Springfield has crime and some gang activity and a daytime population if 300,000 but only 350 cops!!!! Polk and Dallas counties are north of springfield but have good departments.

5. What one of the other posters stated might not be true.. most of the Sheriff departments have a unit that is tasked with civil work and court stuff... most area departmetns are the main law enforcement in the county.. covering large areas with very few officers.. Greene has a court security unit, Patrol- with 40 officers and a civil unit that has 7 full authority officers
+ detectives , narc, warrants, and jail. most counties are focused on LE road work in this area.

[Bearcat357]

5. What one of the other posters stated might not be true.. most of the Sheriff departments have a unit that is tasked with civil work and court stuff... most area departmetns are the main law enforcement in the county.. covering large areas with very few officers.. Greene has a court security unit, Patrol- with 40 officers and a civil unit that has 7 full authority officers
+ detectives , narc, warrants, and jail. most counties are focused on LE road work in this area.

I know guys/gals that work in the smaller SO's that he's talking about South of you along the MO/AR boarder. They are not blessed like Greene County is. They have to do a bit of everything......including Court, Warrants, Road, etc......

A couple of those counties only have the Sheriff and a few Deputies.....and that's it.

As for POST....it's already been stated by Desert Rat (who is over on the STL side of the state trying to get his stuff transfered over from Vegas PD) that you can challenge POST if you have enough hours. He's got to send his stuff in....and see what the bitchy ladies at POST have to say about it.....

You might want to check your info about Hill....as he's no longer on the POST Board. Sheriff Steve Bruce (Polk County) represents the area now....

http://www.dps.mo.gov/POST/Main/CongressionalDistOutline.htm

Here's the Link with Contact Info for MO POST....

http://www.dps.mo.gov/POST/Main/Staff.htm

[DesertRat]

Sure, right after I go and say bad things one of the ladies calls me and was wonderfully pleasant and I'm scheduled for the written exam next week. I wonder what that bad Karma is going to bring me

[Bearcat357]

Sure, right after I go and say bad things one of the ladies calls me and was wonderfully pleasant and I'm scheduled for the written exam next week. I wonder what that bad Karma is going to bring me

I got chills up my spine when I posted the POST link.....as I saw her name........

Good luck.....I had some real dumb asses in my class pass it...plus I got a 93 on it....so it's not that hard......

[PTR-Jason]

Sure, right after I go and say bad things one of the ladies calls me and was wonderfully pleasant and I'm scheduled for the written exam next week. I wonder what that bad Karma is going to bring me

Good luck I hope all turns out.


I will print out the app and send it in to POST and see what I can get back from them. In the mean time I will start sending my apps out to some departments, one or two for now, and see what comes from them. If they say my stuff will not work for post, but I can go through their hiring process, and they want to send me to the academy, that will work too.

I would not mind working for a small department, they can teach me stuff, and I can bring experience from California to the table with them.

The down side is I only had about 2 months notice before we found out we are moving, so its not like it was planned I was able to go through a process with a department, and have a job lined up out there. I see me working security or something for a year while I go through a process, in the very near future, anyone know some good security companies? lol I do not want to work security again, but the plus side would be I would get to know the MO (or AR) laws and also get to know the officers/deputies in the area, and find out about the departments.

[glock17guy]

Ok.. So Hill is now gone, I stand corrected.. However, Many smaller departments like Barry and ozark use Reserves to do a lot of civil stuff... mainly because they are the THE LE agency for the county along with MSHP

[Bearcat357]

I see me working security or something for a year while I go through a process, in the very near future, anyone know some good security companies?

Your going to have to go hang out in the bigger cities like Branson, Neosho, Springfield, Carthage, Joplin, etc.....to find most of the security gigs.....

I would suspect that the smaller towns are like the smaller towns up North and don't have much to offer security wise....

There are a ton of factory's in the area....you might want to check into those.....