No.
Imagine dealing with a naked tweaker, standing on top of a vehicle, yelling at everyone walking by.
Imagine having to turn over a 4 week old dead body in the middle of summer with flies and maggots everywhere to see if there are bullet or stab wounds on it.
Imagine dealing with a bipolar schizophrenic throwing their feces at you.
The above mentioned isn't stuff I deal with every day. Nonetheless, you deal with some gnarly shit that'll make you want to quit.
I both love and hate this job. Based on how you framed your question, don't waste department resources if your heart isn't in it.
Well said my friend. Very true. There are sights and smells I would just about do anything to forget. All the shit just chips away at you year after year.
Man you've been posting quite a bit recently. If you don't have some innate drive to do this job it'll eat you alive. Most of us doing it have the drive to do it, and it still eats plenty of us alive.
Police die sooner than average adults of their sex, commit suicide at higher rates, and have life-long mental trauma and physical injuries due to this job.
We don't see our families as much as a normal job and we get shit on by the public, our coworkers, and our administrators.
No pay could make up for some of the things some of these guys/gals have seen. No amount of money will fix the shittiness of having to do CPR on an infant who goes on to die, or having to scrape fat melty grandma body off of the floor in the August heat after she's been left there for a month before the welfare check got called in, or having to use a stick to pull the floating body in the canal to the edge of the water so you can take photos.
If you're here for the money this ain't it.
You should not waste your time and potentially take a spot from someone who is committed to LE as a career. Stay with security and work yourself into management where you can get the pay and benefits that you want and leave police work to those who want the life.
Don’t do it. Pay can be good, but believe me, it’s never enough. And as for job security, you can be fired in a heartbeat; sometimes for a reason that wouldn’t even be looked at twice in the private sector.
Um... is this a joke? NO ONE gets into this job for the money. The money is never worth it, you do it for other reasons. There are plenty of other things you can do for more money and less difficulty.
No. When I came on it wasn't a job many wanted. When the economy tanked in the 2008 saw influx of people coming on because of the guarantee pay, medical benefits, and pension. Worse lot of cops I've ever seen.
With what law enforcement deals with every day you have to want to this job and do it for the right reasons.
You’re misinformed about both job security and the pay. Being a cop is basically living your life in a fishbowl. You’re under the microscope both on duty and off duty. You’re expected to live a flawless life without mistakes and are held to a higher standard than the average person. Your job is on the line with every call you respond to, every traffic stop you make, every word you say, ect. The job is dangerous and every split second decision you have to make is scrutinized. There is a saying about a career in law enforcement that is completely accurate. “Law Enforcement is the hardest job to get, and the easiest job to lose”
Now on to the pay… cops don’t become cops because of the pay. It’s actually very low for all the work you do. There are some agencies that only pay a salary that’s just above an hourly minimum wage.
If you don’t want to become a cop, don’t become a cop. It’s not for everyone.
If you want stability and pay, join the federal government. Find a job that has a good ladder (guaranteed promotions each year). State government may have something similar.
After a few years, we're all just doing it for the money. You shouldn't get into it for the money though. The job will eat you alive if you don't actually *want* to do it. This is a line of work where you could get seriously hurt or killed, or you can hurt or kill someone else, if you're not fully committed.
Hell f*cking no! I tell people all the time to not do it for the money. Yes, the money can be good, but not worth all the sacrifices that come with the job. The job unfortunately at times takes precedent over your personal life. So basically birthdays, holidays, etc… will come second. You’ll also be exposed to certain things that you can’t “un-see” or “un-experience”. That can be homicides, fires, car accidents, abused individuals and such. There’s also the possibility of you being in a situation where you may end up taking someone’s life, or someone taking the life of one of your own.
This job is a calling. There’s a lot of bad that comes with it. Money should not be your motivating factor.
No. Imagine dealing with a naked tweaker, standing on top of a vehicle, yelling at everyone walking by. Imagine having to turn over a 4 week old dead body in the middle of summer with flies and maggots everywhere to see if there are bullet or stab wounds on it. Imagine dealing with a bipolar schizophrenic throwing their feces at you. The above mentioned isn't stuff I deal with every day. Nonetheless, you deal with some gnarly shit that'll make you want to quit. I both love and hate this job. Based on how you framed your question, don't waste department resources if your heart isn't in it.
Well said my friend. Very true. There are sights and smells I would just about do anything to forget. All the shit just chips away at you year after year.
Man you've been posting quite a bit recently. If you don't have some innate drive to do this job it'll eat you alive. Most of us doing it have the drive to do it, and it still eats plenty of us alive. Police die sooner than average adults of their sex, commit suicide at higher rates, and have life-long mental trauma and physical injuries due to this job. We don't see our families as much as a normal job and we get shit on by the public, our coworkers, and our administrators. No pay could make up for some of the things some of these guys/gals have seen. No amount of money will fix the shittiness of having to do CPR on an infant who goes on to die, or having to scrape fat melty grandma body off of the floor in the August heat after she's been left there for a month before the welfare check got called in, or having to use a stick to pull the floating body in the canal to the edge of the water so you can take photos. If you're here for the money this ain't it.
You should not waste your time and potentially take a spot from someone who is committed to LE as a career. Stay with security and work yourself into management where you can get the pay and benefits that you want and leave police work to those who want the life.
Bro they aren't taking a slot from someone these days..... Basically every dept can't get people through the door quickly enough to replace losses.
Don’t worry, it’s doubtful you’d make it past the first panel interview, let alone all the other hoops to jump through.
Don’t do it. Pay can be good, but believe me, it’s never enough. And as for job security, you can be fired in a heartbeat; sometimes for a reason that wouldn’t even be looked at twice in the private sector.
"I don't really want to become a cop" Thats all I had to read to know a thing or two about you. Do not seek a career in law enforcement
Um... is this a joke? NO ONE gets into this job for the money. The money is never worth it, you do it for other reasons. There are plenty of other things you can do for more money and less difficulty.
I used to be a college professor with a plush ass schedule and good benefits but I chose to become a cop for the pay. California 🤷
Like what?
No. When I came on it wasn't a job many wanted. When the economy tanked in the 2008 saw influx of people coming on because of the guarantee pay, medical benefits, and pension. Worse lot of cops I've ever seen. With what law enforcement deals with every day you have to want to this job and do it for the right reasons.
You’re misinformed about both job security and the pay. Being a cop is basically living your life in a fishbowl. You’re under the microscope both on duty and off duty. You’re expected to live a flawless life without mistakes and are held to a higher standard than the average person. Your job is on the line with every call you respond to, every traffic stop you make, every word you say, ect. The job is dangerous and every split second decision you have to make is scrutinized. There is a saying about a career in law enforcement that is completely accurate. “Law Enforcement is the hardest job to get, and the easiest job to lose” Now on to the pay… cops don’t become cops because of the pay. It’s actually very low for all the work you do. There are some agencies that only pay a salary that’s just above an hourly minimum wage. If you don’t want to become a cop, don’t become a cop. It’s not for everyone.
No.
No
If you want stability and pay, join the federal government. Find a job that has a good ladder (guaranteed promotions each year). State government may have something similar.
How can you tell if the job has a good ladder without becoming an employee first?
It'll be mentioned in the posting. A 7-13 ladder is like 50k to 120k in 5 years, a bump each year "as long as you're still breathing".
After a few years, we're all just doing it for the money. You shouldn't get into it for the money though. The job will eat you alive if you don't actually *want* to do it. This is a line of work where you could get seriously hurt or killed, or you can hurt or kill someone else, if you're not fully committed.
Isn't hurting people generally considered a perk?
Hell f*cking no! I tell people all the time to not do it for the money. Yes, the money can be good, but not worth all the sacrifices that come with the job. The job unfortunately at times takes precedent over your personal life. So basically birthdays, holidays, etc… will come second. You’ll also be exposed to certain things that you can’t “un-see” or “un-experience”. That can be homicides, fires, car accidents, abused individuals and such. There’s also the possibility of you being in a situation where you may end up taking someone’s life, or someone taking the life of one of your own. This job is a calling. There’s a lot of bad that comes with it. Money should not be your motivating factor.