LASD Reserve candidate at 46 yo

[right_on]

hi all,

i'm 46 and i am in the process of joining the LASD reserve. already pass my written and now i have a bunch of paper work to do. i am in decent physical condition at 6'1 - 195lbs. long way to go!

i am emotionally stable and financially independent. happily married with 1 child. no arrest records, no felony or misdemeanor, last traffic ticket was over 8 years ago, i don't do drugs, i don't smoke heck i don't even drink alcohol.

i own 3 franchises and 1 construction company. it's 90% running by itself at this point and collectively make over 2M a year.
but ever since i was in my teens i always wanted to be LEO. i always kicked the idea around but never had the balls to go and join until recently. If i don't do this, it will forever tap me in my shoulders and say hey it's time to answer the call.

so i applied, studied, passed and now i am completing the docs that was sent to me to start BC. i had a hard time convincing my wife and she finally agreed with the Deputy Sheriff Reserve position. i know i can't be full time LEO, i love my business and the financial freedom it gives me. i want to fulfill my LEO dreams and perhaps the calling and i know i can meet the minimum hours required as a reserve, no problem, i can actually exceed it.

what advise can you give me, especially with the LASD process? via PM or here - Thank You in advance and good luck to me!

[RickD427]

As far as selection and academy, you would look like a very good candidate, but the only point I didn't see covered is your ability to meet the Physical Training standards. The reserve academy is fairly demanding and the program is designed for folks in their 20's. You'll need to pass the POST 500 Point test in order to be certified.

Once you're done with the academy focus on your continuing training and qualification. Set a goal of becoming a Designated Level 1. That will allow you to perform he full range of duties and to hold full time peace officer status as a reserve. Plan on it taking a few years. That's OK. You're still contributing while you're learning.

[Samuelx]

I don't remember if they have any North County reserve classes, you might be coming to Biscailuz - if so, you may be looking at a significant commute (I haven't been there for a long time but I remember Willow Springs being pretty far away lol).

Rumor is that the next class might be in Feb 2019? If so, you have some time to prepare and my advice would be pretty much the same as for full-time recruits - gather as much reliable intel as you can about all academy activities and shoot to surpass any/all requirements Before you get in. Everything you can do ahead of time (e.g. learning phonetic alphabet/radio and 10 codes, PT and/or DT, how to shine shoes and prep your uniforms, getting familiar with learning domains, etc) can save you some headache/worry/time during.

If you're not sure about PT, I believe they offer pre-academy workouts up North (I think at College of the Canyons? not 100% sure) and if you can make a few, you can get an idea of what to expect. If/when you want to look/prep further ahead, you may consider working on location awareness (knowing where you're at at all times, what direction you're facing/heading, what streets you just passed/are coming up on, etc - whether you're driving and especially if you're a passenger) and, if you have a solid LASD resource, perhaps radio traffic (all kinds of) as well.

[Frank1911]

I recommend you reconsider. If not, you may want to put all of your businesses in someone else's name. 1 lawsuit can take it all away (Unless you plan on being a "Behind the desk" reserve). Even if you did everything right, the sleepless nights that will follow you, won't be worth the price of admission.

Patrol is a young mans game (Yes, I said it and I'm your age) and no place for an older guy. The potential for you to jump over a wall with all the gear on and throw out your back is high. All this for less than a doller a year & yes they tax your 1 dollar.

It seems like you got it together, but I would reconsider if I were you. Most people only want to talk about the positive things and there are many. Unfortunately, the upside doesn't match the downside. If you were looking for a pension that would be a different story.

The #1 killer of police officers/deputy sheriff's is suicide (This is one of our dirty little secrets that most of us don't like to talk about). You may want to ask yourself why? I won't get into divorce issues, etc.

Based on your post you can certainly do the job, but with what ramifications? Think of your wife and child first. Most (Not all) regulars do not respect reserves and don't want to work with them. They see them as people who just want to play cop a couple times a month.

Many will poo-poo this post but I am giving it to you straight. I have 20 years on and other than the politics I don't regret it. Ask just about any real street cop and they will share with you a list of physical ailments (This is why so many physical issue are presumptive with cops) like acid reflux, high blood pressure, back, knee, shoulder and neck injuries. This does not include the nasty viruses like TB, AIDS, Scabies, etc. that you get to take home to the family. I won't mention the ultimate sacrifice.

If this didn't phase you then you just might fit in. I would recommend a department that pays their reserves. Many agencies do. Regardless, good luck in whatever you do.


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[right_on]

Thank you guys! Those are all good information and you throw it down real life stuff. I am not phased so far... But these are the things that I and everyone else that's in the same track needs to hear and see.

I know some departments pay the reserves, but I am not in it for the money or retirement pension. I'm set with that aspect and have a good financial planner on my back.

As for getting along, I am really easy to get along with. I don't think I will have a problem getting along with the regulars. 2 of my close friends are full time LEO (LAPD and OCSD). They are full support with it, but yes they told me about the injuries they go through at work.

Keep the info coming! Keeps me prepared!

[Bobby Ricigliano]

I retired as a reserve from SDSO and in your case, I would let it go as the downside outweighs the positives. Most regulars don't like reserves and you must go into the process knowing that you are an "at-will" employee. You can spend thousands of your own money and hundreds of hours in training only to be let go for no specific reason or recourse. I have seen so many reserves over the years that have had disagreements with regulars only to be told to turn in their issued gear and go away. I was in EEE one day buying a Glock and a SDPD officer pitched a fit because I was being helped before him and I was not a "real cop" so I should wait to be served if there are regulars in the store that needed assistance. Yes, the guy was a a-hole but that's the type of mentality you are going to have to deal with here. You will be 47 or 48 by the time you finish and getting started in the LE game at that point, especially being on the street with no experience, you have a higher probability of getting injured if things go sideways. Anyway, your life and your choice so you need to do what is best for you and your family and deal with the outcome. If you stick with it, good luck and try to associate yourself with the regulars that look out for your best interests because there are plenty out there that won't...

[esy]

[Endless]

I recommend you reconsider. If not, you may want to put all of your businesses in someone else's name. 1 lawsuit can take it all away (Unless you plan on being a "Behind the desk" reserve). Even if you did everything right, the sleepless nights that will follow you, won't be worth the price of admission.

Patrol is a young mans game (Yes, I said it and I'm your age) and no place for an older guy. The potential for you to jump over a wall with all the gear on and throw out your back is high. All this for less than a doller a year & yes they tax your 1 dollar.

It seems like you got it together, but I would reconsider if I were you. Most people only want to talk about the positive things and there are many. Unfortunately, the upside doesn't match the downside. If you were looking for a pension that would be a different story.

The #1 killer of police officers/deputy sheriff's is suicide (This is one of our dirty little secrets that most of us don't like to talk about). You may want to ask yourself why? I won't get into divorce issues, etc.

Based on your post you can certainly do the job, but with what ramifications? Think of your wife and child first. Most (Not all) regulars do not respect reserves and don't want to work with them. They see them as people who just want to play cop a couple times a month.

Many will poo-poo this post but I am giving it to you straight. I have 20 years on and other than the politics I don't regret it. Ask just about any real street cop and they will share with you a list of physical ailments (This is why so many physical issue are presumptive with cops) like acid reflux, high blood pressure, back, knee, shoulder and neck injuries. This does not include the nasty viruses like TB, AIDS, Scabies, etc. that you get to take home to the family. I won't mention the ultimate sacrifice.

If this didn't phase you then you just might fit in. I would recommend a department that pays their reserves. Many agencies do. Regardless, good luck in whatever you do.


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I agree with you. It’s the same for military and that’s sad. We are all brothers and sisters whether it be law enforcement or military.

I think the OP is a good candidate but nothing mentioned about can he do the bare minimum for PT.

But even if he can what you said sums it up for both police and military.

I am early 40s and I know I can do all PT right now that all military boot camps require.

[RickD427]

This was also my experience. I worked with many reserves where there work was indistinguishable for any other deputy's and I also work with some who were clearly not contributing to the "Bottom Line."

The reserve path is well suited for folks who want the challenges of a LE career, but can't commit full time. It's also an avenue for folks to test out the profession before committing to it full time.

The FBI Agent that wrote the search warrant leading to the arrest of the Washington DC freeway sniper started off as a reserve deputy with LASD. I worked with him for a few years at the Lennox Station and he did a good job of exemplifying a dedicated reserve deputy.

To quickly respond the civil liability issue raised in a previous posting, you will likely be sued at some point in your LE career. It just goes with the territory, but you're sued in your professional capacity, meaning that the County pays for your defense and for any damages that are awarded. You're not personally on the hook until punitive damages are awarded, and even then the County has the option in state court trials to (and generally does) pick those up.

[Tallship]

I will second what frank1911 said, with a caveat. Yes, if you want to go on patrol, you are putting yourself in a situation you absolutely do no want to be in. As an example, one of our reserves was involved in an incident where he, and other deputies tased a suspect, and the suspect died. Now he is involved in the lawsuit brought by the relatives of the suspect, and it's taking a toll on him. And he has nothing in the way of assets that you have.

The caveat is if you want to be a level III reserve and serve in one of the support units, that's a good thing to do. You can serve your community, free up regulars to do their primary jobs and get the satisfaction of helping out. Just don't go on patrol.

[Gun Kraft]

The most important advice I can give is find an agency that treats its Reserves the way you want to be treated. There are some that treat Reserves like dirt, and others that let Reserves do everything full-time Officers do--including becoming DT, EVOC and firearm instructors. Most are somewhere in-between.

One way to get a feel for how an agency treats its Reserves is to do a ride-along and talk about it with the Officer you're with.

[Ron-Solo]

Do it. LASD takes a lot of pride in their Reserve Forces Bureau. If you are involved in a lawsuit, LA County will back you and cover you legally as long as you followed policy.

I started off as a reserve with another agency, but went thru the LASD Reserve Academy. It was a lot of work, but prepared me for the regular academy a year later.

With LASD, I worked with some amazing reserves over the years. At Lakewood, we had two guys that worked every Friday night. They handled anything and everything assigned to them, including Homicides. When I got in my first shooting, they were the first unit to acknowledge they were responding, and were the first unit to arrive. They did an excellent job, as usual.

Best of luck.

Reserve Class 46, 1977. Regular Class 190, 1978.

[TrailerparkTrash]

Honestly, I think you’re a bit too old to jump in that saddle now. Patrol especially, is indeed a young man’s game no matter how you might physically feel about yourself.

[Che762x39]

I will second what TrailerparkTRash posted.

A 46 I would suggest working the Front Desk. Nothing wrong with that and its a 'Force Multiplier' thing. I am very pro Reserve but you also got to know your limitations.

[eta34]