Making a Move

[Az_so]

My wife and I want to make a move out of Arizona to grow our family. We've both lived here all out lives and want to get away. We currently have two girls, 4 and 3 years old, and plan to have at least two more kids in a few years. There's a few places we've been looking into, but Texas seems to have our interest more than any other state. The only thing is that we're not sure where to be looking into. We plan on having a long vacation next year and visiting Austin, Dallas, and Houston. My wife has family in Texas, some in the Dallas area and others in rural central.

I'm currently a deputy with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. There's not really a preference I have at the size of the agency id like to lateral to, but more curious about the reputation and differences of the agencies in these areas (preferably Austin and Dallas areas). I'm open to agencies outside of the main cities of these metro areas as well. Salaries ranges of the agencies would be appreciated if known.

Other variables when considering are that my wife and I want to live where we can find a decent mix of in-city and outdoors activities, even if there's a drive to one or the other. We're conservative, so like minded people are nice to be around (don't see much of a problem with that in Texas though). Areas with better schools for the kids.

Thanks for any help you guys can give!

[UGSAce52]

My wife and I want to make a move out of Arizona to grow our family. We've both lived here all out lives and want to get away. We currently have two girls, 4 and 3 years old, and plan to have at least two more kids in a few years. There's a few places we've been looking into, but Texas seems to have our interest more than any other state. The only thing is that we're not sure where to be looking into. We plan on having a long vacation next year and visiting Austin, Dallas, and Houston. My wife has family in Texas, some in the Dallas area and others in rural central.

I'm currently a deputy with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. There's not really a preference I have at the size of the agency id like to lateral to, but more curious about the reputation and differences of the agencies in these areas (preferably Austin and Dallas areas). I'm open to agencies outside of the main cities of these metro areas as well. Salaries ranges of the agencies would be appreciated if known.

Other variables when considering are that my wife and I want to live where we can find a decent mix of in-city and outdoors activities, even if there's a drive to one or the other. We're conservative, so like minded people are nice to be around (don't see much of a problem with that in Texas though). Areas with better schools for the kids.

Thanks for any help you guys can give!

Just curious why you want to leave AZ? I'm in the process of getting hired in the Houston area right now, but I'm having second thoughts and i actually called a recruiter for the department you work for.

P.S I'm from Illinois and AZ and TX is still a better option than this state.

[Az_so]

Mostly just for a change, and to get away and start things in life for ourselves. Still young so we have plenty of time for it. And I'm not crazy about having the kids out here when it gets to 110 degrees daily for several months...100+ by 10 am most days...there's just not much for them to do outside during the summer, even just playing with neighbor kids, and not many options for indoors.

If we had no choice but to stay here, we wouldn't be miserable. I like AZ, just ready for something else. And MCSO is a good agency, lots of changes are going on right now since the Melendres lawsuit, both good and frustrating changes. If I could take the SO with me, I would.

[TXJack]

There are good agencies all around Austin and Dallas... I believe Austin PD has the best pay/benefits, but if you want to be around conservative people... Austin is not it, other than the cops... Other agencies around Austin that are more conservative are Round Rock PD, Williamson County SO, Hays County SO.

Dont know much about Dallas PD, but I heard Fort Worth PD has a lateral academy now. I've heard nothing but good things about them. Arlington PD, Irving, Plano, Frisco.

[fencipede]

Mostly just for a change, and to get away and start things in life for ourselves. Still young so we have plenty of time for it. And I'm not crazy about having the kids out here when it gets to 110 degrees daily for several months...100+ by 10 am most days...there's just not much for them to do outside during the summer, even just playing with neighbor kids, and not many options for indoors.

If you're moving to escape the heat, I don't recommend Texas.

If you're looking for conservative, the Fort Worth side of the metroplex (Dallas, Fort Worth, and all of suburbia in between and around it) is probably more along your side of things. I just generally like it more than Dallas, which is why I joined Ft Worth PD instead of Dallas.

Austin is liberal but outdoor opportunities abound in addition to the normal city stuff.

Houston is hot and humid.

[Az_so]

What's Fort Worth like internally? As far as the higher ups operate things.

90 something and humid isn't as bad as 115 and dry. Humid is uncomfortable, but in this heat in July kids start burning up in 10-15 minutes. The kids on the street refuse to go outside unless a pool is involved, and nobody can blame them. We're looking elsewhere too, north and Midwest, but we've never dealt with large amounts of snow, so we aren't too sure on whether we want to deal with that or not

[UGSAce52]

What's Fort Worth like internally? As far as the higher ups operate things.

90 something and humid isn't as bad as 115 and dry. Humid is uncomfortable, but in this heat in July kids start burning up in 10-15 minutes. The kids on the street refuse to go outside unless a pool is involved, and nobody can blame them. We're looking elsewhere too, north and Midwest, but we've never dealt with large amounts of snow, so we aren't too sure on whether we want to deal with that or not

thanks for the input, Just do yourself a favor and stay out of Illinois.

[TXJack]

What's Fort Worth like internally? As far as the higher ups operate things.

90 something and humid isn't as bad as 115 and dry. Humid is uncomfortable, but in this heat in July kids start burning up in 10-15 minutes. The kids on the street refuse to go outside unless a pool is involved, and nobody can blame them. We're looking elsewhere too, north and Midwest, but we've never dealt with large amounts of snow, so we aren't too sure on whether we want to deal with that or not

Texas in the summer is more like 100+ and humid... I wouldnt move to Texas for the weather.

[jdthor]

Nothing like a August in Texas when the sidewalks start melting

[Az_so]

Lol well aside from the heat...that's part of us wanting to go on a good vacation there. Get to see some stuff and grab a feel for everything, climate included. If we had to stay in AZ then we could deal with the heat. Climate is an aspect you have to decide on your own...I know people who love Florida and hate Arizona, and vice versa.

How about agencies? I got Fort Worth has a good rep, Austin is liberal (college town I figured)

[dgtx42]

My wife and I want to make a move out of Arizona to grow our family. We've both lived here all out lives and want to get away. We currently have two girls, 4 and 3 years old, and plan to have at least two more kids in a few years. There's a few places we've been looking into, but Texas seems to have our interest more than any other state. The only thing is that we're not sure where to be looking into. We plan on having a long vacation next year and visiting Austin, Dallas, and Houston. My wife has family in Texas, some in the Dallas area and others in rural central.

I'm currently a deputy with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. There's not really a preference I have at the size of the agency id like to lateral to, but more curious about the reputation and differences of the agencies in these areas (preferably Austin and Dallas areas). I'm open to agencies outside of the main cities of these metro areas as well. Salaries ranges of the agencies would be appreciated if known.

Other variables when considering are that my wife and I want to live where we can find a decent mix of in-city and outdoors activities, even if there's a drive to one or the other. We're conservative, so like minded people are nice to be around (don't see much of a problem with that in Texas though). Areas with better schools for the kids.

Thanks for any help you guys can give!

One of my buddies worked for Maricopa County and moved to the Corpus Christi metro area. We work for CCPD and he loves it. It's not nearly the size of the Phoenix metro area, but the pay is great, (one of the best for large cities in the state), the call volume is high, and its a big enough of a city, (315,000 proper/500,000 metro), to have everything you could want and need and have stuff to do on your days off.

Only thing is, aside from Ft. Worth, where the deadline has already expired, no large city in TX takes lateral tranfers. So you would have to do the whole academy over again.

[lew739]

Check out Irving,Garland and Mesquite dept too.

[School Cop]

Waco is smaller than most of those others, but accepts laterals at either the 2- or 5-year pay level. If you're from out of state the academy is 5 weeks long. Pay is very good for the cost of living, and we should be testing in February for an August-ish start date.

[TXJack]

One of my buddies worked for Maricopa County and moved to the Corpus Christi metro area. We work for CCPD and he loves it. It's not nearly the size of the Phoenix metro area, but the pay is great, (one of the best for large cities in the state), the call volume is high, and its a big enough of a city, (315,000 proper/500,000 metro), to have everything you could want and need and have stuff to do on your days off.

Only thing is, aside from Ft. Worth, where the deadline has already expired, no large city in TX takes lateral tranfers. So you would have to do the whole academy over again.

Austin does take laterals... There is an abbreviated academy, but you start out at year 2 pay grade after probation which is around 70k. They are having modified academies in January, but there is talk of a second in the summer.

[dgtx42]

Sorry forgot about Austin. But who the hell, (aside from officers from NY, CA, WA, or OR), would want to work in that city anyways?