Active Duty Military Police. Transitioning Tips/Plan development.

[AustinBendel]

Currently Active Duty Military Police coming up to my ETS come 2022. My goal was to gain as much law enforcement experience while I am in and transition out to civilian law enforcement. I’m 24 years old, and just looking for some information that’s not on department websites. I will relocate ANYWHERE to have a chance. Any advice is welcome!

[tanksoldier]

Some states or departments will count your MP experience as “law enforcement” experience.... most won’t.

The biggest thing in LE now isn’t pay or benefits... its community support of police, and department support of officers.

[AustinBendel]

Some states or departments will count your MP experience as “law enforcement” experience.... most won’t.

The biggest thing in LE now isn’t pay or benefits... its community support of police, and department support of officers.

thank you for this information! My heart is dedicated to law enforcement, and that is the biggest factor of me getting out! Only getting to dig into law enforcement a few months out of the year (with the rest being in the field Military environment) is not how I wish to spend the years, I want to do my job every day if that makes sense. Do you know what states/departments allow experience transfer? I have NO issues going through an entire academy because the fields are entirely different but would love to see options.

[not.in.MY.town]

Unsolicited OPSEC advice:

If your username is your real name, contact admin to have it changed to something non-identifiable. Also, go into your profile and hide your birthdate from public view.

[Aidokea]

If you're looking for a gig to fill in while you're in the application process, look into doing protective work on the private side. After I retired, I was recruited to provide armed plainclothes protective services for the news crews covering the riots in Portland. They were also hiring former MPs. It's decent money, more than you'd ever make in the military.

[SOCAleo]

I was law enforcement in the military, prior to becoming a local deputy sheriff. There are two states, I believe, that allow your MP academy to be certified. You will just have to take their short three week course and then take a Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) test and pass. Those two states are Texas and Florida. If that is what you are hoping to do, I would contact both those states POSTs and go from there.

However, going from military policing to local policing is a whole different animal. I chose to go through a full academy in California and I'm glad I did that. My suggestion would be, start applying eight to six months in advance to your ETS. Save up all your leave. Then when/if you get hired take your terminal leave, if before your ETS. Get paid by both the service and the police/sheriff's department. The icing on top, use your Post 9/11 GI Bill money while attending the police academy.

If you want to make good money as an officer, look to apply in the following states, California, Oregon, Washington, New Jersey, New York outside New York city, some cities in Texas and some in Florida. Stay away from the southern states and the Midwest for the most part. If money doesn't matter, go to the southern states where people still like and appreciate you. Oklahoma, Arkansas and so on.

[Aidokea]

If you want to make good money as an officer, look to apply in the following states, California, Oregon, Washington, New Jersey, New York outside New York city, some cities in Texas and some in Florida.

You left at least one out...

[Exbpa340]

I was in your shoes many years ago and ended up going the federal route (and turned down a city PD gig) for a wide variety of reasons. Many others on this board can give you the scoop on local LE but with the current environment you couldn’t pay me enough to be a street cop. I was offered a federal position with over 5 months out from my ETS. Fortunately I had a decent chain of command and was able to get a 90 day drop and then took almost two months of terminal leave to make my EOD/academy.

[Eliteforce]

Go federal! You can buy your military time back. If you have investigative experience (MPI) or even just a degree, you should be able to get picked up by one of these agencies as an 1811.

[Aidokea]

Having the ability to buy back your military time is not unique to federal jobs. I have seen it at city agencies also.

[Eliteforce]

Aidokea This is true, but are you able to transfer to different agencies if you work for the city? No. Just because you live in LA today, doesn’t mean that you won’t want to live in Tampa next year. It makes most sense to me to go federal since your time accumulates no matter the agency. I’ve worked for numerous agencies in different states. Shoot the OP is 24. He may want to work overseas one day. He can do that within the federal system.

[Iowa #1603]

Well there is also the little problem with MANY 1811 jobs in that you have to sign a mobility agreement where the G can move you anywhere they want.

Not everyone wants to be a fed. I also can think of more than a handful of good street cops who jumped ship to go federal...............and came back with their tails tucked between their legs because they didn't like either the system, the actual job of an 1811, or ended up homesick

[Iowa #1603]

Currently Active Duty Military Police coming up to my ETS come 2022. My goal was to gain as much law enforcement experience while I am in and transition out to civilian law enforcement. I’m 24 years old, and just looking for some information that’s not on department websites. I will relocate ANYWHERE to have a chance. Any advice is welcome!

Just a little FYI

Military Policing doesn't really equate to civilian policing...............Which is why most states do not recognize your military training for certification process. The difference isn't 100% but is still Apples to Oranges.

Ok that being said there are a lot of cops out there with MP experience................and for the most part they end up being good cops. Just expect to have your MP time to be considered as WORK experience and not LE experience during the hiring process.

Read the answers above mine a couple times...........................I agree with every one of them almost completely.

[just joe]

Even if a state accepts your MP school, you want to go to the academy again. As stated above, military police and civilian law enforcement are two different animals. You will be doing yourself (and everyone else) a real disservice by not attending an academy.

Vets who don't fair well in our process don't understand the transition into the civilian world and are still "hut, hut, hut, I'm intense. Ooh-Rah."

[Iowa #1603]

Oh my yes.................................one of the hardest trainee's I had to train was a retired USMC Gunny that just couldn't grasp the fact he wasn't still in that response zone

He retired as a Lieutenant.......................but getting him past probation was a tussle

[Aidokea]

Vets who don't fair well in our process don't understand the transition into the civilian world and are still "hut, hut, hut, I'm intense. Ooh-Rah."

Not all agencies are like that. My last academy was very intense...

[Iowa #1603]

Not all agencies are like that. My last academy was very intense...

I think he is talking about once hitting the streets........................and not being Eugene Tackleberry
Like in my comments above

[tanksoldier]

One other thing I’d suggest is staying in. Right now isn’t a good time to be in civilian law enforcement.

Stay in, earn your check of the month and retiree tricare, then get out and decide what you want to do with your healthcare covered and a guaranteed income.

Those have made my civilian LE journey much less stressful. I attended the police academy at 43. It’s doable and I don’t have to worry about my family living under a bridge if things don’t work out.

civilian LE will always be there, the chance to earn that military retirement won’t be. Last I looked, MP contracts were 6 years. You’re 1/3 of the way to retirement already.

[Exbpa340]

One other thing I’d suggest is staying in. Right now isn’t a good time to be in civilian law enforcement.

Stay in, earn your check of the month and retiree tricare, then get out and decide what you want to do with your healthcare covered and a guaranteed income.

Those have made my civilian LE journey much less stressful. I attended the police academy at 43. It’s doable and I don’t have to worry about my family living under a bridge if things don’t work out.

civilian LE will always be there, the chance to earn that military retirement won’t be. Last I looked, MP contracts were 6 years. You’re 1/3 of the way to retirement already.

As someone that was in this same position (5 year AD enlistment back then) getting out was one of the best decisions I ever made. Retiring with a LE pension gives one the option of never having to work again. An active duty retirement will usually be much less lucrative and requiere a second career. Aside from that the quality of life/earning potential outside of the military (and definitely Federal) is much more than an enlisted soldier could earn on AD.