Best PD for older recruit to apply in other states?

[AregularGuy]

TLDR: Old guy wants to move and attend police academy in less lib state. What agencies should I look at that don't have age restrictions? Thanks in advance!

Hi all. I'm sure this will warrant many "you're crazy" or "too old, don't do it" responses, but I am looking to finally change careers and get into law enforcement. If you're here just to tell me to forget it then please carry on. It's something I thought about for the past few years and just bad timing that I finally made up my mind in this climate. I don't mind thankless work or being disliked by a vocal minority of the public and politicians.

You might be asking, wtf is wrong with me? Well, I've got an itch to serve, joined the Army reserves at 41 despite some folks here on CG telling me not to. Got deployed for 2 years. I really appreciate that comraderie, service, and the honor of putting on the uniform. While deployed I got injured and I determined that when I recovered I was going to fulfill an old aspiration of becoming a police officer. During my rehab it was good motivation. Now that I'm back in my civilian job I've got a real hankering to move on. I'm not worried about physically getting through the academy since I'm in great shape. I can keep up with many of the young guys, not all but likely a good chunk of them.

What I'm finding is that some agencies have age cut offs and some do not. I'm currently 47. Las Vegas Metro is high on my list since I love Vegas. Are there any other cities out there in less lib states that I should check out?

[NavCop]

I wish you success in your quest, sir, and thank you for your desire to serve.

[Enzo rules]

Good luck in this endeavor.

[AregularGuy]

Thanks folks!! So far I'm scheduled to do the preliminary fitness/written test Nov 20 with LV Metro PD. They've got a program catered to prospects from out of state. Theyll pick who progresses after that. I did something similar for Oakland PD a few years ago but the timing was bad since I was getting deployed the following year. Trying to keep my options open but want to get out of CA at the same time.

[sanjoseskater]

A lot of cities have civilian community service officers, they don’t carry guns help with traffic incidents….. One community officer just got arrested in San Jose, I looked up his total comp package it was 186k with a base of 84k plus benefits/pension debt

[AregularGuy]

Yeah. I'm not looking to do that. I'm the "dont be a bystander/run toward danger" type.

[L-2]

OP's question is very broad and asking about LE departments outside of California in the Calguns.net forums, which will limit responses just because many readers here are related or in California.

Although, I moved from CA to NV in retirement, anybody making this major career-change needs to personally do his/her own research.

There are many departments in any state and each city and county are the most-likely to not have an upper age limit. There may be some state agencies too.

One way to narrow things down is to specify a particular state or states; then figure out what counties are in that state; then figure out near which cities an applicant would want to live as a commute into a city/county will be involved.

After that is done, then figure out the politics of those associated departments as usually the oral interviews will want to know what research the applicant did as to why they want to live, work, and enforce the laws of that city/county/state.

An applicant should also know there can be differences in the type of LE work between a city, county, and state, too.

If the politics of an area is most important, then it doesn't even matter as much if a future resident is even in LE or not. Therefore, the question of where to live & work should probably be asked in some other forum, whether religion, politics, even real estate.

People could suggest AK, WY, MT, UT, ID, NV, SD, ND, or decide to just move/live/work in a state with a non-Democrat Governor or overall political leanings besides just the Governor. NV currently has a Democrat Governor and remains to be seen whether this will change in the forthcoming election or even decade.

[zzwaste]

OP, look into the reserves program. There are several threads with good info.

[AregularGuy]

OP's question is very broad and asking about LE departments outside of California in the Calguns.net forums, which will limit responses just because many readers here are related or in California.

Although, I moved from CA to NV in retirement, anybody making this major career-change needs to personally do his/her own research.

There are many departments in any state and each city and county are the most-likely to not have an upper age limit. There may be some state agencies too.

One way to narrow things down is to specify a particular state or states; then figure out what counties are in that state; then figure out near which cities an applicant would want to live as a commute into a city/county will be involved.

After that is done, then figure out the politics of those associated departments as usually the oral interviews will want to know what research the applicant did as to why they want to live, work, and enforce the laws of that city/county/state.

An applicant should also know there can be differences in the type of LE work between a city, county, and state, too.

If the politics of an area is most important, then it doesn't even matter as much if a future resident is even in LE or not. Therefore, the question of where to live & work should probably be asked in some other forum, whether religion, politics, even real estate.

People could suggest AK, WY, MT, UT, ID, NV, SD, ND, or decide to just move/live/work in a state with a non-Democrat Governor or overall political leanings besides just the Governor. NV currently has a Democrat Governor and remains to be seen whether this will change in the forthcoming election or even decade.

Quite right and point we'll taken.. A ridiculously broad question now that I re-read it and your comments. It sounded much better in my head as I was typing. Thanks for the insight and points to consider. I suppose I am looking to get out of CA, would like to at go where there's some "action", so maybe a metropolitan area while still able to afford cost of living and a house. Was thinking TX, FL, or Las Vegas, just because I like Vegas. I contacted San Antonio PD but their age cut off of 45 is a hard stop.

I was also considering reserve PD but figured I might as well go all the way if I was going to go to an academy. I know they have a "part time" academy here in the south Bay area, weekends and evenings. It gets you through level I and II then if you complete field training afterwatd that is considered a full academy.

[AdiosKali]

Florida would be my choice.

[benjamin101677]

[dmo171]

They need you in Seattle and Portland

[glbtrottr]

[caliprep]

TLDR: Old guy wants to move and attend police academy in less lib state. What agencies should I look at that don't have age restrictions? Thanks in advance!

Hi all. I'm sure this will warrant many "you're crazy" or "too old, don't do it" responses, but I am looking to finally change careers and get into law enforcement. If you're here just to tell me to forget it then please carry on. It's something I thought about for the past few years and just bad timing that I finally made up my mind in this climate. I don't mind thankless work or being disliked by a vocal minority of the public and politicians.

You might be asking, wtf is wrong with me? Well, I've got an itch to serve, joined the Army reserves at 41 despite some folks here on CG telling me not to. Got deployed for 2 years. I really appreciate that comraderie, service, and the honor of putting on the uniform. While deployed I got injured and I determined that when I recovered I was going to fulfill an old aspiration of becoming a police officer. During my rehab it was good motivation. Now that I'm back in my civilian job I've got a real hankering to move on. I'm not worried about physically getting through the academy since I'm in great shape. I can keep up with many of the young guys, not all but likely a good chunk of them.

What I'm finding is that some agencies have age cut offs and some do not. I'm currently 47. Las Vegas Metro is high on my list since I love Vegas. Are there any other cities out there in less lib states that I should check out?

Having a military background w/ deployment experience will probably be a smooth transition for you into LE. The highest paying agencies outside of California are probably Metro PD and some of the major PD's in TX. Have you given any thought into Federal agencies, I believe you can get an age waiver being a veteran.

[20470CA]

Sounds like your heart is set on Vegas. I have two retired connections there, PM me if you want to talk to someone who retired from there.