A sitting duck waiting for DPD

[InGodWeTrust]

Im 20 year old student whos a sitting duck at the moment. I started the hiring process at Detroit Police Department back in november I am currently waiting to get called for application orientation. I have not heard anything from DPD in months and when I went into the recruiting department to check up on everything they were very rude and told me to WAIT TILL WE CALL YOU!

I played College baseball this season and now the season is over and all I am doing is boxing and staying in shape. I cant find a job besides dead end fast food jobs and I am just growing impatient. I am 20 years old and have terrible job experiences and only have afew thousand dollars saved up from my whole 20 years of being on this earth. I feel underachieved everyday I dont have a job and everyday I wait for nothing.

Ive tried and filled out applications at just about everywhere and you would think with me being tri-lingual, maintaining good greades in school and wanting to make something out of myself would grab the employers attention but it doesnt.

I want to grind and succeed and I am willing to lay it all on the line to go forward with this one and only life god has blessed me with, but it is hard when no one wants to give you a chance.
Anyway here is the detroit hiring process and once again I am awaitng to get called for step 5!

1. Complete DPD Interest Card
2. Receive Information Package
Overview of the MCOLES Exams
List of documents required for application process
3. Take MCOLES Written Exam: Register Online Fee $62.
(Results must be personally submitted before you are able to proceed in the Recruiting process)
Will receive notification via telephone or U.S. mail for prescreening interview date
4. Participate in prescreening interview
Await Criminal History and Driving Record checks
Receive notice of acceptance into Application Orientation or the reason for disqualification
5. Attend Application Orientation (2 Hrs)
Receive Application Package
Assigned Background Interview Date
6. Appear for background interview
Assigned a day to go the DPD Headquarters for fingerprinting (Sat/Sun)
If your background investigation is cleared, you will you proceed to the Final Oral Board assessment.
Oral Board Assessment ( If Successful, you will receive a Conditional offer of employment and proceed to the
Psychological Phrase)
7. Enter Psychological Phase
Written and oral psychological Interview with psychologist.
Receive notification via telephone or U.S. mail of pre-employment physical exam date or disqualification.
8. Take pre-employment physical exam (if cleared you will proceed)
9. Receive acceptance letter with date of final orientation
10. HIRED

[Iowa #1603]

Im 20 year old student whos a sitting duck at the moment. I started the hiring process at Detroit Police Department back in november I am currently waiting to get called for application orientation. I have not heard anything from DPD in months and when I went into the recruiting department to check up on everything they were very rude and told me to WAIT TILL WE CALL YOU!

If they are not ready to hire----------------they won't proceed with the process, until they are ready.

@ 20 you have plenty of time to get hired......................I would take the fast food job and save up what you can.
With the economy like it is (Especially in Michigan)----expect a long wait.

[Aerohead]

Hate to break it to you, but I submitted my interest card to the DPD as soon as I passed the MCOLES Reading and Writing Exam (Band A) in April 2003 - I didn't get called until April 2005 for the orientation - and if you recall, that was BEFORE the economy collapsed - so now you have 1,000's more in competition with you who have experience as police officers...I got as far as the background when then-mayor Kwame shut down the academy and laid off a bunch of cops and my process was put on hold indefinitely - which, in case you haven't read the paper lately, they are looking to do again:

http://www.freep.com/article/2011052...er-budget-cuts

For the second year, the council voted to amend Bing's budget proposal -- this time, by $50 million, including $12 million in cuts to public safety.

Bing, who had proposed a $3.1-billion budget, responded with a promise to veto the council's plan, saying that any such cuts would result in 200 police officers being laid off."This isn't the time to put politics before public safety," Bing said.

This year's budget battle, though, has a more urgent flavor: The city's financial crisis -- and elected officials' inability to resolve it -- could lead to the state appointment of an emergency manager.

If the council's proposed cuts are made to the police department, Chief Ralph Godbee Jr. said he will not have the ability to hire or promote officers. He said there are 25 officers who have just completed academy training and are prepared to graduate next month; 40 more men and women are awaiting hiring. He said the cuts would lead to longer response times, already a recurring issue for Detroiters.

I would honestly start looking out of state if I were you - especially if you are young and don't have anything tying you down to this state (mortgage, wife, kids)...Atlanta is hiring A LOT of officers, for example...

[InGodWeTrust]

Hate to break it to you, but I submitted my interest card to the DPD as soon as I passed the MCOLES Reading and Writing Exam (Band A) in April 2003 - I didn't get called until April 2005 for the orientation - and if you recall, that was BEFORE the economy collapsed - so now you have 1,000's more in competition with you who have experience as police officers...I got as far as the background when then-mayor Kwame shut down the academy and laid off a bunch of cops and my process was put on hold indefinitely - which, in case you haven't read the paper lately, they are looking to do again:

http://www.freep.com/article/2011052...er-budget-cuts



I would honestly start looking out of state if I were you - especially if you are young and don't have anything tying you down to this state (mortgage, wife, kids)...Atlanta is hiring A LOT of officers, for example...

I am not familiar with the whole hiring process for out of state police departments, would I have to fly out there to fill out the forms or could I do it over the net or by fax?

[L-1]

You May Have A Long Wait

Dude, here's how it works.

All government agencies, whether they be police, fire, sanitation, parks, etc., operate on a budget. That budget provides funding for them to employ a specific number of people. The can't just add someone to their staff because he speaks three languages or has a neat haircut. One of the authorized positions must be vacant and there must still be money in the budget to pay for it before they can hire someone.

Usually. large government agencies wait until it looks like they are going to have a significant number of vacancies opening up over the next year or two and then they schedule a test to establish a list to hire from. People are hired from that list based on their test scores (highest score gets picked up first, second highest score gets picked up next, etc.) Test scores are based on the number of correct answers you give to job related questions that measure your ability to actually perform the job and not your grades in school, how many languages you speak or how badly you need the job.

As a side note, these are tight times. Revenue to government from taxes has been significantly down, forcing many agencies to cut back. As a result, a lot of agencies have been forced to leave positions unfilled as they come vacant in anticipation of the next fiscal year's budget being cut. This avoids needless expenditures to train new hires who will just be laid off in a few months.

The long and short of it is - you can't just waltz in and expect them to start administering the test. It will come when they have enough vacancies to warrant it and sufficient funds to pay for the positions.

[Aerohead]

I am not familiar with the whole hiring process for out of state police departments, would I have to fly out there to fill out the forms or could I do it over the net or by fax?

Depends on the department...start searching on Google for large departments to see if they're hiring or not...I know some federal agencies that are hiring also - like the U.S. Capitol Police and U.S. Park Police in Washington, D.C. - check those out also...

[InGodWeTrust]

Dude, here's how it works.

All government agencies, whether they be police, fire, sanitation, parks, etc., operate on a budget. That budget provides funding for them to employ a specific number of people. The can't just add someone to their staff because he speaks three languages or has a neat haircut. One of the authorized positions must be vacant and there must still be money in the budget to pay for it before they can hire someone.

Usually. large government agencies wait until it looks like they are going to have a significant number of vacancies opening up over the next year or two and then they schedule a test to establish a list to hire from. People are hired from that list based on their test scores (highest score gets picked up first, second highest score gets picked up next, etc.) Test scores are based on the number of correct answers you give to job related questions that measure your ability to actually perform the job and not your grades in school, how many languages you speak or how badly you need the job.

As a side note, these are tight times. Revenue to government from taxes has been significantly down, forcing many agencies to cut back. As a result, a lot of agencies have been forced to leave positions unfilled as they come vacant in anticipation of the next fiscal year's budget being cut. This avoids needless expenditures to train new hires who will just be laid off in a few months.

The long and short of it is - you can't just waltz in and expect them to start administering the test. It will come when they have enough vacancies to warrant it and sufficient funds to pay for the positions.

This puts things in perspective on the degree im pursuing and the LE field.

[MTAM]

"All government agencies, whether they be police, fire, sanitation, parks, etc., operate on a budget."

The FED doesn't!!! They just print more when needed...

[Street_Cop50]

I would honestly start looking out of state if I were you - especially if you are young and don't have anything tying you down to this state (mortgage, wife, kids)...Atlanta is hiring A LOT of officers, for example...

+1

InGodWeTrust, I was in the same boat as you. Grew up in Ohio, got my college degree, and by time I was eligible to apply to law enforcement agencies, the economy was going downhill and a lot of departments were only hiring one or two people at a time.

I took a few trips out to the DC area, applied to a couple agencies out here, and was hired within 6 months. As Aerohead said, start looking at agencies in other states.

[Henderson]

Definitely agreed. Look out of state and especially federal. US Capitol Police, Secret Service uniformed division, FBI police (uniformed division), etc. would all be great places to start at your age. It took me years before I finally got hired on by a local department. A couple of years ago, I got sent a notice by the FBI uniformed division to go out to DC for an interview, but I decided not to do it...Mortgage, wife, and kids were factors in that, considering they don't pay that great to make that jump. For a person in their early 20's though and unattached, it'd be a great move.

About the only thing against you outside of Detroit is your age. Most departments require you to be 21 (not sure if it's at the time of a job offer or at the time of application though).

[Auto]

You should change a service place constantly? Why it occurs?

[adeutch]

Apply outside of Michigan, dude! Come to Texas! There's a Detroit gal in my cadet class, and she's doing just fine. If they aren't hiring where you live, it has nothing to do with your qualifications. They just ain't hiring. 20 years old is too young to work at most departments anyway, but at many departments the application process will take 1-2 years anyway. So get those applications out and do what you can to make money in the meantime. In their early 20's most people are working dead end jobs. Hell, I worked a dead end job through part of my LATE 20's. I was still in my 20's when I started pursuing LE, and I just turned 30 right after starting the academy. If you can get hired by the time you're 25, you could potentially retire before you're 50. Be patient. Good luck.

[InGodWeTrust]

Thanks for the input guys! It doesnt help that most people that I know around here that are around my age range are making lackluster dicisions and doing stupid things(such as underage drinking, drugs, hanging out with the wrong people and other negative things).

I am forced to sit out from crazy parties and for as long as I can remember I have been a clean kid and try to avoid trouble and negative environments. Its sometimes annoying when your sitting around and other friends are going out to parties and other things. I have avoided this stuff because I dont want any run ins with the law. Besides for boxing and baseball, everything else is going super slow and my attempt to find a job is bogus.

[adeutch]

Thanks for the input guys! It doesnt help that most people that I know around here that are around my age range are making lackluster dicisions and doing stupid things(such as underage drinking, drugs, hanging out with the wrong people and other negative things).

I am forced to sit out from crazy parties and for as long as I can remember I have been a clean kid and try to avoid trouble and negative environments. Its sometimes annoying when your sitting around and other friends are going out to parties and other things. I have avoided this stuff because I dont want any run ins with the law. Besides for boxing and baseball, everything else is going super slow and my attempt to find a job is bogus.

You make it sound like you have to lead a boring life to be a cop. It's o.k. to have fun. There's other things to do besides underage drinking and drug use. It's o.k. to socialize. I don't know what school you go to, but at my college there were kids who were into more than just drinking. And I'm not saying I never drank underage, but I did other things too, like go on road trips, go to concerts and musical festivals, travel abroad. This is a time in your life when you have the opportunity to do a lot of things you won't get to do again. It took me 2 years to get my LE career started, and now it's moving so fast it makes me dizzy. You have time.

[InGodWeTrust]

You make it sound like you have to lead a boring life to be a cop. It's o.k. to have fun. There's other things to do besides underage drinking and drug use. It's o.k. to socialize. I don't know what school you go to, but at my college there were kids who were into more than just drinking. And I'm not saying I never drank underage, but I did other things too, like go on road trips, go to concerts and musical festivals, travel abroad. This is a time in your life when you have the opportunity to do a lot of things you won't get to do again. It took me 2 years to get my LE career started, and now it's moving so fast it makes me dizzy. You have time.

thanks adeutch. One thing that worries me is being 30, 40 or 50 and looking back and saying what i should of could of or would of. I want to give it my all and make something out of what god has given me. Thanks again man I appreciate you taking the time to comment on my thread!