Couple of Questions for the dep. sheriffs

[Honor_Guard]

-Anyone NOT have to do Jail time before they went to patrol? Those who did, how was it?
-Do you guys write many traffic tickets and whatnot (not very interested in traffic)
-How would you go about getting into a K9 unit?
-What are the rules for facial hair at your dept? I dont wanna lose the burns (short & clean cut)
-What made you guys pick the Sheriff's dept over PD or CHP?

[Bodie]

Here everybody works jail and many never get out to patrol.

Sideburns are a no go.

K9 is small unit and you can't just join you have to be evaluated.

SO Over PD many applied both and took whichever called first. Quite a few jail units have later joined city pd.

[irishlad2nv]

-Anyone NOT have to do Jail time before they went to patrol? Those who did, how was it?
-Do you guys write many traffic tickets and whatnot (not very interested in traffic)
-How would you go about getting into a K9 unit?
-What are the rules for facial hair at your dept? I dont wanna lose the burns (short & clean cut)
-What made you guys pick the Sheriff's dept over PD or CHP?

Same opinion as Bodie.
Most departments have a policy on the length of your hair and sideburns or as you call it facial hair, which means none, except maybe a neatly trimmed mustahce, same as military standards.

The question about writing traffic tickets...irrelevant, because if they want you to go out and enforce the laws, then you will have to, if not bye bye LE career.

As far as not doing jail time. Most Sheriffs departments require it. Mine where I started, no I went straight to patrol, since there is a difference between a correction officer and a Police Officer, etc...

[purdinpopo]

Yeah, I worked jail, unless there is a set system for getting out don't, the place was a pressure cooker full of people who wanted on the road and were never going. one loon was buried on graves, he would shred required paperwork other people had done and then show the sheriff that us other worthless humps had not done our paperwork right, then we would come to work and get sent to the sheriff's office for a butt-chewing.

Sheriff's here in Missouri look upon traffic as bothering otherwise good voters. But you need to rethink traffic, most of my best arrests have come from traffic.

I like having the bigger sandbox to play in. That's why I like the SO

Facial hair, most places have policies, do a little research, you can probably find out without using a stupid question when at oral board.

[pkagel]

SoCal departments req you to go do jail time and that varies a lot depending on what department and what station you put in for, for patrol. Some will, if you put yourself through the academy, let you go right to patrol, not many though. I think OCSD is still about an 8 year wait to go to patrol and LASD is 2 to 5 years depending on where you want to go for patrol. I'm not sure how the NoCal departments are but I don't imagine they would be much different.

[allamerican]

Both countys I worked for in Florida required no jail time(two different certifications). I tend to write some tickets if the offense is to great or the attitude of the offender is not on the same curtious level as I am. To long of a sideburns would not fly in most departments. In one department that I worked they did allow tattoos on the neck and on the back of the head(head shaved to show tattoo). K-9 you can bid for it after probation, it also helps if you train with them on your off time. I worked the S.O. because I prefer the state retirement system as opposed to the city ones were you have to pay into them(of course city cops sometimes make more in salary), and It gives you more opportunities to advance and different carrier paths as S.O. are usually large in Florida.

[Welpe]

I'm not sure how the NoCal departments are but I don't imagine they would be much different.

It really depends upon the department. I know that SLOSO, Santa Barbara SO and Santa Cruz County SO (to name a few) don't have custody time. THEY DO require their deputies to go through a tour in the courts after being on patrol for a while.

[SO535]

Yes, you work in the jail first.

Most get out of the jail, many never get peace officer certified and remain jailers. I am still assigned to the jail but I can work overtime and go serve warrants.

We have mustache only policy.

Only one K-9 guy so ???????

I chose the SO over the PD because they hired me first. It is turning out to be a good decision in jumping on it. With the SO I dont work the neverending strings of false burglar alarms and traffic accidents. My department has policy that says we will not work accidents and the county PD will handle them.

[acreature]

-Anyone NOT have to do Jail time before they went to patrol? Those who did, how was it?

No Jail.

-Do you guys write many traffic tickets and whatnot (not very interested in traffic)

Write as many as I like, as long as I answer my calls. Don't write a 10th of what I did when I started though.

-How would you go about getting into a K9 unit?

Get experience, then apply.

-What are the rules for facial hair at your dept? I dont wanna lose the burns (short & clean cut)

Burns can be no wider than one inch, and no longer than the earlobe.

-What made you guys pick the Sheriff's dept over PD or CHP?

Jurisiction, freedom and no traffic accident investigations

[purdinpopo]

Nice point, I have to say the six months I spent as bailiff, I learned a ton about investigating and what not to do when you show up at a crime.

[Caspertoo]

-Anyone NOT have to do Jail time before they went to patrol? Those who did, how was it?

I have not had to work the jail but I will have to work 40 consecutive hours in the jail before my first year full time is done. After that no more is necessary for our patrol division.

-Do you guys write many traffic tickets and whatnot (not very interested in traffic)

I personally love writing some types of traffic tickets. I love towing cars/trucks, love arresting for DWS, and I really love getting DUII's. Other types of tickets I rarely if ever write and most usually give a warning. Remember traffic stops are the best way you'll get people with warrants.

-How would you go about getting into a K9 unit?

Must be on for a minimum of two years, we have 8 K9 deputies and a 9th who has a drug dog. People are evaluated and ranked based on experience and the likability factor (they have to be liked by the K9 team to get on).

-What are the rules for facial hair at your dept? I dont wanna lose the burns (short & clean cut)

Burns are a no go, we can have a mustache or a gotee but nothing else.

-What made you guys pick the Sheriff's dept over PD or CHP?

I've applied to both, some PD's are very good around here, others are not. I've been a reserve deputy for my current department and that's why I went with them. Plus I don't like driving in circles.

Plus everyone knows Sheriff Deputies are better looking than municipal police officers.

[mach4]

Most counties in Washington you don't start in the jail.

Depends on how many calls you have during a shift as to how much time you have to work traffic.

Most K9 officers have been on for at least five years. They apply, are tested and evaluated.

No sideburns, only mustache allowed.

I spent most my life in the country and thats where I wanted to work. I wanted to be able to be proactive as well as reactive.

[Trinium]

Started in Jail. Then went to patrol.
I write citations when neccessary. I wouldn't say "many".
Get experience and talk to K9 Officers. Go from there.
No sideburns except special investigations (narcs).
I like the open county and the terrain where I work. Suits me better than a city.

[webjeep]

Was SO, now PD...

-Anyone NOT have to do Jail time before they went to patrol? Those who did, how was it?

I did not do jail, we went to a regional jail right before I got hired.

-Do you guys write many traffic tickets and whatnot (not very interested in traffic)

If you are in patrol you will be expected to write tickets, I don't do it as often as my Sgt's think I should, but it's part of the job.

-How would you go about getting into a K9 unit?

K-9 is a specialty, when a position opens (once every time Haley's Comet passes the earth) you apply and compete with others.

-What are the rules for facial hair at your dept? I dont wanna lose the burns (short & clean cut)

If you want to look like John Travolta from Sat Night Fever then you should think about joining the navy

-What made you guys pick the Sheriff's dept over PD or CHP?

They hired me.

[pkagel]

Hey now, Navy req's them to be no shorter than the middle of your ear and not flared...

If you want to look like John Travolta from Sat Night Fever then you should think about joining the navy.