Really that hard to get a job?

[Andersondeputy]

Is it really that hard to get a job in law enforcement in some of the places you guys live? I read all these posts about doing a year at the jail or in dispatch blah blah blah, then it takes like six montsh for background checks. Here is my hiring process. Applied November 23rd....Interview Dec 1st, went an got my certified driving record that day at the DMV an turned it in at the interview. Before I left the office they pulled an NCIC on me..... came back clear. Over the next week they called my last employers and references. by Dec 15th I was notified I was hired. I completed there FTO program at the mid of February (8 Weeks no BS like yall describe) and now I am on my own, in a car, a take home car at that. I have to go to the academy at the end of this month for 8 weeks but in SC you can work for one year before attending, I just chose to go sooner. Is it really that bad for some of you? And no this is not a fly by night department, it is a respectable size......178 sworn officers....average 16 calls per deputy per 12 hour shift with never less than 22 officers on a shift. 260,000 residents, 817 square miles.

[Batman21]

Are they still taking applications???

[curlyblue]

Move to TX!
Six months for a background check? As a BI myself I'd probably never be assigned another one if I took that long to do one! Other than that, and the fact that you can be on the streets before attending the academy, the rest of your hiring process sounds about normal for around these parts.
I have heard that some SOs make you work for the jail for a certain length of time before you become eligible to get on the street.

[ftlaudcop]

I guess it depends what part of the country yr located,

I was born and raised in chicago, and the age was 21, depending on the

economy , why become a cop, when working any other goverment jobs

paid similiar, steel mill, roads, streets and sanitation. for the most part

the jobs seemed to be locked up, and if you were not part of the in office

political machine, you would never get a job.

when i arrived in fla, just walk by the p.d., they'd just about pin a badge

on ya for 5.37 a hour. in cocoa beach, seemed the job requirement was

ya had to weigh 300 pound's cause for some reason thats all ya seen in

the early 80's. The sheriff's office had a nice turn over as a lotta cop's

jumped ship for any agency that paid a nickel a hour most and had job protection, or where ya did not work at the sheriff's pleasure.

I remember working with deputies that were part of the c.e.t.a. program,
where these unemployed that could never get a job had half their salary paid
by a govt program, and half by the sheriff, at the end of 1 yr if ya passed
probation, you were full time status, i would say if 10 went thru the program
maybe 5 passed probabtion, and within in a time frame, maybe 3 got fired for
doing duumb stuff.

times have changed for sure, and the biggest challenge for police recruitment
is finding decent men and women out of this " strange" generation x crowd,
and don't have a million traffic tickets by the time they are 19 or convicted
felons by the time they are 20.

[Jabrim]

Well:

Here in Brevard county Florida from what I have heard. It isn't exactly easy to get into a deputy's position or a police officer's position. I'm 22, recently finished my diploma for high school due to past medical reasons. I'm going the 18th of this month to take the criminal justice basic abilities test as required by FL law for anyone getting into police or corrections work. Then I'm going to apply with the Sheriff's department for a correction's officer position. They said they are actively hiring and once you pass the cjbat and apply they basically sponsor you and take you on immediately. This is all what I was told so I'm sure things won't go as smoothly as I've heard. Here it doesn't sound easy to get on as police officer since its a low turn-over. With the Sheriff's department you need very good experience or you get stuck in the jail for a couple of years. I have a absolutely clean record, never had a ticket before, all of that stuff. I just love law enforcement work and really admire anyone that does it. I hope more than anything to become a police officer sometime in the not too distant future. I'm not a sworn officer so I hope its alright that I posted in here. Really just wanted to give m two cents on this topic. Thanks

[Bodie]

Not if you are OVER Qualified
Meaning at least an Associate's Degree and better a BS.
In Excellant health
No criminal record
No driving record

Avg we have 250 applicants here for every one badge open.

Just a High School Diploma and the desire to be a cop won't cut it anymore

[Jabrim]

Well:

Not if you are OVER Qualified
Meaning at least an Associate's Degree and better a BS.
In Excellant health
No criminal record
No driving record

Avg we have 250 applicants here for every one badge open.

Just a High School Diploma and the desire to be a cop won't cut it anymore

I'm enrolling in community college Monday to start on my AA in criminal justice as its prefered by both the police department and sheriff's department here. Since the correction's academy starts April 4th, I won't be able to join in and the next available isn't until September. So I should be able to get some of my AA completed.

[ftlaudcop]

Here in Brevard county Florida from what I have heard. It isn't exactly easy to get into a deputy's position or a police officer's position. I'm 22, recently finished my diploma for high school due to past medical reasons. I'm going the 18th of this month to take the criminal justice basic abilities test as required by FL law for anyone getting into police or corrections work. Then I'm going to apply with the Sheriff's department for a correction's officer position. They said they are actively hiring and once you pass the cjbat and apply they basically sponsor you and take you on immediately. This is all what I was told so I'm sure things won't go as smoothly as I've heard. Here it doesn't sound easy to get on as police officer since its a low turn-over. With the Sheriff's department you need very good experience or you get stuck in the jail for a couple of years. I have a absolutely clean record, never had a ticket before, all of that stuff. I just love law enforcement work and really admire anyone that does it. I hope more than anything to become a police officer sometime in the not too distant future. I'm not a sworn officer so I hope its alright that I posted in here. Really just wanted to give m two cents on this topic. Thanks

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++
in most of them central fla counties, you have to be already certified
to become a police officer, don't think any agency in brevard county
will pay for your academy. brevard county sheriff's office will sponsor you
and pay yr way thru the corrections academy.
don't look at being stuck in the jail as a bad thing, the job knowlege
dealing with criminals 100 % of your time will surpass any that started
on the road patrol direct., I spent 2 yrs 7 months with brevard county
sheriff, the experience was that of workin with a mom and pop operation
in hooterville compared to working a big city p.d. where ya don't know everyone. The current sheriff, worked in the jail, and worked his way
up the ladder..officer, fto, corporal,sgt, Lt, major, then transferred to the road as a precinct commander,.....so don't let him hear ya say "stuck"
in the jail,
my current agency is made up of 50% who got stuck in the jail for 2 yrs
we have 1200 deputies in the jail and 1200 on road patrol.

[Jabrim]

Thanks:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++
in most of them central fla counties, you have to be already certified
to become a police officer, don't think any agency in brevard county
will pay for your academy. brevard county sheriff's office will sponsor you
and pay yr way thru the corrections academy.
don't look at being stuck in the jail as a bad thing, the job knowlege
dealing with criminals 100 % of your time will surpass any that started
on the road patrol direct., I spent 2 yrs 7 months with brevard county
sheriff, the experience was that of workin with a mom and pop operation
in hooterville compared to working a big city p.d. where ya don't know everyone. The current sheriff, worked in the jail, and worked his way
up the ladder..officer, fto, corporal,sgt, Lt, major, then transferred to the road as a precinct commander,.....so don't let him hear ya say "stuck"
in the jail,
my current agency is made up of 50% who got stuck in the jail for 2 yrs
we have 1200 deputies in the jail and 1200 on road patrol.

Thanks for the information, haven't read of anyone on here thats worked for any Brevard county agency. So its good to know how things work, always nice to get information and advice from someone who actually worked with the agency you're trying to get on with.

[blackandgold978]

Not if you are OVER Qualified
Meaning at least an Associate's Degree and better a BS.
In Excellant health
No criminal record
No driving record

Avg we have 250 applicants here for every one badge open.

Just a High School Diploma and the desire to be a cop won't cut it anymore

Amen to that, Bodie......

Andersondeputy, congratulations on your situation, but you really should understand that yours is, for the most part, an exception. It took me 7 months to get hired on my department, and that is STILL considered very rapid in some LE agencies. Some of the more affluent suburb departments take YEARS to hire just a few applicants.

Even then, as Bodie pointed out, those applicants must have far more than a diploma and the desire to wear the uniform. These jobs are just so high demand it isn't even funny. And unfortunately, most people do not find out about this cold, hard fact until they apply.

[Creeker]

... I completed there FTO program at the mid of February (8 Weeks no BS like yall describe) and now I am on my own, in a car, a take home car at that. I have to go to the academy at the end of this month for 8 weeks but in SC you can work for one year before attending, I just chose to go sooner....

Did this recently occur? Did they repeal the "Academy prior to working the Street" requirements that we had advanced to because of budget cuts or something?

For the last decade or so you have been required to go to the SCCJA prior to active working. That was considered a good thing in most circles.

[P_B_J]

I read all these posts about doing a year at the jail or in dispatch blah blah blah

If you have a 30 year career in law enforcement, what is a year or two in an unfavorable assignment? I know when you're 21, a year seems like forever. But honestly two years doesn't even amount to 10% of your career life.

I completed there [sic]FTO program at the mid of February (8 Weeks no BS like yall describe) and now I am on my own, in a car, a take home car at that.

I'm just curious...what BS? Do you mean a 12, 14 or 16 week program is BS? If you are implying that 8 weeks in FTO training is adequate to keep you alive, or gives you the skills and experience to provide cover for me...

I have to go to the academy at the end of this month for 8 weeks but in SC you can work for one year before attending, I just chose to go sooner. Is it really that bad for some of you?

You know, this job is what you make of it. Applying for and being accepted to the Brotherhood (forgive me, sisters) is not like applying at Mickey-D's. The long hiring process weeds out a lot of the less-desirable applicants. I guess what I mean is that if everyone could wear my badge, there'd be no honor in wearing it. In my agency we spend slightly more than $3,000 to recruit and hire one applicant. We hope that we get someone who has professional aspirations and will be here for the long haul. So, "is it really that bad?" Each person has to evaluate and decide that for him/herself, but hopefully the (long-term) payoff is worth the (short-term) stress.

[ALC55]

I gotta agree. 8 weeks in FTO and no academy? No offense intended but if that is the qualifications of my cover officer, "Dispatch, start me a third car."

I am glad that some folks find work easily, but there is something to be said for strict hiring policies and a solid FTO program. This job is not for everyone.

I am sure that your department is respected but your attitude towards the hiring/training process is disappointing.

[Andersondeputy]

No disrespect intended

I have chatted with people on this forum and what I meant by BS in there FTO program was things like paramilitary attitude where you could not talk directly to your supervisor, only to your FTO and things like that. In this profession and this is coming from a former fulltime now part time soldier, the military academy attitude is not needed. My days of being screamed at by my trainer are over, that happened at Ft Benning for me years ago. I read posts in other places about there FTO program being several months long and them not getting any real street experience until the last couple of weeks, the first part mostly being made up of being treated like a scumbag. My FTO program was good, concise, what we needed to know, court dates, procedures, statutes, legals, weapons cert and the like and then you work the road. On any 'hot' calls we get I always have a car enroute with me and most of the time even on simple forgery calls someone shows up to check on me. In South Carolina the SCCJA states that you can work for ONE year as long as you are scheduled an academy date and the agency has the facilities to qualify you in the necessary things like firing/weapon retention/oc spray and the like. And just to verify again this is not a fly by night agency, we are in our final stages of accredidation, not that that really means anything. The worst agency in our are to work for is the only one accredited. Also the accredited agency has more race related complaints than most any dept in SC.

[WTPD3534]

Is it really that hard to get a job in law enforcement in some of the places you guys live?

Yes

Come to NJ and you will understand. I had 78 college credits, put myself through the academy, had references out the butt and it still took me over a year and a half to get a job. Most of the time it was political, but the few places that were fair usually had about 25-100 applicants for each position. Not exactly easy to show your skills in a half hour interview when they are talking to so many people.