On Being a Cop

I respect correctional officers -- but wouldn't do their job. They do 20 years inside, just like the prisoners. I think that's one of the reasons (along with low pay, crappy treatment, and little respect) that there seems to be more corruption in the ranks of COs than cops...

A buddy of mine took a hit on vacation time and a reduced hourly rate just to get away from corrections and go to the streets in a different city..2 years later he was promoted to Sgt...
 
Yes, Drac is correct, and I had someone say that to me. Taking away phone priviledges for a week, taking away visits, etc didnt make a difference. This person was also facing life behind bars, so having some disciplinary action against him meant nothing.

Do you live in a death penalty State? Maybe that's why? Or maybe they just didn't give hoot to kill you.
 
I respect correctional officers -- but wouldn't do their job. They do 20 years inside, just like the prisoners. I think that's one of the reasons (along with low pay, crappy treatment, and little respect) that there seems to be more corruption in the ranks of COs than cops...

And no longer that intrested in being a Correctional Officer.
 
For those who haven't read my post in "responsibities of a citizens" thread, I believe very highly in serving ones country and community. I had also decided that (to serve my country and community) I would join the Military. I had decided i would join the Marine Corps (hardest to get into, and MCMAP has it's appeal). But, I decided that might not be a good idea, the war has nothing to do with it. I was planning on going into computers (and fighting tooth and nail to go to college and get commissioned). It's more the way the Military has been treating it's Soldiers lately. I'm sure they will figure themselves out, sooner or later, I just don't want to be in while they're getting it right.
So, I decided that the Police would be a viable option. I would still be serving my community (and a little more directly), but I don't have to worry about being fined when I get out. So, as for the actual question. Does anyone know what I should do NOW while I'm still in high school. Like classes I should take, any out-of-school organizations I should join, community service, that kind of thing. Also, do I need to college to be a Cop in most mid-large cities? Or, would the police help to pay for my going to College?

I am sorry that I did not see this thread earlier. I would recommend going to college and getting at the least an associate degree and then putting yourself through the police academy. If you can get a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice then that may open up a few more doors for you as well. As for departments paying for you to go to the academy. Well in Michigan there is less and less of that. Only the larger cities like Detroit, maybe Lansing or a few others are regularly paying people to go throught the academy. When I went through a long time ago there were eight people out of 36 that had an agency paying for them to go through. The rest were putting themselves through and then searching for employment. Irregardless of the above this is a great and noble profession and provided that you can deal with all of the stuff (paper works, public scrutiny & criticism, dealing with the worst part of our population daily, etc.) that goes along with being a cop it is a very rewarding career. Good luck!
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Your MA training will come in real handy on a daily basis..A buddy of mine was a CO and he said it was the ROUGHEST job he ever held..Now he's a copper...

That is really true Drac! That is one rough job and definatley my hats go off to correction officers that do it well.
 
One of the best law enforcement related jobs I ever did was working for the DNR as a Ranger. Outside all of the time, state employee with good pay and dealing with mostly minor crimes. That was a great job. Next step up would have been a DNR Conservation Officer. That job from friends that do it is very enjoyable but also very, very tense in that you are consistently dealing with knuckleheads that have high powered rifles, etc.
 
I am sorry that I did not see this thread earlier. I would recommend going to college and getting at the least an associate degree and then putting yourself through the police academy. If you can get a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice then that may open up a few more doors for you as well. As for departments paying for you to go to the academy. Well in Michigan there is less and less of that. Only the larger cities like Detroit, maybe Lansing or a few others are regularly paying people to go throught the academy. When I went through a long time ago there were eight people out of 36 that had an agency paying for them to go through. The rest were putting themselves through and then searching for employment. Irregardless of the above this is a great and noble profession and provided that you can deal with all of the stuff (paper works, public scrutiny & criticism, dealing with the worst part of our population daily, etc.) that goes along with being a cop it is a very rewarding career. Good luck!
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You agree with most of the other posts. What, by the way, is a DNR?
 
And no longer that intrested in being a Correctional Officer.

In case you're interested. Check this out. This is the website for the CT. Dept Of Corrections. As some others have said, you're basically a prisoner too, the difference being, that you leave at the end of your shift. I have a few close friends that I keep in touch with that still work there. One of my very good friends and one of my instructors, is a Captain.

As for the pay...well, you'll see that when you click on the link. :) There is lots of OT, so that will always compensate. It is interesting though to look at the pay, after the 10 week training period. The money that I make at my job now, is much more than the 10 week top off, and I'm not dealing with inmates, having to worry about getting into a fight, having a cup of urine or other bodily fluids thrown on me. Go figure.

Mike
 
In case you're interested. Check this out. This is the website for the CT. Dept Of Corrections. As some others have said, you're basically a prisoner too, the difference being, that you leave at the end of your shift. I have a few close friends that I keep in touch with that still work there. One of my very good friends and one of my instructors, is a Captain.

As for the pay...well, you'll see that when you click on the link. :) There is lots of OT, so that will always compensate. It is interesting though to look at the pay, after the 10 week training period. The money that I make at my job now, is much more than the 10 week top off, and I'm not dealing with inmates, having to worry about getting into a fight, having a cup of urine or other bodily fluids thrown on me. Go figure.

Mike

I'll have to check that site out. Got any about NE? Were I live yah know
 
I am sorry that I did not see this thread earlier. I would recommend going to college and getting at the least an associate degree and then putting yourself through the police academy. If you can get a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice then that may open up a few more doors for you as well. As for departments paying for you to go to the academy. Well in Michigan there is less and less of that. Only the larger cities like Detroit, maybe Lansing or a few others are regularly paying people to go throught the academy. When I went through a long time ago there were eight people out of 36 that had an agency paying for them to go through. The rest were putting themselves through and then searching for employment. Irregardless of the above this is a great and noble profession and provided that you can deal with all of the stuff (paper works, public scrutiny & criticism, dealing with the worst part of our population daily, etc.) that goes along with being a cop it is a very rewarding career. Good luck!
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Who pays for the academy depends a lot on the state. There are very few places in Virginia where you can send yourself to the academy, and, accordingly, most agencies either pay you to go to the academy -- or only hire officers that someone else has trained. However, from what I understand, in Texas, many agencies expect you to already be certified when you apply. And then there are the agencies that don't care what your background was; you're going through THEIR academy if you're going to work for them. (Most, if not all, state police departments are like this.)

Prospective officers need to learn how things work in their state.
 
Who pays for the academy depends a lot on the state. There are very few places in Virginia where you can send yourself to the academy

Same here in Ohio..I taught at the open enrollment academy..


jks9199 said:
Prospective officers need to learn how things work in their state.

Yes..Especially if they send themselves to the academy..Ask how long the certification lasts if they do not have employment waiting upon graduation..
 
So you had to do what? Keep the deer off each other when kiddys are around? LOL

LOL!!!! The Park Rangers up here do alot...From traffic enforcement to search and rescue..Then there is always the problem of keeping liquor out of the parks and being called to deal with a problem of someone who's had too much to drink at a family function held in one of the parks pavilions..Basic First Aid skills are MANDATORY....Basic water safety skills would be a BIG PLUS as a lot of the parks have adjacent pools, rivers, or creeks..
 
LOL!!!! The Park Rangers up here do alot...From traffic enforcement to search and rescue..Then there is always the problem of keeping liquor out of the parks and being called to deal with a problem of someone who's had too much to drink at a family function held in one of the parks pavilions..Basic First Aid skills are MANDATORY....Basic water safety skills would be a BIG PLUS as a lot of the parks have adjacent pools, rivers, or creeks..
I didn't feel like addressing it last night... But conservation police/DNR police/rangers/whatever-you-call-then often have very tough jobs. They deal with a LOT of people doing things that are very dangerous, that are doing things way off where nobody sees them for a reason, and many of whom are WELL armed AND experienced with their weapons. And they're backup response time may be measured in hours or even days...

Plus, they're often dealing with people "on vacation." Which means they've shut off the "don't do this" regulator that most of us have working when we're home...

And then there are the unarmed rangers with limited, but required, enforcement powers who are dealing with the same people...
 
I didn't feel like addressing it last night... But conservation police/DNR police/rangers/whatever-you-call-then often have very tough jobs. They deal with a LOT of people doing things that are very dangerous, that are doing things way off where nobody sees them for a reason, and many of whom are WELL armed AND experienced with their weapons. And they're backup response time may be measured in hours or even day..

Plus, they're often dealing with people "on vacation." Which means they've shut off the "don't do this" regulator that most of us have working when we're home...

And then there are the unarmed rangers with limited, but required, enforcement powers who are dealing with the same people...

Bravo, well said....Thankfully all the Rangers up here are armed...Non-LEO's will never know the joys of dealing with someone who is normally a law abiding citizen and has diabled his/her "don't do that" system because he/she is on vacation and leaves you NO CHOICE but to cuff and stuff in full view of his/her family...And they wonder why coppers drink..
 
LOL!!!! The Park Rangers up here do alot...From traffic enforcement to search and rescue..Then there is always the problem of keeping liquor out of the parks and being called to deal with a problem of someone who's had too much to drink at a family function held in one of the parks pavilions..Basic First Aid skills are MANDATORY....Basic water safety skills would be a BIG PLUS as a lot of the parks have adjacent pools, rivers, or creeks..

I know we have some state parks with park officials, but I believe most are on the other side of the State. It's a nice several hour drive. So, I don't think I will check into being a park official too much.
 
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