Is it just me?

[mcdb84]

For some background, I was prior military, then went Fed (1811) working in a Large Metro City on the West Coast for 10.5 years, then made the transition to being a local cop here in Texas and have been on my own for about 3 months after going through the Academy and FTO. My experience is a bit unusual as I went the "other way," but thought I'd like to at least try becoming a "real cop."

I went through some challenges during my final check ride during FTO as Fed LE and Local LE are different animals. It was a much more challenging transitioning becoming a beat cop than I had imagined. I am not enjoying the work of being a local cop as much as I thought I would. Having a little buyers remorse, but made the change for the family and had to move away from the West Coast.

My crew and Sgt have been good and being out of FTO is much better and a lot less stressful, but not sure if I just need to be patient and find my own style of policing.

At this point, I am thinking of just going back Fed at this point.

For the tenured cops, did you enjoy being a cop?

Appreciate the input.

[L-1]

I spent 33 years in the profession. Looking back, 15 years were OK, 8 were absolutely horrible and 10 were wonderful. Nonetheless, I'd do it all over again.

[Aidokea]

For some background, I was prior military, then went Fed (1811) working in a Large Metro City on the West Coast for 10.5 years, then made the transition to being a local cop here in Texas and have been on my own for about 3 months after going through the Academy and FTO. My experience is a bit unusual as I went the "other way," but thought I'd like to at least try becoming a "real cop."

I went through some challenges during my final check ride during FTO as Fed LE and Local LE are different animals. It was a much more challenging transitioning becoming a beat cop than I had imagined. I am not enjoying the work of being a local cop as much as I thought I would. Having a little buyers remorse, but made the change for the family and had to move away from the West Coast.

My crew and Sgt have been good and being out of FTO is much better and a lot less stressful, but not sure if I just need to be patient and find my own style of policing.

At this point, I am thinking of just going back Fed at this point.

For the tenured cops, did you enjoy being a cop?

Appreciate the input.

I live in Texas, although I've never done law enforcement here, so I'm not sure I'll have a good answer for you.

But I have done law enforcement in a major west coast city, so I'm probably not totally ignorant either.

Out of curiosity, are you actually in Texas proper, or are you in a Democrat-run outpost of California like Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, etc.? There appears to be a HUGE difference.

[NolaT]

In think All Police truly enjoy being Police, it’s a calling, something that you’re drawn to. As Corny as it sounds I think it’s something that’s just inside you, in your blood, if you will,……..

[Captain Max]

I was an 0083 patrolman and loved it at first, then it got boring- same old calls, same old crud. By the end of my career I was an 1811, but I kept my portable on in my office and backed up Patrol.

To answer your question, no in the end, because it was the same calls, sending the same people to the same judge expecting different results.

[Aidokea]

In think All Police truly enjoy being Police, it’s a calling, something that you’re drawn to. As Corny as it sounds I think it’s something that’s just inside you, in your blood, if you will,……..

Absolutely.

The Job didn't MAKE me the person I am, I was this person LONG before I ever became a cop, and I continue to be this person even after I retired. The person I am, is what I brought to The Job. It's what made me suitable for The Job.

To this day, if I come upon a car crash, I'm spontaneously and instantly perceived by all present, to be in charge of the scene. When I'm strolling down the sidewalk, I can still knock 10-15 mph off the speed of most motorists, just by looking at them. In urban areas, thugs "make" me and avert their eyes as they make a wide path around me.

[mcdb84]

Appreciate the input so far and trying to get to the bottom of it. Not sure if it's the particular department I am with or because I was in such a niche specialty at my previous agency, but I am not enjoying the work as I previously mentioned. For me I really did enjoy being a Fed, which is why I am putting the question out there.

To answer your question Aidokea, I am currently in a medium size department in the North DFW area and came from one of the larger 1811 agencies serving my whole time in the Los Angeles area, and for the last four years in LA I was serving as a full-time bomb technician. Honestly, compared to Los Angeles, being here in Central Texas is a God-send both politically and culturally and there is a huge dichotomy between the two states. The quality of life is so much better as you can probably attest and I do like the fact that LE is appreciated here much more than in California.

Even after 3 months on my own, I find that I am going to the same calls and essentially babysitting and solving relatively simple problems for grown adults. Also, the prospect of becoming a detective or promoting isn't necessarily my thing because I have already done both. Not that it's all about the money or benefits either, but I didn't realize that TMRS isn't the most lucrative unless you do at least 30 years and getting my FEHB and contributing towards FERS would lean me towards going back Federal because of all the time I already have.

The reason I also bring up my department is that they are still pretty old school in certain ways and are not as progressive as some of the surrounding agencies. For example, we have yet to implement lateral pay or a lateral academy for out of state guys and certain perks like growing out facial hair, load bearing vests, using baseball caps is taboo. Not a deal breaker for me necessarily but shows the mentality of the old school brass in the department.

Also, I feel that the time I spent from my former agency is not being considered or utilized as there is the whole "doing enough time at this agency." I totally get that guys have to get through probation and do their time, but I feel that it demotivates the guys with prior experience from going above and beyond because we are being treated the same as the 21-year-old recent college grad with no LE experience. At least some acknowledgement of the experience I am bringing to the table, however, many times it's simply disregarded.

I guess worse case, I retire from the department in 3.5 years and just find something else to do. Thanks guys.

[BNWS]

Money and benefits should be a consideration because you will get old and sick.

[Aidokea]

Appreciate the input so far and trying to get to the bottom of it. Not sure if it's the particular department I am with or because I was in such a niche specialty at my previous agency, but I am not enjoying the work as I previously mentioned. For me I really did enjoy being a Fed, which is why I am putting the question out there.

To answer your question Aidokea, I am currently in a medium size department in the North DFW area and came from one of the larger 1811 agencies serving my whole time in the Los Angeles area, and for the last four years in LA I was serving as a full-time bomb technician. Honestly, compared to Los Angeles, being here in Central Texas is a God-send both politically and culturally and there is a huge dichotomy between the two states. The quality of life is so much better as you can probably attest and I do like the fact that LE is appreciated here much more than in California.

Even after 3 months on my own, I find that I am going to the same calls and essentially babysitting and solving relatively simple problems for grown adults. Also, the prospect of becoming a detective or promoting isn't necessarily my thing because I have already done both. Not that it's all about the money or benefits either, but I didn't realize that TMRS isn't the most lucrative unless you do at least 30 years and getting my FEHB and contributing towards FERS would lean me towards going back Federal because of all the time I already have.

The reason I also bring up my department is that they are still pretty old school in certain ways and are not as progressive as some of the surrounding agencies. For example, we have yet to implement lateral pay or a lateral academy for out of state guys and certain perks like growing out facial hair, load bearing vests, using baseball caps is taboo. Not a deal breaker for me necessarily but shows the mentality of the old school brass in the department.

Also, I feel that the time I spent from my former agency is not being considered or utilized as there is the whole "doing enough time at this agency." I totally get that guys have to get through probation and do their time, but I feel that it demotivates the guys with prior experience from going above and beyond because we are being treated the same as the 21-year-old recent college grad with no LE experience. At least some acknowledgement of the experience I am bringing to the table, however, many times it's simply disregarded.

I guess worse case, I retire from the department in 3.5 years and just find something else to do. Thanks guys.

I hear you on all points.

Guys that have only worked in little towns, have no idea what it's like to put on the big boy pants to do a traffic stop of a known gang member in a gang-infested part of a major west coast metropolis, where it's pretty much standard procedure to deploy a rear guard with a shotgun to avoid being flanked and overrun by other criminals.

And guys in big cities, have no idea what it's like to have to put on the big boy pants when you're attacked by an arrestee larger than you and half your age, an hour away from your nearest cover, while surrounded by dozens of the arrestee's cop-hating extended family, in a place so remote, the police only go there a few times a year.

So what you need to remember, is that nobody cares where you came from, and nobody cares how you used to do things at your old agency- you have to prove yourself in this new environment, much in the way you had to prove yourself in your old environment.

As far as whether this is for you or not, only you can make that decision. For what it's worth, a lot of these jobs are what you make of them. Whenever someone gave me lemons on The Job, I chose to make lemonade. I had to shave my face (I was eventually allowed to grow a mustache), wear a class-A uniform, and all that other stuff, but I adapted.

If you ARE in a major Democrat-run city, you already know that the income potential is WAY better than you ever would have been able to do as an 1811, which for me, can cover a lot of stuff that I don't like.

As far as the retirement, federal retirements generally suck as compared to retirements from agencies in major Democrat-run cities, but I understand that starting over at this point effects the math.

Either way, I have learned that you can't go back in time- becoming an 1811 at this point, won't be like it was when you were an 1811 before.

In any case, I wish you well.

[Aidokea]

Bringing previous skills to a new job, is not always appreciated.

I was an expert-licensed motorcycle road racer, a motorcycle road racing instructor, and have been paid at the rate of $1,000 an hour as a rider and model for the advertising campaign of one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world.

One day, the traffic division of my agency asked me to casually inspect a motorcycle involved in a fatal collision. Based upon my observations, I offered a hypothesis that the deceased motorcyclist had no formal competent professional rider training, that he probably didn't even have a motorcycle license, that he panicked when he saw a vehicle in front of him, target-fixated, locked his elbows, failed to steer around the vehicle, failed to apply the front brake effectively, locked up the rear wheel by stomping the rear brake, fell down because he had eliminated the gyroscopic stabilization of the spinning rear wheel, and slid into the side of the vehicle. They later recovered video that confirmed everything I said.

Based upon that, I was pressured to join (and instruct) a motorcycle traffic unit that was being formed. They asked for my input on what motorcycles they should get, so I reviewed the latest MSP police vehicle testing reports, and recommended any gasoline-powered police motorcycles OTHER than the Harley-Davidsons.

So they got the Harley-Davidsons.

And then they got butt hurt that I refused to join. I tried to be polite, but I told them point blank that they didn't have enough money to pay me to ride something as incompetent as a Harley-Davidson, on public roads.

[CCCSD]

Look at it this way: you tried to save the planet from being covered in HD oil.

[Aidokea]

Lol.

I'm not sure how well it works to try to do speed enforcement on a Harley-Davidson with a top speed lower than the Toyota Prius.

On one of the annual MSP police vehicle tests, there was a Harley-Davidson with top speed of 103 mph. The motorcycle I was currently commuting to work on, had a top speed of 104 mph...in first gear.

[Captain Max]

Also, I feel that the time I spent from my former agency is not being considered or utilized as there is the whole "doing enough time at this agency." I totally get that guys have to get through probation and do their time, but I feel that it demotivates the guys with prior experience from going above and beyond because we are being treated the same as the 21-year-old recent college grad with no LE experience. At least some acknowledgement of the experience I am bringing to the table, however, many times it's simply disregarded.

Another case of You-Ain't-Been-Cop-Until-You've-Been-A-Cop-At-OUR-Agency Syndrome.

[CCCSD]

Another case of You-Ain't-Been-Cop-Until-You've-Been-A-Cop-At-OUR-Agency Syndrome.

Actually…your previous experience doesn’t necessarily translate to your new agency. Don’t plan on coming over, then telling me “At MY agency…”. If it was so good, WTF are you now here?

Your ACTIONS, not your MOUTH, will tell me all I need to know. Don’t like it…there’s the door.

[Captain Max]

Been separated from God for long?

[mcdb84]

Actually…your previous experience doesn’t necessarily translate to your new agency. Don’t plan on coming over, then telling me “At MY agency…”. If it was so good, WTF are you now here?

Your ACTIONS, not your MOUTH, will tell me all I need to know. Don’t like it…there’s the door.

Yup, I totally get that and even when I was at my old agency, we would have guys saying, "the way we did it in my previous field office..."

For me specifically, my previous experience should translate exactly at the new agency; which in this case is being a bomb tech. Feds and locals are trained at the same school house. SOPs and TTPs should theoretically be the same across all agencies. However, I get that each department can operate differently on an individual level.

At this point, it might be a matter of me not being the right fit for the agency and I'll just do my remaining time and retire in several years.

[westside popo]

Yup, I totally get that and even when I was at my old agency, we would have guys saying, "the way we did it in my previous field office..."

For me specifically, my previous experience should translate exactly at the new agency; which in this case is being a bomb tech. Feds and locals are trained at the same school house. SOPs and TTPs should theoretically be the same across all agencies. However, I get that each department can operate differently on an individual level.

At this point, it might be a matter of me not being the right fit for the agency and I'll just do my remaining time and retire in several years.

Yeah it doesn't sound like current PD is a good fit for you.
My first PD was not a good fit for me. Went to another PD and life was much better.